Home & Away 1. Home Safe Home

**Into the Past**

**Chapter 1: Home Safe Home **

It was late, or early depending on how he looked at it. The silence that filled the house was only interrupted by a passing car or the screeching of tires from down the road. The eldest Braxton sat at the table waiting it was a warm night he'd left the front door open. He grasped the bottle on the table feeling unsettled as he glanced towards the clock once again.

Standing up and pushing away from the table Brax found a rubbish bag before heading to the lounge and beginning to pick up the empty bottles his mother had left strewn around the room before she'd stumbled to her bed not too long beforehand.

He could feel a headache coming on as his eyes involuntarily flicked up at the clock again as he walked beneath it towards the back door with the filled bag trying to keep the glass from making too much noise. It was quarter past three and he was going to kill Heath. He knew he should have gone with his brother, knew that Heath had been in a mood after having a run in with their mother that morning before he'd stormed out. But Brax had thought he'd needed to stay. She'd begun drinking long before Casey had gotten home from school and he wanted to stick around to make sure she didn't get onto him too much. He could only hope and pray that the younger Braxton wasn't in too much trouble, he certainly wasn't answering his phone and neither were any of their mates – hopefully not because they were locked in a cell for the night, not that it hadn't happened before.

After lowering the bag carefully into the bin, and walking back into the house he stopped to check on Casey who was still out cold in bed. He closed the door and continued down the hall before opening another at the far end, his mother lay on top of the blankets her small snores filling the room. He sighed before moving into it and grabbing the extra blanket that lay on the floor and placed it carefully over her. Hopefully she wouldn't wake before he got back. He moved back out of the room towards the kitchen to grab his phone and keys before he headed out to find Heath. Before he could gather his things though he heard the squeal of the screen door and sighed in relief.

Heath stumbled in one of his arms bracing himself on the wall and Brax simply leant against the counter and watched him shaking his head, at least until he saw a mop of blonde hair under his brothers other arm. Brax's eyes narrowed he didn't want to have to send another girl home Heath was trying to sneak into the house. It took only another second for him to realise he knew exactly who was stumbling into the house with his brother and only another before he realised that in fact Ricki was the one holding his brother up.

Sighing again he pushed himself off the counter and towards the stumbling pair before pulling Heath from the smaller girl. His lips quirked up in amusement as she threw him an extremely grateful look sighing in relief as the weight was lifted from her shoulders,

"Need to lay off the eggs Heath" she groaned rolling her shoulders and Brax chuckled quietly.

"Goodnight handsome" Ricki directed to Heath who stopped mid step pulling away from Brax who had turned him in the direction of his own room. He stumbled back towards his friend grabbing the wall before bending down to plant a kiss on what Brax assumed her head which landed on her eye,

"Night babe" Heath muttered and Ricki laughed as they could only just make out his jumbled words. Grabbing Heath's shoulders Brax turned him back leading him to his room before pushing him toward the bed which he easily collapsed upon. Brax shut the door knowing Heath was only seconds away from snoring to find Ricki sitting at the table his beer in hand. Her hair was a mess and she looked exhausted, Brax knew Heath must have called her at home and pulled her out of bed,

"Danny called me" she offered as an explanation causing him to frown,

"Why didn't he call me?" he asked the room perturbed and Ricki scoffed,

"Um probably because he didn't want you to take his head off for letting Heath get into the state he was in when I got there"

"Did your folks wake up?" asked Brax his brow creasing in concern, but she shook her head,

"I doubt it"

"How bad was it?" he asked sitting in the chair on the other side of the table,

"Nothing too extreme they just got into a fight at the pub" Brax groaned at her words,

"I should have gone with them tonight" he said running a hand over his face,

"Cut it out Brax" she began before he'd even finished his sentence

"This isn't your fault besides I could easily say the same thing" he didn't bother replying,

"You want a lift home?" he offered and she shook her head,

"It's all good" she dismissed and he watched her for a moment,

"You want to stay here? I'll take you to school tomorrow with Heath and Case" she held his gaze for several seconds a contemplative look on her face,

"You sure?" she asked and he rolled his eyes, standing and getting himself another drink from the fridge seen as Ricki had appeared to have claimed his, before shutting the front door,

"Ric I swear you're here more than Heath it's all good" he said offering her a smile which she returned,

"So was it bad tonight?" she asked as he sat again,

"Case is fine, Mum just started early today so I wanted to stick around but she didn't lay into him too hard"

"Because she was too busy with you?" she asked an eyebrow arched as she watched him. When he simply shrugged and she knew she would never get an answer from him she continued,

"I was caught up at school otherwise I would have gone with the guys"

"Heard you got shut up in detention" he smirked teasing,

"Heaths fault" she shot back and he nodded,

"Figures, you sure it's not going to cause you trouble if you're not at home?" he asked carefully. He knew home wasn't a good topic for Ricki, she hated talking about it. She simply shrugged,

