Hey there.

This is dedicated to Braxtonboyzz123 for being so invested in this story way before I even posted this first little teaser. She's the reason I'm putting it out here now even though I don't know yet how and when and if I'll manage to update. It's the first little bit of the Blood follow up story I mentioned way back when I finished that story.

If you haven't read that one, you might want to - or skip this here.

A quick recap:

Brax got shot, while Kyle and Casey got kidnapped and tortured by Jake Pirovic.

Heath and Andy set out to find the boys and bring them home. Josh tried following Andy as he went looking for the younger Braxtons and in a terrible turn of events, got shot to death.

Case and Kyle eventually made it out alive - if gravely injured, but not without Kyle having to kill Jake first.

The repercussions of all of this are huge, haunting them all.

Somewhere along the way, Kyle breaks up with Phoebe, Casey gets engaged to Denny - and later marries her (before the leave for Europe). On their wedding day, Ricky has her baby.

Meanwhile, Heath and Bianca decide to move back to Summer Bay, and Andy moves in with the Braxtons.

And now:


...

~ a year later...

The guitar was strumming a soft tune, almost as if of its own accord, Kyle's fingers barely grazing over the strings as he sat on the beach, looking out toward the ocean. Out there he could just so make out three of his "brothers" on their boards, Heath taking a tumble after riding a wave for a nice long while, Brax making his way back out, and Andy just hopping onto his board, and Kyle had to smile and shake his head at these daring three.

Technically, not all three of them were his brothers, technically, he only had two half-brothers - Brax and Heath, who of course he shared a father with - but Kyle didn't care about technicalities. He still counted the absent Casey as his brother, too, even though the kid shared neither parent with him. He was still family, though, his brothers' brother. And just like Casey, Andy had become part of their family, too, had become their brother.

Because what Kyle had learned in the last year or so was that blood wasn't everything after all, it wasn't what made you family and kept you together. That was something else. It was the fierce will to stand up for each other and protect each other, an unspoken love that let you forgive even the biggest mistakes. It was the foundation, the sand they walked on, the beach, the ocean, the waves. That's what made them brothers, made them family. Even physical distance couldn't change that. Casey may have still been roaming through Europe, and had been for the last few months, but he was still very much a part of the Braxtons' lives, of the Braxton family.

Kyle stopped playing the guitar for a moment, lost in thought. The older brothers still hadn't gotten him to join them out there on the water, and maybe they never would, but he was okay with that. Absently, he was rubbing over his knee as he saw Ricky making her way over after a morning stroll with baby Case.

He scoffed softly, still thinking it had gone to his youngest brother's head that the baby had been named after him. Even though Ricky had insisted on the first name Wallace - after her grandfather - no one really called the poor baby that, or even Wally for short, instead choosing the middle name his parents had given him in honor of the fact that he had been born on Casey's wedding day.

So now they were stuck with two Caseys in their family, one currently far away, the other one right here where he belonged.

"Hey you." Ricky beamed and he smiled back, slowly getting up, needing a few careful steps before he could trust his knee to carry him. The stupid joint was still not working quite the way it should, but he had come to terms with it, with the occasional pain attacks as well as his forever slightly wonky gait.

It could have been so much worse after all.

"Boys still out there, huh?" Ricky shielded her eyes as she stared out at the water, waving back as Brax finally emerged out of the ocean, waving to her.

Kyle walked over to the stroller, taking his bubbly nephew out, then placing him on the sand where the child went to work with his little shovel right away. Kyle flopped down right next to him, getting to work as well.

"Should we build a sandcastle, little fella? What do you reckon? Right here? Yeah?" Turning his attention to Ricky briefly, he said, "If you want to go out there, too, I'm happy to watch Case."

"Nah, not today. I have a photo shoot in a bit anyway…"

"Okay." He smiled at her, then nudged his nephew, handing him one of the little shovels. "Come on, let's get digging."

They went to work as they waited for his three older brothers to get back to them so they could all start their day just as usual. With a decent breakfast, a bit of chatting, and then they'd all go their respective ways.

