New Beginnings

[Zig]

Story Title: New Beginnings.
Type of story: Short/Medium Fic 
Main Characters: Sally, Flynn, Jade, Seb, Alf, Don, Irene, Paris, Nick, Hayley, Noah, Will, Dani, Jesse, Brodie Mitch
BTTB rating: T
Genre: Romance, Drama
Does story include spoilers:  No, 
Any warnings: Sexual content, violence
Summary: Flynn Saunders is new to Summer Bay but it isn't long before he falls in love with the place and falls for one of the residents? Meanwhile Jade and Seb are both dealing with their partners dumping them, will it bring them closer? Meanwhile Will helps Dani through a hard time and the two fall back in love which causes Gypsy to be jealous. Who's the mysterious man who caught Irene attention? And what news does Hayley share that will change Noah's life forever. Meanwhile Mitch comes back for Brodie, is it to late for a happy ever after?

 

"Jesse." Hayley couldn't believe her eyes; she had no idea her friend was out of prison, let alone back in Summer Bay.

Jesse stopped in his tracks and turned to face the woman who was now running toward him, a huge smile spreading across both their faces. When they reached each other, they hugged tightly, holding on as if they would never let go.

Eventually, they pulled away and walked side by side. "So, when did you get out?" Hayley asked, curiosity bubbling in her voice.

"A few weeks ago. I just didn't come back here right away." Hayley nodded, her heart heavy. "I get it. I mean, you left without telling anyone." She tried to keep her tone neutral, but the hurt was evident; it stung that she never got to say goodbye to her best friend.

Jesse caught the pain in her voice and stopped walking, wrapping his arms around Hayley for another hug. "I know, and I'm sorry. I just didn’t want you to get caught up in it. I couldn’t let anyone else get into trouble." Hayley nodded; she understood where Jesse was coming from.

"I know why you had to do it. I just wish..." Jesse nodded, already knowing what she was going to say before she could finish.

Deciding to change the subject, Jesse asked, "Enough about me. How have you been?"

Hayley walked over to a nearby seat and sat down after the question was posed. Jesse followed, and as soon as he sat down, he felt Hayley's head resting on his shoulder.

"Honestly, I feel stuck in my relationship. I can’t explain why, but it’s like I’m trapped." Jesse looked at Hayley thoughtfully. "Maybe if you feel that stuck, you need to take a break and figure out why."

Hayley nodded, realization dawning on her. She knew Jesse was right; she needed some space from Noah to work things out.

 

Flynn Saunders had been in the bay for less than three weeks. During that time, he had only met a handful of people: Noah, one of his clients, and Shelley Sutherland and her family, as he was now working at the drop-in center she ran.

Today, as he walked into the drop-in center, he overheard Shelley talking to someone he didn’t recognize. It was clear their conversation was serious.

He knocked on the door before entering. "I'm sorry to interrupt." 

Shelley cut him off. "It's okay. Flynn, this is Sally. She's a teacher at Summer Bay High and helps out here sometimes." Flynn smiled as the two shook hands. 

"Nice to meet you, Flynn. Let me know what you find out, Shelley," Sally said before quickly leaving the room.

Once Sally was gone, Flynn turned to Shelley. "What was that about?" he asked, curious about their discussion.

"A student of hers just came back to town. He’s been through a lot, so she asked me to check in on him." Flynn nodded, understanding the seriousness of the situation.

"Do you want me to do it? Sometimes it’s easier for people to talk to someone they don’t know well. I could update Sally for you," he suggested. Shelley smiled and nodded, completely unaware of Flynn’s hidden agenda.

"His name is Mitch McColl." Flynn nodded as Shelley handed him the file to read.

 

Meanwhile, Mitch knocked on the door of the Sutherland house and waited for a response. His shoulders were hunched, clearly indicating how nervous he was. After all, he hadn't seen Brodie in six months and hadn’t spoken to her in three.

The moment the door opened and Brodie appeared, a huge smile broke across Mitch’s face; she looked just as great as he remembered.

"Mitch." Brodie's surprise was evident, and she seemed momentarily lost for words.

"Hi, Brodie." Mitch couldn't help but smile; he was just so happy to see her again.

"You’re the last person I expected to see," Brodie blurted, expressing her surprise.