"Na it'll just look like I've been for a surf with you lot it's not like I made my bed before I left" she grinned and he leaned closer,

"Ric you didn't have to go and get him I appreciate it but you could have rung me" she nodded,

"I know"

"Speaking of bed though, you have school in like four hours and you're not being late, I'm not being responsible for another detention for you. Let's hit the hay kid"

"Not a kid" was her usual response as she stood grabbing Brax's now empty drink and placing them on the counter,

"Thanks for tonight Brax"

"Where are you going?" he asked as she headed towards the lounge,

"Yeah if you think I'm bunking with your brother after the night he's had" she started making him laugh,

"Take my room Ric" he rebuffed her protests and five minutes later had pushed her into his own room. He couldn't have her sleep on the couch, sure she knew all there was to know about their mother but he couldn't know what state she'd be in when she woke up,

"Night Ric" he grinned as he shut the door,

"Night Brax"

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><p><strong>Hey guys so this is my first Home and Away Fic, I used to watch it all the time but have tuned out recently. However I saw a few episodes with Ricki and Brax and loveeee them. I heard she knew the guys growing up and wanted to write about that! Let me know if you have any requests about moments between them all! Hope you enjoy, please review!<strong>

**oh also quick question can anyone tell me how ricki is related to jamie, is she? and a quick run down on what happened there, i should go and rewatch it all but short on time a bit :) **


	2. Cereal and Science Tests

**Into the past**

**Chapter 2: Cereal and Science Tests**

Darryl Braxton lay on his stomach, face down in the musty, old thin pillow that was somewhere between a grey and yellow. He moved shifting slightly but groaned feeling the spring poke up at him from the thing that was a poor excuse of a mattress. Sitting up the sixteen year old felt a bead of sweat rolling from his shoulder down his bare chest and over several scars that he barely noticed anymore. The house was silent and still and arching his head he stared up at the moonlight that swamped in his window that he'd cracked open as wide as possible in the off chance of a slight breeze. A breeze that never came. The air was hot and sticky and the fan that sat in the corner of the small bedroom room was broken with no hope of fixing, he'd tried.

It wasn't until the first glimpses of early morning golden sun began to rise over the horizon that Brax managed to drift off. Unfortunately however it was short lived as only an hour later his door was pushed open sharply allowing it to rebound off the wall and probably cause another dent while a fist hammered on it,

"Get up, school day boy" a gruff voice sounded and Brax didn't bother opening his eyes until he heard the heavy footsteps disappearing down the hallway. Sighing he rolled over– School. He'd barely been there in the last term between catching shifts at a few local places and doing jobs for Adam and some others there was hardly enough time in the day for study. Besides the rest of the time he went the teachers just gave him a hard time about not being there the other times so he still didn't see the point. The school had called a meeting with his parents, who hadn't bothered to turn up and Brax forged the signature of the notification they'd sent home. When his maths teacher had caught up with his Dad on the street one night it or he, he supposed, had served as a good excuse for the old man to let out some of his frustration from being in a dead end job to unemployment and for her to practice her aim through her alcohol clouded vision. Then again they'd hardly required an excuse before.

Wrapped up in his thoughts he barely noticed a small figure slip into his room,

"Brax" the small voice said from beside him and he turned to peer up at the young boy,

"Hey kid sleep well?" he asked looking at Casey whose hair was stuck up at all unnatural angles, he smirked,

"Yeah alright" he said with a shrug and Brax chuckled at his nonchalance. He'd noticed Casey copying his older brothers more and more,

"You ready for school" he asked the young boy still in his pyjamas who shook his head violently, a frown creasing his features,

"Don't want to go" he protested,

"He won't get dressed I can't make him he keeps kicking me" another voice said from the doorway and he looked up to see Heath. He had a bowl of cereal in his hand and was peering disdainfully at his little brother who was now sitting beside Brax who had sat up planting his feet on the floor and Casey's sleepy head rested against his arm,

"Good morning Brax, Good morning Heath, how did you sleep, I slept well, how about you?" Brax said arching an eyebrow at Heath making up the conversation between the two brothers that hadn't happen. In reply Heath opened his mouthful of cereal at his older brother who shook his head,

"You don't sleep anyway" Heath muttered smartly,

"Oi come here" he gestured to the boy whose eyes narrowed in suspicion,

"Come here" he repeated and Heath hesitantly took two steps towards the,

"Braaaaaaaxx! Come on!" he groaned as he stole his breakfast taking two mouthfuls of his cereal. Casey laughed from next to him as he offered him some which he ate quickly his eyes sparkling in laughter. Brax laughed as well at the outraged look on Heath's face before handing it back to him,