Kyle would have to call Casey later - the older one. It had been almost three weeks since their last conversation and he was starting to get oddly nervous. Usually they talked every other day or so. Yet slowly but surely the distance between them affected that schedule, or maybe it was the fact that they were both getting over their traumatic experiences, the kidnapping now almost a year in the past, and Kyle had begun to feel much better overall, as had Casey.

They rarely called late at night these days, rarely had nightmares anymore, and that was good. Even if it meant he didn't get to talk to Casey as much. At least he knew the kid was doing well. And so was he.

(He was, right? He was…)

Looking up, he saw the three laughing figures coming closer, just as Casey doused him with a shovel full of sand, and he laughed as Ricky jumped to his rescue, quickly berating her son.

"Oi. Casey! Don't throw sand at Uncle Kyle!" She looked at him, making a face. "I'm so sorry."

"Don't worry about it," Kyle said, chuckling, wiping off the sand and smiling at Case. "I'll just have to pay him back, huh, little fella? You need a sand shower, too?"

Casey giggled as his uncle pretended to get the shovel ready, then Kyle suddenly lunged forward, grabbing his nephew and tickling him until the little guy laughed and laughed.

Kyle's own laugh eventually turned into a smile as they continued their play, his brothers all giving him a brief handshake as they finally walked up to them.

"How's the water?"

"Nice surf today," Heath said, toweling himself dry, grinning at Kyle. "You should really give it a try."

"Maybe tomorrow," he replied with a wink. It was their daily banter, the same exchange happening almost every day.

As they chuckled, Kyle grew a little wistful. He had gotten used to this… The ease, the banter, mornings spent by the ocean.

He only hoped they'd always be this happy.


...

Casey woke up, sweating and shivering, needing a moment before realizing where he was. Looking over to his sleeping wife, he took a few deep breaths, slowly sitting up. He ran his hands over his face, sighing, before he got up, careful not to wake Denny.

He didn't want her to know that he was still suffering from these nightmares every so often, didn't want her to worry. Lately, it had gotten a lot better, but sometimes he was still back in that abandoned farm shed, tied to the metal beams of a looming shelf, unable to do anything as Jake Pirovic came over to…

No. He had to stop thinking about it, had to stop dreaming about it too. If only it was that easy.

He had made his way over to the small kitchen, briefly contemplating calling Kyle, but then he scoffed to himself, discarding the idea. Kyle seemed to be doing so much better, it wouldn't be fair to bring these memories back now, especially since they were so far apart these days… No, he'd have to get a grip on himself, and deal with it alone.

"Hey, you okay?"

He turned to see Denny making her way over to where he stood staring out the window, and she wrapped her arms around him as soon as she had arrived by his side, the touch feeling reassuring.

"Yuh, of course. Just woke up thirsty."

"Hm… Too much beer last night, huh?" She chuckled and he chimed in, allowing himself to just let go.

"Maybe? But let's get back to bed…"

Picking her up, he began carrying her back as she protested, and the nightmare was already almost forgotten by the time they both sank back into bed.

He could deal with this. He totally could. Right?


The face wouldn't leave him alone. A rough grin full of anger that came closer and closer until…

… His fingers closed around the hilt of the bloodied knife, grabbing it, then plunging it forward as hard as he could. The noise it made when it perforated the skin made bile rise in his throat, burning his esophagus and then…

Kyle shot upright in bed, hurling his legs out as he began retching. Leaning over until his head was between his legs, he tried to catch his breath, his airways so closed he thought he was going to die.

He coughed, again and again. Pushing himself up with both arms, he stumbled over to the window, his hands fumbling to open it. And still he couldn't breathe. He couldn't breathe…

"Kyle?"

He turned toward the door, staring frantically into the dark of night, only to finally see Brax appear in the dim light emanating from the hallway.

As he kept wheezing, trying to breathe, his brother was with him in seconds.

"Hey. Hey hey hey. Easy, mate. What's going on?"