"I know, but I always said I would come back here." Brodie nodded, recalling their last interaction. "Yeah, I remember you saying you would always come back to the bay."

"I didn’t come back to see the bay," Mitch replied.

Brodie raised an eyebrow. "Then what did you come back for?" she asked, curiosity piqued. She didn’t understand why he was there.

"I came back for you," Mitch said simply. Brodie was left speechless as she stepped aside, allowing him to come inside.

 

Jade was walking through the diner, searching for Nick when Seb came down the stairs. She turned to her friend, her anxiety evident. 

"Have you seen Nick? I was supposed to meet him here." Seb shook his head immediately. 

"No, I haven't. I was supposed to meet Kirsty too. Maybe they’re just running late." Although he said this, doubt gnawed at him; something didn’t feel right. 

"How about we go for a walk? Maybe we can find them," Jade suggested, hoping Seb would agree.

"Let’s do it." Jade nodded, leading the way with Seb following closely behind her. 

It took them less than a minute to spot the pair on the beach, kissing. 

"What the hell?" Seb's voice was filled with rage as Kirsty and Nick quickly pulled apart.

"Seb, I can explain," Kirsty said, her voice panicked.

"I don’t want to hear your explanation, Kirsty! I don’t want to hear a word of it!" Seb yelled, fury coursing through him as he turned to walk away. Kirsty sprang to her feet, ready to chase after him.

Jade saw this and grabbed her sister, shoving her to the ground. "Don’t you dare go near him!" Jade shouted, her anger boiling over. She then turned her fury toward Nick. "And you and I are done! I never want to see you again!" 

Tears streamed down Jade's face as she walked away from them, her heart aching. She needed to find Seb and make sure he was okay; she knew he wouldn’t be, not after this. He had been hurt just like she had.

 

Dani meanwhile was sitting on the pier, she was caught in her own world, all she could think about was assault that Scott Phillips had done on her, all because she had reported Kane for raping her. She hadn't told anyone what happened yet and had no plans to, she would use makeup to cover up her injuries if she had to.

"Dani." She knew it was Will, the two recently had taken a break from their relationship because Gypsy was pregnant and claimed it was Will's which meant they both needed time to get their heads around it. Dani didn't turn around, she just couldn't.

Will immediately ran, he knew something was not right when she didn't respond and when he sat down beside her and noticed her face and that she was crying he knew something had happened.  Will didn't say a word, he simply held her and Dani broke.

"I was so scared Will." Her voice was shaky and filled with fear. Will just moved closer and held her in his arms "It's going to be okay, I'll here and I won't leave you, I will keep you safe I promise." Dani nodded as Will held her close and kissed her forehead, unknown to them however Gypsy had witnessed the whole thing.

 

Back at Irene's house, Hayley arrived to find Noah already waiting on the doorstep.

"Noah, hi," Hayley said, surprised to see him there so early. She knew it was time to rip the Band-Aid off.

"I was hoping we could spend some time together," Noah said, reaching out to take her hand.

Hayley, however, couldn't bring herself to look Noah in the eye, and he immediately noticed her discomfort.

"What’s wrong? Is something going on?" Noah's voice was filled with concern.

"Noah, I need some time to myself. I need to be alone for a while; I can't be in a relationship right now. Can you please go?" Noah’s face fell, clearly hurt.

"Hayley?" His voice wavered, on the brink of tears.

"I'm sorry, Noah, but we’re over," Hayley said, her voice resolute but pained. She turned and walked inside without looking back, leaving Noah standing on the doorstep, confused and heartbroken, desperate for answers.

 

 

[beachside]

Jesse's back in town this should be good - nice scene of him and Hayley

 

Flynn and Sal's meeting was lowkey but keen to see more 

 

Mitch's is back for Brodie this will be interesting

 

Poor Dani

 

Hayley's done the right thing for her

 

Cant wait for more

[Red Ranger 1]

Lots of stuff being set up here, interested to see where you go with it.

[Zig]

13 hours ago, beachside said:

Jesse's back in town this should be good - nice scene of him and Hayley

 

Flynn and Sal's meeting was lowkey but keen to see more 

 

Mitch's is back for Brodie this will be interesting

 

Poor Dani

 

Hayley's done the right thing for her

 

Cant wait for more

Thank you for reading, plenty more to come

10 hours ago, Red Ranger 1 said:

Lots of stuff being set up here, interested to see where you go with it.