"Can you please get him dressed, I can't do it" he said and Brax nodded at the twelve year old,

"Only if you make us both some breakfast" Heath grumbled before nodding and disappearing quickly from view. Brax chuckled and stood up before looking back down at Casey who'd pulled Brax's sheet up over him and was snuggling back down into his bed,

"Oh no you don't kiddo, you've got to go to school Case" the little boy shook his head, his little pout making him smile in amusement,

"Come on Case you've got to go show your teacher how well you can read that book now!" he said enthusiastically making Casey grin. At the prospect of making his older brother proud he smiled and let Brax pull him out of the bed. He moved from his room and into Casey's flicking off the fan in the room as they entered. Ten minutes later a successfully dressed oldest and youngest brother headed for the kitchen to see what mess Heath had created. He could hear his father in the shower still and had seen his mother passed out on her bed as he'd passed her room pulling the door closed before Case looked in,

"It's so god damn hot" Heath groaned unaware of their presence. Casey gasped looking up at Brax,

"Heath said a naughty word!" Casey exclaimed causing Brax to huff in laughter as he pulled the chair out for him,

"That's not a naughty word stupid, a naught word is –" Brax's hand over Heath's mouth stopped whatever was about to come out from doing so and he sent the boy a look who had been putting Casey's breakfast in front of him,

"That is a bad word so don't say it no more okay and don't call your brother stupid" Brax instructed as he grabbed a spoon from the draw and sat beside his brothers ignoring Heaths murmuring. Not too long later he turned slightly ignoring the conversation that had begun between the three of them to hear the shower shut off and their fathers voice enter the bedroom tinged with annoyance. Turning back Brax met Heath's eyes and his younger brother collected Casey's bowl immediately while Brax grabbed all three bags including the sandwiches he'd made for them the night before.

"Come on Case" Heath said any annoyance forgotten as Heath grabbed his younger brothers hand leading him out the door. They were half way down the long street Casey walking between his older brothers before they heard the front door slam close. Brax sighed in relief and smiled as Heath swung his brother up to sit on his shoulders quickly taking his bag from him. Brax sighed his thoughts drifting as he walked it wasn't until a voice called out from behind them several minutes later that they were interrupted,

"Hey Handsome!" Brax smiled at the voice as he turned to see the younger girl, her hair piled atop her head in a messy ponytail. She caught up with them easily,

"Thanks beautiful" Heath smirked at her and she rolled her eyes looking up at Casey,

"I definitely wasn't talking to him then was I" she joked as Casey laughed and shook his head,

"Ricky!" he greeted excitedly reaching down to hug her from Heaths shoulders. They continued with their new addition who would always find them or them her sometime during their walk.

"Excited for school?" she asked the young boy who frowned again,

"Don't want to go"

"Oh but Case I think it's time I get another painting huh, my walls getting pretty bare again" Brax smiled as Casey grinned and nodded promising to create something for Ricky. They'd seen Ricky's room before one wall of which was decorated with drawings and art from Casey. She'd been at their house the day Casey had brought his first masterpiece home for their mum, she'd watched as Cheryl had nodded before placing it on the table without much of a glance on her way out and had swooped in before Brax could react to Casey's crumbling expression. She'd oohed and ahhed over the painting asking about each detail and then pleaded him if she could stick it on her wall explaining she had the perfect place for it. The next morning they'd walked to school she'd pulled Casey and his brothers into her house and he would never forget the smile that grew on Casey's face that morning as they looked at the blotches of red, yellow and blue paint on the paper stuck on the middle of her wall. Since then Casey had been painting and drawing for Ricky, Brax and Heath all of their rooms decorated by the young boy.

He smiled in thanks towards her when she turned to him,

"What's this then?" he asked nudging her seeing the piece of paper she was carrying,

"Science test" she groaned,

"What!" Heath asked in alarm causing Brax to roll his eyes at his brother,

"I told you yesterday" Ricky responded shaking her head but her words faded and she swallowed nervously. Brax knew his parents didn't give a damn what they did and in fact didn't think much of school at all. Ricky's however. He knew that the test was probably important, or at least the result she came home with.

"Alright give it here then" Brax said holding his hand out for it,

"What?"

"Well since my brother forgot all about it I'll test ya both, Case can count how many you both get right" she considered him for a moment before he pinched it off her before she could return it to her bag and cleared his throat. By the time they reached the gate of the schools, both the primary and secondary, which were next door to one another, their walk had been filled with planets, and biology, and plants, and gravity.

