The next morning Charlie opened her eyes as Brax moved over and pulled her against him-she couldn't help the little tingle she got as he ran his hand up her thigh. Knowing it was wrong and couldn't happen she tried to scoot away but stopped when he mumbled Ricky's name and held her tighter. Sighing she lay there for a minute or two to let him fall back asleep, when she was sure he was out she gently lifted his hand and slid out from under it.

"Rick what're you doing?" he mumbled and sat up.

Charlie looked over at him and smiled sadly, he had been so in love with Ricky but she had played him and broken his heart "I'm not Ricky," she said softly and slid out of the bed.

"Sorry," Brax said fully awake now "I'm just so used to her…" he trailed off and lay back down "I'm sorry," he said again.

"It's okay," she said as she pulled on a hoodie "go back to sleep," she added and walked out of the room.

Yawning she walked to the kitchen and put the kettle on, sitting down at the table she started to wonder how long she was going to be here with the two boys, she couldn't let Brax sleep in with her every night and she certainly wasn't letting Heath in beside her.

She looked up at the sound of footsteps "you okay?" she asked as Brax appeared in the doorway.

"Yeah, the phone was ringing," he said and handed it to her "…I didn't know if I should answer it or not," he added.

Charlie took it from him and pulled up the missed call "it's only Pete he's all that will ever call so feel free to answer…I better call him back," she said and put the phone to her ear. "Pete," she greeted when he answered.

"Hey, how's my baby sis doing?" he asked.

"Fine," she replied "is that what you called for?"

"Yeah, and to see if they were giving you a hard time," Peter replied.

"Oww!" they heard Heath yell from the bedroom.

"I'll go," Brax said and hurried off.

"Yeah they're okay with me," she said "any headway on the case?" she asked.

"No," he sighed "but I've been here all night."

"Charlie!" Brax called from the bedroom "you need to come in here!"

Charlie walked to the room to see Heath on the floor with a pained expression on his face "hold on Pete…what happened here?" she asked looking to Brax's hand that was covered in blood.

"I couldn't reach my crutches and fell, I nicked it on the way down…I opened my wound," Heath said.

Charlie sighed "Pete we have to get Heath to the hospital, he's after opening his wound there's blood all over the place."

"Don't take the car out," Peter said quickly "Robinson is nearby, get him ready to go and I'll call him to take him."

"Okay," Charlie sighed "call me back and let me know," she said and hung up "Robinson is gonna take him back to the hospital…help me get him up," she said walking to them.

…..

A while later Charlie and Brax sat watching tv waiting on Robinson to call about Heath. Charlie looked over at the phone as it rang "that's him now," she said and answered it "hey."

"Hey Charlz," he greeted "uh bit of bad news," he added.

"What now?" she sighed.

"It's deeper than they thought so Dr walker wants to keep him overnight, Pete's already told me to stay on his door so it's just you and Brax tonight…alone," he chuckled.

Charlie rolled her eyes "fine, is it just overnight?" she asked glancing at Brax.

"Yep, I'll drop him back as soon as he's cleared to leave and I'll even call," he chuckled "later Charlz," he said and hung up.

"They're keeping him in?" Brax asked when she threw the phone down.

"Yeah," she replied "seems the cut was deeper or something," she said and looked back to the tv "least we each get a bed tonight" she added.

Brax nodded and looked at the tv too "I'm sorry about what happened this morning," he said without taking his eyes off it.

"I said it was okay," she replied glancing at him quickly.

"I know I just don't wanna make you uncomfortable or anything," he said.

"You didn't," Charlie said and looked over at him properly "I know whatever happened with her was hard and you don't wanna talk about it so we'll just forget about it alright?"

Brax nodded "forget about it…I'm still sorry."

"Brax!" she yelled and the threw a pillow at him.

Brax pulled it off his face "what was that for?" he asked throwing it back at her.

"You keep apologising when there's nothing to apologise for…quit it," she said and threw the pillow again.

Brax chuckled "do you really wanna do this?" he asked.

"Do what?" she asked innocently "I'm just watching tv."

Brax chuckled and scooted forward "it's like that is it?" he asked and started to hit her over the head with the pillow "faking innocence?"

"Brax!" Charlie giggled and tried to get it from him "Brax come on!" she yelled as she pulled it.

Brax laughed as she fell onto the floor "had enough?" he asked leaning over her.

Charlie looked at the pillow balancing on his knee with his elbows resting on it "no," she said and quickly yanked it from him. Brax wasn't prepared for that and fell on top of her "ouch," she giggled when he landed with a thud.