Yes now to see how it all unfolds, thanks so much for reading, your feedback means so much.

[pembie]

Oh I really fancied Gypsy back in the day Back in the days of school when life seemed to have alot of things happening for bit like this story I’m not going to lie I don’t remember every character or story around that time But I will see where you go with it 

[Zig]

1 hour ago, pembie said:

Oh I really fancied Gypsy back in the day Back in the days of school when life seemed to have alot of things happening for bit like this story I’m not going to lie I don’t remember every character or story around that time But I will see where you go with it 

Thank you so much for reading, watching currently for the first time so that how i know it

[Zig]

Chapter 2

It had been less than an hour since Hayley ended things with Noah, and to say a weight had been lifted off her shoulders would be an understatement. She walked into the diner with a smile on her face, and Irene caught sight of her out of the corner of her eye.

"You seem happier, Hayley," Irene remarked. Hayley nodded. "I ended things with Noah. It had to happen." Irene studied her. "I can't say I didn't see this coming; it's been tense between you two for a while." Hayley nodded in agreement, but before she could respond further, she noticed someone behind her and immediately turned around to hug him.

Irene looked surprised. "Jesse! I had no idea you were here." Hayley smiled brightly. "Yeah, he just came today. He helped me realize I needed to end things with Noah." Irene grinned. "Well, thank God for that."

Hayley then turned to Jesse. "Let's take a walk." Jesse nodded, wrapping his arm around Hayley as she did the same, and together they exited the diner.

 

As they walked along the beach with their shoes off, Jesse studied Hayley.

"You know I can tell you’re not okay because I know you, Hayley." Hayley looked at Jesse, her expression reflecting defeat.

"I'm not. It was the longest relationship I've ever had. I guess it’ll just take some time to get used to." She finally admitted her true feelings.

"Well, you're not alone, Hayley. I'm here for you, and I'm not going anywhere." Hayley pulled away from Jesse’s embrace and turned to face him.

"Wait, you're staying in the bay?" Hayley raised her eyebrows, a glimmer of hope in her eyes.

"I'm hardly going to leave you when you need me the most, Hayley." 

Overcome with gratitude, Hayley wrapped her arms around Jesse, giving him the biggest hug as he lifted her off the ground. Unbeknownst to her, the moment was witnessed by Noah from across the beach.

 

Meanwhile, Brodie and Mitch remained at the Sutherland house. Brodie took a deep breath, her heart racing.

"I know you said you came back for me, but I never really thought you would," she admitted. Mitch’s expression shifted to surprise as he moved closer to her.

"I don’t understand why you’d think that," he said, his voice earnest. "I love you, Brodie. I have since the moment I met you, and that wasn’t going to change just because I went away." He gently took her hand, looking deep into her eyes. 

"Tell me you don’t love me, and I’ll walk away right now. But you need to look me in the eyes and say it." His tone was steady, but his heart pounded in his chest. Mitch had never meant anything more in his life; even if it meant risking his own heart, he would always put Brodie first.

Brodie felt the weight of his words. "I can’t do that, Mitch. Because I will always love you." As she spoke, Mitch’s face broke into a wide smile, hope flooding his features. 

"But a lot has changed since you’ve been gone. I’ve changed," she added, her voice softening.

Mitch squeezed her hand gently. "I know you’ve changed, because I have too. Being with my family, seeing my uncle die—it all changed me. But I’m saying we can work through it together."

Brodie nodded, her heart swelling with possibility. "Okay, but let’s take this slowly. We can start with dates and build our way up to everything else." 

Mitch smiled, a look of determination in his eyes. "Okay, I agree." 

Brodie smiled back, feeling a surge of warmth as she grabbed Mitch’s hands, holding them tightly to show him that she was committed to this, too. In that moment, everything felt right.

 

Sally sat at one of the tables outside the diner, her paperwork spread out before her, but her mind drifted elsewhere. 

“Hi again.” She looked up to see the man from earlier. His face sparked a flicker of recognition, though his name eluded her.