After assuring Casey they'd all be there to pick him up and watching him run inside he turned to the other two,

"Providing no one gets detention, so stay out of trouble the both of you" he said seriously pointing to each of them both of them grinning mischievously,

"I'm serious" he remarked before groaning as Heath turned after catching sight of one of his mates and running off. Focusing on Ricky he grinned handing her back the piece of paper,

"You'll do awesome Ric" she swallowed nervously before nodding,

"Na seriously you answered every question I threw at you, you'll be fine" she smiled in earnest then and grinned,

"I'll try and let him see my answers" he laughed at her words before she too turned and headed towards her class after Heath who was yelling for her. Shaking his head he watched the two of them disappear before walking along the border of the school and slipping easily behind one of the sheds out of view waiting for the bell to ring and the lingering teachers to enter the school before slipping out of the gate and heading out for the day.

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><p><strong>Please review! Let me know if you have any scenes you'd like to see, I've got a heap I'm thinking of but up for ideas! :) Thanks for reading. <strong>


	3. Refuge

**Into the past**

**Chapter 3: Refuge**

The sun was on her back, she could feel the light sheet draped over her waist and the soft pillow beneath her head. The morning warmth seeped into her skin awakening her slowly and calmly and for the first time in almost forty-eight hours she felt a serenity settle within her. No more hiding, no more running at least for a while. As she drifted further into awareness she began to feel the ache of her muscles, although soothed by the sun trickling through the window, were still tender against the mattress. She realised her temples were thumping painfully and she hoped she would be able to scrounge up a Panadol at some point that morning but for that moment she was much too exhausted to move.

She deepened her breath as she felt it quicken, she didn't want to cry again, she was embarrassed enough about it the first time. Though she knew she was safe there.

"You okay" his voice was deep and more gravelly in the mornings which made her lips quirk upwards before she even realised they had. It was only then that she registered the heavy weight that lay across her waist as his arm had wrapped around her. Not wanting, not ready to face the day, not ready to face everything it would bring she allowed her head to fall back against the pillow and she could feel the warmth from his chest.

"Just a thumping headache" she answered softly her voice sounding distant to her own ears. With her eyes still closed, feeling heavy she felt the pad of his thumb over her forehead, softening her frown, and she lifted her head slightly to peer at him knowing she must look a mess. Still it wasn't the first time he'd seen her as such.

"Thanks He—"

"Oh don't even think about it" he admonished before she'd even finished and she smiled towards him. He met her eyes and she could see the concern,

"I got you Ric" she nodded letting her head drop back down. She'd said it to him on more than one occasion before as he had to her. His fingers moved to her hair and combed through the strands her eyes sliding closed as she relaxed into him. He continued, occasionally running his fingers over her forehead which she knew must have been stained blue and purple.

It wasn't that long until the door was thrown open slamming her back into the moment sharply and suddenly without warning causing Ricky's heart to jump erratically into her throat, her eyes to fly open and her body to fling upwards stopped only by Heaths arm that still encircled her waist. In the split seconds she had to think she prayed and pleaded it wasn't Cheryl, or their father although she was sure they hadn't seen him for several months,

"Heath get up we'v—" she sighed in relief as she heard Brax's voice and she felt Heath relax beside her as well. His hand was on her back in attempt to calm her, she could hear own erratic breathing and her eyes stung pleading for her to blink,

"What the hell….Ric?" she smiled as she watched Brax catch up to the moment, which also gave her a chance to. As she closed her eyes trying to relax herself and her thundering heart and rid the panic that poisoned her blood only seconds beforehand she missed the look Brax sent towards his brother but she opened her eyes once she heard him make his way to beside the bed. He was crouched down, his eyes level with hers and she hated the look in his eyes.

His hand moved up to outline the bruise on her cheek lightly and she could feel Heath behind her.

"How's the head?" he asked gently and she sent him a look which answered his question better than her words could. Brax leant forward and she felt his lips press against her forehead carefully,

"You should have woken me up" he said carefully,

"I'm fine Brax…I just….needed to get out of there last night" she explained quietly her fingers keeping themselves busy with the frayed sheet. She watched the older boys eyes move to the open window and peer back at her with a look,

"We have a door you know, you could have called any of us and we would have let you in" she smiled at his words and nodded,

"I wasn't thinking" she shrugged and he nodded his hand running over the bruise once again,

"Alright well breakfasts up in 15 Mum's passed out in bed and Dad's still out so it'll just be the four of us" Brax sent her a look as her mouth opened to respond,

"I'll tell Case you fell down the stairs at the school, and I know you probably don't feel like it but you need to eat" he said quickly without hesitation before adding,

"I'll have two Panadol and some frozen peas for you" she smiled at Heath as Brax walked out, the younger brothers hand rubbing up and down her back several times more before they sat up together.

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><p><strong>Hey guys thank you soooooo much for the reviews! The best kind of motivation , question do you guys think Brax and Ricky should be together in certain chapter of when they're a bit older, or keep them in a friendship (kindof - type thing...orrr? Ideas? <strong>

**Thanks for reading!**


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