Brax lifted himself up onto his hands so his weight was off her "that's cheating," he said looking down on her.

"I wasn't aware there were rules," she replied, inside her heart was beating out of her chest-so loud she prayed he couldn't hear it. He was looking down on her with this cute little smile she'd never seen before along with a glint in his eye.

Brax stared down at her how did he not know how fun she could be? How did he not know how beautiful she was? Lowering his head slowly he kissed her, once she responded he lowered his body back onto hers.

As the kiss heated up Charlie put her hands on his chest and pushed him back "we can't do this Brax," she panted.

"I know," he sighed and pulled himself off her "I'm sorry," he added.

Charlie pulled herself up "don't be sorry I kissed you back," she said before hurrying into the kitchen.

Brax closed his eyes and sighed "damn it," he said angrily and dropped back onto the sofa.

Charlie leaned against the counter a blew out a breath "nice work Charlie," she muttered to herself. Pushing herself off the counter she walked to the back door and unlocked it, she needed a bit more space from him than one room.

A while later Brax walked into the kitchen he'd expected her to come back in she'd been gone over an hour now. "Charlie?" he called when she wasn't there, walking to the bedroom he pushed the door in and frowned at the empty room. The bathroom door was open and empty…where else could she be? He asked himself.

Walking back to the kitchen he stopped at the window and watched her pace back and forth, going to the door he opened it and went out "I thought we weren't allowed outside."

Charlie stopped her pacing and looked over at him "you and Heath are not allowed outside, I'm the cop I am," she said and started to pace again.

"Charlie you can't avoid me in a place so small," he said walking to her "look I'm sorry I kissed you I don't know what came over me."

"I'm not avoiding you I just needed a little time to myself, and I told you I kissed you back so don't say you're sorry."

Brax sighed as she started to pace again "quit that," he said pulling her to a stop "you don't need to worry about me, I know whatever that was back there was just a mistake."

"I know," she sighed and dropped into the porch swing "it's not just the kiss-it's this morning as well."

"I said I was sorry," he said and sat beside her "I thought you were Ric…," he trailed off, he hadn't been able to say her name since he found out what she'd been up to.

"It has nothing to do with what you did…it's what I felt when you pulled me to you," she sighed and stood up "it doesn't matter I'm just over thinking and being stupid," she said and opened the back door "you better come back inside so I can lock it again."

Brax walked in and waited as she locked the door "what did you feel?" he asked curiously.

"It's better if we just forget about it," she said and walked by him.

Brax watched her go now more than confused than ever…was she trying to tell him she liked him?

…

A while later Brax stuck his head into the bedroom "I've made dinner do you wanna come out or will I bring it in?"

Charlie threw her book down and rolled off the bed "I'll come out…I'm sick of this room," she replied and walked by him.

As soon as she sat down Brax slid a plate to her "was thinking we could watch a movie after this, it's either maid of honour or fast and furious."

"Fast and furious," Charlie replied quickly "what?" she asked when he chuckled.

"I thought you would have picked the other one," he replied.

"I don't like all that girly crap, I like fast and furious…and Paul Walker is pretty hot too," she chuckled.

Brax chuckled again "what other movies do you like?"

"The rest of the fast and furious collection, Pirates of the Caribbean, die hard…action movies-you?"

"Same," he replied "here's on for ya…final destination?"

"First and second were good the rest sucked…back to the future?" she asked.

"All awesome," he chuckled "I can't believe you like all the same movies as me, if I'd known that I would have been stalking you to watch them with me…Ricky liked all that girly crap," he muttered.

Charlie let the silence sink in, after a few minutes later she put down her fork "what exactly happened with Ricky?" she asked "you don't have to talk about it if you don't want to," she added as his face turned to anger.

Brax sighed and put his fork down "I haven't talked about it with anyone," he said and looked down at his plate "it was all a game to her. She was sent by her brother to mess with me, she set Kyle up with the photo's, she wired that money to Connie to get me and Heath away from each other." He looked over at her "I was in love with her I was to blind to everything, I blew Kyle off when he tried to tell me what she was up to…all her stuff is still in my room." He blew out a deep breath and looked down at the plate again "I can't look at any of it but yet I can't even think about getting rid of it."

Charlie slid her hand on top of hers "I'm so sorry Brax," she said softly.

Brax smiled sadly and pulled his hand away "lesson learned aye," he said and picked up his drink "I'll never trust another woman as long as I live."

"We're not all like that," Charlie said "there is someone out there that will love you for the right reasons."

Brax scoffed "say the word money and you'll have a queue."

"I wouldn't be interested in a guy for money," she said seriously.

