Begin Again

[zara grace]

Story Title: Begin Again
Main Characters: Alf Stewart, Martin Dibble, Mackenzie Booth, Abigail Fowler, Levi Fowler, Eden Fowler, Cash Newman, Jasmine Delaney,  David Langham, Marilyn Chambers, Lacey Miller, Tane Parata, Harper Matheson, Dana Matheson, Sonny Baldwin, Mali Hudson, other characters will be included but not mains as well as some OCS
BTTB rating: T
Genre: General.
Does story include spoilers: Yes only mentions of Irene been gone
Any warnings: Sexual content, violence/death
Summary: The Girls are on their way back from  Jasmine's bridal shower when a car accident unfolds, one that leads Martin Dibble to return to the bay and one that will change the lives of everyone in the bay forever. 

 

Chapter 1 

 

David Langham had spent the past few weeks away from the bay, tied up with some tasks in the city. But now, he was back for good. Neither of his daughters, Lacey nor Jo, had mentioned anything about what had been happening in his absence, and he hadn't had the chance to catch up with them before heading to work that morning.

The moment Cash walked into the station, David noticed something was different. The man wore the biggest smile he'd ever seen and seemed more relaxed than usual.

"Did you and Eden finally settle on a date or something?" David asked. Although he hadn’t had much of a connection with anyone in the bay since his arrival, Cash was one person he had formed a solid friendship with.

"Actually, you missed quite a bit," Cash replied, his smile not fading in the slightest. "Eden and I broke up." The relief in Cash's voice was unmistakable.

David raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "So, what's got you so happy, then?" He couldn't help but ask. Aside from Eden, he'd never seen Cash this cheerful with anyone since arriving in town.

 

As Cash opened his mouth to answer David’s question, his phone rang. When he saw Alf’s name on the caller ID, a sinking feeling settled in his stomach.

"Alf, is everything okay?" Cash asked, his voice full of concern.

"Cash, there’s an SES call-out. I need you. You're trained. It’s just you, Palmer, and me for now, well, someone else is coming in from another area, but..." Alf’s voice was urgent.

"Okay, where’s the call-out?" Cash asked quickly as he grabbed his keys, already forgetting about work.

"It’s... look, the accident, it was..." Alf didn’t finish the sentence.

"Is my fiancée okay? What about Dana, Lacey, Leah, Abi?" At the mention of Lacey’s name, David turned sharply toward him.

"I don’t know," Alf replied. "But we’re headed to Westhaven Road."

Cash stood up abruptly and ended the call without another word.

 

"I know I'm meant to be working, but there's been an SES call-out ,  I need to go," Cash said, his voice rushed and urgent.

"Well, the call-out will need police presence. I’ll come with you," Langham replied, his tone serious.

"There are already cops on-site," Cash explained quickly. "But Harper, Justin, Eden... they need to be told what’s happened to their families. And I think it’s better coming from one of us."

He knew Langham was the sergeant and could technically overrule him, but in that moment, he didn’t care.

"You’re right. I’ll tell them. Call me with updates," Langham said with a nod.

Before he could say anything else, Cash was already out the door.

 

The moment Cash arrived on site, Alf, who had pulled up right beside him, immediately walked toward John, who was with another man.

"John," Alf called out to him. The man turned around, followed by the stranger with him. But before Alf and Cash had a chance to take a closer look at the man, a voice rang out.

"Martin!" It was Abi, and it was clear from her tone that she was frightened.

Martin quickly ran off, not even pausing to greet Alf, whom he hadn’t seen in over twenty years, since the Mirgni event that Summer Bay had hosted.

"Is she okay? And who was that?" Cash asked, his concern evident as he looked to John for answers.

"Abi’s got a suspected broken leg, but she’s trapped in there. Jasmine too, but it looks like she’s just got a mild concussion. She’s actually been asking for you," John responded quickly.

Without waiting for any further explanation, Cash rushed off to find Jasmine.

"And the others, Palmer?" Alf asked, his hands on his hips as he turned back to John.