"Brax," he choked out, eyes wide and panicked as his hands clutched the older one's chest, "Can't… breathe…"

Brax's gaze flickered as he grabbed Kyle's neck and shoulder, pulling him a little closer. "Come on, mate. Slow and steady. In… and out…"

"I…"

"What's going on?" A sleepy-looking Andy appeared in the doorway, squinting at them both with concern and as Kyle stared from him to Brax, his oldest brother jerked his head in Andy's direction.

"Get Nate over here. Now!"

"On it!" Andy raced off, and Kyle was alone with Brax once again, trying to mirror his brother's deep breaths, and finally it began working. More air filled his lungs again, and the shaking in his legs slowly subsided.

"I'm sorry," he muttered after a while, ready to let go, but Brax was still holding onto him, still taking deep breaths to encourage Kyle to do the same.

"He'll be here in five," Andy piped up as he came back, looking as worried as Brax, and Kyle began to feel uncomfortable for completely different reasons.

"I'm fine now, I'm sorry," he said, running a hand over his face as Brax finally stepped away, squinting at him suspiciously.

"Nate's still gonna check you over. No discussion. What the hell was that?"

"I don't know!" Kyle shot back defensively, flopping down on his bed as he took another few calculated breaths. Those images… they had brought him right back to that moment when…

He had killed Jake. He had killed a person, and for some reason he was still free, still sitting here as if that was nothing.

For months he had been so good about blocking that part out so he would be able to continue with his life, and suddenly, tonight, the memory had assaulted him out of nowhere, with a vengeance.

Before anyone could say anything else, the doorbell rang, and Andy with his crossed arms and worried frown jolted into action, calling out, "I got it," before he jogged off.

Brax slapped Kyle's head, but it was almost more of a caring gesture, making Kyle look at his oldest brother apologetically.

"Didn't mean to make a scene. I don't know what happened."

"Nightmares back?" Brax asked, not one to beat around the bush, and Kyle made a face, not denying it, not confirming it either.

"How is he?" Nate said just then, appearing in the door, quickly making his way into the room, where he then knelt down in front of Kyle.

"I'm alright, doc. Sorry they called you over for nothing-."

Brax scoffed. "He had some kind of breathing trouble. Scared the crap out of me."

"Brax…" Kyle rolled his eyes, suppressing a groan. It wasn't like Brax to be so dramatic. Then again, things had changed ever since Jake had shot Brax and kidnapped him and Case to torture them…

Nate raised an eyebrow as he focused on Kyle, telling him to open his mouth and lift his shirt so he could use a stethoscope to check his lungs.

"Have you had trouble like that before?"

"No."

"Hm…" Nate lifted a hand to touch Kyle's forehead, making him back away. "Temp is normal. But you have a slight bronchospasm," he announced, "something generally associated with asthma. - Have you ever had asthma before, Kyle?"

Clenching his teeth, he sighed, averting his gaze as he nodded. "When I was a kid. I grew out of it, though…"

He didn't like to be reminded of all that, the time after his mom had died and he had ended up in foster care…

Nate before him nodded. "Sometimes, especially after traumatic experiences, asthma can come back. - You still got an inhaler on you?"

Kyle shook his head, pressing his lips together. He hadn't needed one of those for the last ten years at least.

"Okay," Nate said, getting up again. "I'll get you a prescription for one. And I want you to come in tomorrow so we can reassess your lungs, make sure everything is alright."

"Doc…" Kyle rolled his eyes, but before he had a chance to argue or dismiss Nate's words, Brax had stepped forward, addressing the man.

"I'll make sure he doesn't forget," his oldest brother said with a sideways glance down at him and Kyle rolled his eyes. If only Brax had never witnessed this stupid episode.

Nate frowned at Kyle, then nodded at Brax. "Okay, good. I'll leave you some Albuterol for now, in case he has trouble breathing again…"

"Thanks, Nate."

"Of course. - And, Kyle: take it easy. Try to sleep with your head elevated a bit. That should help."

"Yeah, thanks." Kyle waved at the doc half-heartedly before staring back down at his feet again, clutching the edge of the bed as the others were leaving his room again.

Trying to sleep after that wasn't going to be easy. And the breathing wasn't even the worst of his problems.

He had killed a man...