Brax looked over at her "can I ask you something?" he asked "why are you still single?" he asked when she nodded.

Charlie stood up and picked up her glass "who says I'm single?" she said and walked out to the living room.

Brax frowned and watched her go, he never saw her with anyone, Ruby never mentioned it either, standing up he walked to the door "so you're seeing someone?" he asked.

Charlie looked up from the tv where she was now seated "kinda," she shrugged.

"Kinda?" he asked and walked to sit beside her "what does that even mean?" he chuckled.

"It means we hook up when I want to, we don't call or text until one of us want a bit of fun. There are no feelings involved we both know where we stand and no one gets hurt…saves all the heartache right?"

Brax took in what she said there was only two reasons he could think of that would make her be on guard like this "okay," he said slowly "I'm gonna guess it's either because of Ruby or some guy broke your heart…am I right?"

Charlie looked up at him he was honest with her after all, sighing she stood up "Ruby's dad…never got over him," she said and walked into the kitchen.

Brax followed her "bad break up?" he asked.

Charlie handed him a beer and leaned against the counter "he cheated on me with a friend, we had a massive argument and I took Ruby to stay in another friends. When I came home the next morning he'd gone and taken all his stuff…now he's married to her and has two kids."

"Some friend…sorry," he said and leaned on it beside her "with Ricky I was weary at the start, I don't trust easy, she just turned up out of the blue I knew in the back of my mind something wasn't right."

"But you wanted to trust her you wanted everything to work out," Charlie said.

Brax nodded "I did, and look where that got me."

Charlie chuckled and jumped down off the counter "maybe we should just hook up with each other," she said and walked into the living room.

Brax stood there sipping his beer it had been bothering him since she said it out back, the way she felt? What did she feel?

Placing his bottle on the counter he walked in to her, stopping right in front of her he waited for her to look up "what did you feel this morning?" he asked.

Charlie looked away "it doesn't matter," she said quickly.

Brax grabbed her hands and pulled her to her feet "it does matter, I'm not moving until you tell me."

Charlie just looked down at her feet she couldn't explain it to herself, how was she going to explain it to him.

"Charlie?" he asked pulling her from her daze.

Biting her lip she looked away again "I felt wanted…safe," she said and looked up at him "I can't explain it any other way," she said and pulled away from him "just forget about it."

Hurrying to the bedroom she closed the door and leaned against it why did she open her stupid mouth at all?

…

A few minutes later she was pushed in as the door flew open Brax closed it behind him "that's twice you've walked away from me after saying something like that."

Charlie shrugged and walked to the bed "nothing can happen," she said and looked at him "we don't get along Brax, as soon as we can go home we'll probably never speak again-on good terms," she added.

Brax walked over to her "things change," he said sliding his hands onto her hips "we never spent time together with you out of uniform, I never realised how amazing you were."

"Brax," Charlie sighed "you don't want me," she said seriously "all of this," she said waving her hands around "is pent up adrenaline-it's only hitting you now what's going on. Once it wears off you'll feel like an idiot for saying all this and we'll be back to only talking when we have to."

Brax tightened his hold on her as she tried to step away and pulled her closer "let me worry about that," he said and crashed his lips to hers.

Charlie went to pull away but stopped when his grip tightened, giving in she slid her hands around his neck and deepened the kiss.

Walking her the few feet to the bed Brax lay her back on it and crawled up over her, looking down on her he smiled "wasn't so bad was it?" he chuckled.

Charlie giggled as he opened her shirt "shut up," she said and pulled him down to her kissing him hard.

Outside the front door opened and two masked men slipped in "are you sure this is the right place?" one whispered.

"Yes," the other whispered back "I followed the directions the cop gave me…shut up!" he hissed when the other knocked Charlie's glass from earlier over on the wooden floors.

In the room Charlie pulled back from Brax "what was that?" she asked and listened.

"Nothing," he mumbled and moved on to her neck.

"No Brax I heard something," she said and nudged him off her.

"Charlie it's nothing will you come back over here," he whined.

Charlie looked under the door as shadows crossed the crack of light "we gotta go now," she said and hurried to the bed. Ducking under it she pulled out a box and grabbed two sets of keys.

"What are you doing?" Brax whispered loudly as she grabbed her phone and gun before pulling the window open.

"Out now," she ordered and pulled him to her as the door started to open.

"There's a car behind the shed outside, take the keys and start it up," she said shoving him out.

"Charlie!" he hissed and ducked as shots started to go off before he could say another word.

Charlie jumped through the window "go!" she yelled and started to pull him.

"What the hell is happening?" he yelled as they ran.