"Dana's not in a good way. They had to sedate her heavily to put her into a coma, it was the best thing they could do to help her recover. They discovered a brain bleed, and the MRU guy thought it was the best course of action. Leah might have broken ribs, possibly a broken arm too. Lacey... they think she might have a bleed, but they’re not sure where. They’ve already transferred Dana, Lacey, and Leah. Once we get Jasmine and Abi out, they’ll be next."

Alf nodded, processing the information. "Who was the other SES guy?" he asked, noticing John hadn’t mentioned him.

"Martin... somebody Dabble or something like that," Palmer said, glancing at the man.

"Dibble?" Alf questioned, surprised. It was the last person he expected to see. But if it was really him, Alf was relieved to be working with someone they knew.

"That sounds right," Palmer confirmed.

 

Langham was on his way to find Harper when Alf’s call about Dana came through. Though Langham had only been in the bay a short time, he knew that Harper was especially close to her sister.

As he walked into the surf club, he spotted Tane with his daughter, Jo, almost immediately. Knowing Tane’s closeness to Harper, Langham decided it would be best if Tane was there when Harper heard the news about Dana.

"Dad, hi," Jo spoke first, her tone bright as she greeted him. Langham quickly hugged her.

"Tane, I need" Before he could finish, Harper walked in, and David’s gaze instantly met hers.

"What is it? What's wrong?" Harper’s voice was filled with concern, and Tane quickly moved to stand by her, placing a reassuring hand on her shoulder.

"We should go somewhere private," Langham said, his voice unusually serious.

"No, just tell me here," Harper replied, her voice wavering with emotion, her body visibly tensing.

"It’s Dana… she was in an accident, and she’s in a coma." David’s words hit Harper like a punch to the gut. Her knees buckled, and tears began streaming down her face. Before she could collapse, Tane caught her, pulling her into his arms as she sobbed, her body shaking.

"The ambulance transferred her to Northern Districts," Langham continued, his eyes shifting to Tane. "I need to speak to Eden."

"I got her. I’m not leaving her," Tane said softly, his grip on Harper tightening.

Langham nodded, then turned and began walking toward the exit. As he did, Jo fell into step beside him.

"Lacey… how is she?" Jo asked, her arms crossed tightly over her chest, her gaze focused ahead but not on her father.

"They suspect a small bleed, but that’s it. She isn’t the worst," Langham replied quickly, though he could feel the weight of Jo’s silent question. He shot her a glance but kept walking, the urgency of the situation pulling him toward Salt.

 

The moment Langham walked into Salt, he immediately spotted Eden with Mali, Mackenzie, and Justin. Seeing them all together gave him the chance to deliver the news at once.

"Sorry to interrupt," Langham began, his voice serious enough to make them all turn toward him. "But there’s something you all need to know."

The group paused, the light mood in the room quickly shifting as concern crept into their expressions.

"What is it?" Mali asked, his tone cautious.

"There was an accident… on the way back," Langham said. He barely got the words out before he noticed the expressions on their faces change, happiness giving way to alarm.

"How’s Leah?" Justin asked, then quickly added, "And Abi?"

"Leah’s already at the hospital," Langham replied. "Abi’s still trapped in one of the vehicles. They're working on getting her and another passenger out right now. I don’t know the other person’s name."

A flicker of frustration crossed Eden’s face, her jaw tightening.

"Let me guess, Jasmine, right?" she muttered, her voice sharp. She hadn’t seen much of Jasmine since her return mainly because she’d been avoiding her. Jasmine was the reason Cash had walked away, and Eden hadn’t quite forgiven either of them.

Langham shook his head. "I honestly don’t know. But you should all head to the hospital. I’ll come with you."

There was no hesitation. The group quickly grabbed their things, their chatter gone as silence took over. One by one, they exited Salt, the weight of the news heavy in the air.

 

Back at the crash site, Martin carefully slid into the front passenger seat, turning his body so he could face Abi. His expression softened the moment he saw her face pale, eyes wide with panic, breathing shallow and quick.