Charlie jumped into the car and started it "no time," she said and screeched away as one of the men jumped out the window after them.

Charlie sped away "why the hell does this keep happening when I'm half naked!" she yelled and pulled out her phone "Pete!" she panted "Pete they found us!"

"What!" he yelled "Charlie are you okay?"

"We're fine we're on our way to the back up house…how did they find us here?" she asked.

"I don't know," he sighed "but I'll find out, keep driving I'm going to check on Heath," he said and hung up.

"So?" Brax asked.

Charlie glanced over at him "so what?"

"Where are we going and what just happened back there?" he asked "you told me no one would find us here."

"Well I was wrong wasn't I?" she snapped "we're going to another house," she said and looked in her rear-view mirror "I think I got one of them no one is following us….Pete?" she said when he called back.

"Heath's fine, I've sent another officer over just to be on the safe side, I don't know how your location got out so no one but me will know where you are from here on out. I'll drop Heath to you myself, same as the last house there's a box under the bed, stay safe and I'll call you in a few hours."

"Okay, talk to you soon," Charlie said and went to hang up.

"Hey," Peter said "love ya Charlz."

"Love ya too," she said and hung up.

Over an hour later Charlie let them into a house and locked the door behind them "stay here while I check the place out," she said and disappeared.

Brax sighed and dropped onto the sofa he could kill Heath for getting them into this mess. He looked up when Charlie walked back into the living room pulling a hoodie over her head "there's clothes here?" he asked.

"Yeah, there's another hoodie in there if you want it…this place gets kinda cold at night," she replied.

Brax lay his head back against the sofa and closed his eyes "I'm fine…what's the bed situation like here?"

"Sofa and two single beds…Heath should be here sometime tomorrow so for now you have a bed…I'm gonna get some sleep," she said and started to walk towards the room "you should too."

"Hey Charlie!" he called "how long do you think we'll be away?" he asked.

Charlie stopped in her tracks she knew this would happen-she even told him…just as well it didn't go anywhere. Sighing she turned back to him "I don't know, Joyce is trying to fast track the trial, Pete will know when he gets here…told you you'd feel like this," she added and walked into the bedroom.

Brax let her go moving so he was lying down he looked up at the ceiling, now wasn't a time to start anything with her-not while all this was going on. He wasn't sure if he wanted anything with her-or anyone at all for that matter, she was right, he shouldn't have kissed her back at the house.

…..

A while later Charlie came out of the room to get a drink, she was both disappointed and relived when he didn't follow her. She needed the time to herself and had made her final decision-nothing was going to happen no matter what he said or did. Walking into the living room she stopped and looked at his sleeping form, walking to the sofa she grabbed the blanket off the back and threw it over him.

"You okay?" he mumbled sleepily as she tucked it around him.

"Yeah," she said softly and backed away "just getting a drink, go back to sleep," she added and walked into the kitchen.

Grabbing herself a glass of water she made her way back to the bedroom, just as she got back into the bed she jumped a mile when her phone rang beside her "Pete?" she greeted.

"Hey," he replied "just calling to see how you are."

"Yeah I'm okay," she replied "how's Heath doing?"

Peter chuckled "causing blue murder here, he heard what happened and tried to leave."

Charlie chuckled too "well tell him his brother is safe and sound and fast asleep on the sofa."

"He asked about you," Peter replied "anyway, I called Robinson-I sent him to get all your stuff with Kane, you defiantly got someone there was a blood trail out to where a car had been."

"I thought I did when no one followed…have you heard from Joyce?" she asked.

"Yeah, he just left, trial is on Monday morning so after that Brax can go home-he can go now if he wants to, but we'll be housing Heath until it all cools down…and you too," he added quickly.

"Me?" she shrieked horrified "Pete I can't stay away any longer I need to get back to my daughter."

"She's fine Charlz she's staying with dad-he's taking her up coast for the weekend. I'm not taking any chances with you, after you're called to give evidence I'll be taking you right from the court house."

Charlie sighed heavily "why do I have to go?" she asked "I'm a cop I can look after myself."

"Because I'm in charge here and you're my sister you could be in danger we don't know who he has out there or who he knows, like I said I'm not taking any chances."

Charlie sighed again she knew he was just worrying about her and nothing would change his mind "fine…when will you get here?"

"When they discharge Heath in the morning, I stopped by your house before I came here I have stuff for you," he replied.

"Thanks," she said "I better go get some sleep…night."

"Night sweetie," he replied and hung up.

Charlie placed the phone back on the locker and lay down wiping her eye she sniffed and buried her head into the pillow she really wanted to go home and see Ruby and her family.