“It’s okay,” he said gently, his voice calm and steady. “I’m right here.”

Abi was visibly shaking, her eyes locked on his as if he were the only thing grounding her. Tears mixed with dirt on her cheeks, and her voice cracked as she spoke.

“Promise me you won’t leave me…” The fear in her voice was unmistakable, raw and desperate, more a command than a plea.

Martin didn’t hesitate. He reached for her hand, gripping it firmly but gently, offering as much comfort as he could.

“I promise,” he said softly. “I’m not going anywhere. I’m staying with you, alright? I’ve got you.”

Abi nodded, tears welling in her eyes again, her grip tightening around his hand. The moment was intense, her vulnerability laid bare in the wreckage around them. Martin opened his mouth to speak again when a familiar voice called out from behind.

“Martin, what’s happening?”

Martin turned quickly at the sound, his head snapping toward the voice.

“Alf.”

Alf crouched beside the car, his weathered face lined with concern. As soon as their eyes met, the two men exchanged a firm handshake, their shared history hanging quietly in the air.

“I was wondering if I’d see you on scene,” Alf said, offering a small, grim smile.

“I’m still doing SES these days,” Martin replied. “Haven’t been able to walk away from it.”

“You coming back to the Bay?” Alf asked, a note of curiosity in his voice as he studied Martin.

Abi, despite her pain and fear, managed to listen in, her curiosity piqued.

“You know Martin, Mr. Stewart?” she asked, wincing slightly as she shifted in the seat.

“Yes,” Alf nodded, his tone softening for her. “He used to live in Summer Bay. Long time ago.”

Abi blinked through the pain. “Small world.”

Before Alf or Martin could respond, the rest of the SES crew arrived, moving quickly but carefully. One of them leaned in beside Martin and assessed Abi’s position.

“Alright, we’re ready to start extraction. Martin, we’ll need to slide a board in behind her once we’ve stabilized the leg.”

Martin gave Abi’s hand one last reassuring squeeze before letting go. “I’ll be right here, just like I said.”

Abi looked at him, her voice barely above a whisper. “Thank you.”

 

The back of the SES van was cramped, but it was the safest space they could give Jasmine until they could safely free her. She was pinned, unable to move her lower body, but stable enough for now. Cash sat beside her, his hand wrapped tightly around hers, refusing to let go. The soft beeping of monitoring equipment and the distant sound of rescue teams outside filled the silence but between them, everything else faded away.

“I hate this,” Jasmine whispered, her voice trembling. “Not the pain… not even being stuck here. I’m scared, Cash. I’m scared of dying and not seeing you again.”

Cash’s heart clenched, his thumb gently brushing the back of her hand. “Hey,” he said, softly but firmly, leaning closer so she could see the fire in his eyes. “That’s not going to happen. You’re not dying. You hear me? You’re right here with me. And I’m not going anywhere.”

Tears welled in her eyes, not just from the pain but from the sheer weight of everything they hadn’t said for so long.

“I should never have left,” she said suddenly. “Back then… when I walked away. I thought I was doing the right thing, but it was the biggest mistake I ever made. We lost so much time, Cash.”

He shook his head, his grip on her hand tightening. “We can’t get that time back, Jas. But we’ve got the rest of our lives to make up for it.”

Jasmine let out a shaky breath, tears now running freely down her face. “Then marry me,” she whispered. “The second I’m out of here. No waiting. No second-guessing. I want to be your wife, Cash. I want it all.”

Cash leaned in, brushing a kiss to her forehead, his own eyes misting. “You’ve already got it all. You’ve had my heart since day one. And yeah, we’re getting married. I’m not wasting another minute without you.”

She smiled through her tears, gripping his hand like a lifeline.

“I love you,” she said, voice raw and real.

“I love you more,” he whispered. “And I’m staying right here until they get you out. Then we start the rest of our lives.”

In that moment, surrounded by sirens and the scent of smoke and metal, nothing else mattered, because they had each other. And that was everything.