A while later Brax sat up and listened as he hear noise coming from the bedroom it sounded like whimpering, standing up he quietly walked to the door and placed his ear on it, sure enough she was crying.

Turning the handle he pushed the door in and stuck his head in, she had her back to him but her shoulders were moving and she was sniffing. Walking to the bed he sat down and placed his hand on her hip "Charlie what's wrong?" he asked softly.

Charlie wiped her eyes quickly "nothing, go back to bed," she said and scooted away from him.

Brax moved over on the bed "you're not crying for nothing, come on," he said and poked her "out with it."

Charlie sat up beside him and wiped her eyes again "I was talking to Pete a while ago the trial is on Monday morning."

"That's a good thing right?" he asked "means this is all nearly over and we can go home."

"For you it is," she mumbled "after I give evidence I'm being sent away for a few weeks."

Brax frowned "why? It'll be all over I can't see him getting away with it."

"He won't," she said quickly "but Pete is worried about who he has on the outside, Heath will be sent away for a few weeks too, it doesn't stop at the trial."

"That's why you're crying?" he asked.

Charlie nodded as her eyes filled with tears "I just want to go home to Ruby!" she cried "Pete won't even let me call her!"

Brax sighed and pulled her into him "she's fine Charlie you said so yourself they won't let anything happen to her."

"I know they won't," she mumbled against him "but I miss her I haven't been away from her for more than a day since she was two."

Brax chuckled "I never let the boys out of my sight when they were kids-still don't…look what happens when I leave Heath alone for more than a few hours…if he was stuck for money he knew he could have taken it from Angelo's, it's not like he hasn't done it before."

Charlie titled her head up to look at him "do you know this Tommy guy?" she asked.

Brax nodded "he's not a nice guy," he said and looked down on her "if Heath is caught he's a goner…you will be too."

Charlie sighed and snuggled back into him "so I'm better of doing what I'm told?"

"For once yeah," he chuckled.

Charlie titled her head again "you know my gun is about a foot away from me?"

Brax chuckled again before his face went serious "I'm kidding…you should do what your brother says, who knows it could turn out that nothing will happen and you can come home after a few days."

"Do you think he'll let it go?" she asked "Brax?" she asked and looked up when he didn't answer.

Brax sighed "if he found the last place he'll find us here…it's not gonna stop until he's behind bars and you're far away from here for a while."

Charlie nodded and rested her head against him "thought you were gonna say that," she said and closed her eyes "you know I'm gonna fall asleep if you keep doing that," she said as he ran his fingers up and down her arm.

"That's the point…go to sleep," he replied.

….

The next morning Peter arrived to the house with Heath in tow "sit there until I wake Charlie up," he said and helped him to the sofa "we're a lot earlier than expected," he added and walked to the bedroom.

Tipping the door in her took a step in and looked around, when his eyes landed on Charlie and Brax he smiled "at last," he chuckled and pulled the door close.

"What are you laughing at?" Heath asked when he came back to the living room.

Peter chuckled again and sat beside them "I think they've finally come to their senses."

A small smile crossed Heath's face, it was clear to everyone but them that they were crazy about one another, leaning over to the table he grabbed the remote "it only took two years and guy shooting at us to make them see sense," he said and turned on the tv.

Peter nodded "how did they not think anyone would notice it?"

"Mate, I don't think they noticed it themselves," he chuckled "Brax is pretty good at hiding and controlling his feelings-even when he was with that skank I saw the way he looked at Charlie he wanted to be with her. Beats the hell out of me why he never made a move he had long enough."

"Charlie's the same I asked her about it once and she told me I was being delusional…she's still cut up over that scumbag," Peter said with a hint of anger in his voice.

Heath looked over at him "what scumbag?" he asked.

"Ruby's dad," Peter replied "he cheated on her with her mate, Charlie left after she found out when she got back he had taken all his things and shacked up with her."

"Sucks to be her," Heath said "that explains why I've never seen her with a guy."

"She's closed off she doesn't trust easy," Peter said "that's why she came down hard on you lot when you arrived in the bay, she knew Brax was gonna be trouble for her."

"Maybe it's all about to change," Heath said and turned back to the tv.

Peter looked over at the bedroom door "yeah, hopefully," he said and settled back into the sofa. His sister sure could use something good to happen right about now.

In the room Charlie sighed happily and snuggled deeper into Brax, he sensed her movement and pulled her closer. Neither cared what they had agreed with themselves last night this moment-the moment of them forgetting everything and being happy outranked anything else…even if it was just for a split second.