“It’s Flynn. Shelley introduced us at the drop-in center.” The moment he spoke, clarity washed over her.

“Right, Flynn. Sorry, my head’s just a jumble with all this paperwork.” He chuckled, a warm sound that eased the tension in her shoulders.

“Yeah, I know the feeling. Paperwork can be a real drag.” 

“Especially at the drop-in center, I imagine.” He nodded, his eyes bright with understanding. “Just as much paperwork as a school, I reckon.”

Flynn paused, studying her. “You look like you could use a break. Why not take one?” 

Sally hunched her shoulders, a mix of frustration and fatigue. “I don’t have time for that.”

“Just five minutes. Come on, we both need a breather.” 

She raised an eyebrow, half-amused. “I don’t even know you, and you’re already getting under my skin.”

“Is that a challenge?” he teased, a playful glint in his eyes. “How about a walk along the beach? I checked on Mitch for you and had a quick call.”

At the mention of Mitch, Sally instinctively picked up her paperwork. “Alright, five minutes to fill me in about Mitch.” 

Flynn grinned, and as they stood up, she felt a spark of anticipation. With her paperwork in hand, they headed toward the beach, the weight of the world momentarily lifted.

 

Jade wandered through the park, her heart heavy and her mind racing. She had been searching for Seb, but the more she looked, the more anxious she became. The sun hung low in the sky, casting long shadows that mirrored her mood. Just as she was about to give up hope, she spotted a familiar figure sitting on a bench—Don, Seb’s granddad.

“Mr Fisher” she called out, her voice tinged with desperation as she approached him. He looked up, his expression shifting from surprise to concern as he took in her distressed demeanor.

“Jade, what’s wrong?” Don asked, his voice gentle but firm. He could see the worry etched on her face, and it made him feel concerned. 

Jade took a deep breath, trying to steady herself. “It’s Seb… I can’t find him.” Her voice trembled slightly as she continued, “We found out that Kirsty and Nick are cheating on us. With each other.” The words spilled out in a rush, and she felt a wave of emotion crash over her.

Don’s brow furrowed, and he leaned forward, his eyes narrowing with concern. “Cheating? Oh, Jade, I’m so sorry to hear that. How’s Seb taking it?”

“He was furious,” she admitted, her voice barely above a whisper. “He stormed off after we found out, and now I can’t track him down. I just… I don’t know what to do.” 

Don’s expression hardened, a mix of anger and sympathy swirling within him. “You need to take a moment to gather your thoughts, Jade. This is a lot to process. But don’t worry about Seb; I’ll find him and look after him.” 

Jade nodded, grateful for his support but still feeling the weight of her own emotions. “Please, just tell him I’m here for him. He needs to know he’s not alone in this.”

“Of course,” Don replied, his voice steady. “I’ll make sure he knows you care.” 

With that, Don stood up, his demeanor shifting from concern to determination. “Now, let me go find that boy. He shouldn’t have to face this alone.” 

Jade watched as he strode off, his figure growing smaller in the distance. She felt a flicker of hope, knowing that Seb would have someone looking out for him. But the ache in her heart remained, a reminder of the betrayal from her own sister.

[beachside]

Awww Hayley and Jesse

 

Loved Sal/Flynn scenes

 

OMG Don made an appearance

[Red Ranger 1]

I wasn't a huge fan of Hayley and Noah together, but I'm surprised Irene is so pleased at them breaking up! I do seem to recall Hayley and Jesse being close when he first came back, so I'm okay with that, I guess. I did like Mitch and Brodie together, even though it didn't last long, so that's nice. I was always a bit ambivalent towards Flynn and Sally but that's a personal thing. I think Nick and Kirsty cheating on their partners with each other is conceptually interesting but I'm not sure I'm too keen on where it's going. Still, nice to get a Don appearance.

[Zig]

On 31/07/2024 at 21:50, beachside said:

Awww Hayley and Jesse

 

Loved Sal/Flynn scenes

 

OMG Don made an appearance

 

18 hours ago, Red Ranger 1 said:

I wasn't a huge fan of Hayley and Noah together, but I'm surprised Irene is so pleased at them breaking up! I do seem to recall Hayley and Jesse being close when he first came back, so I'm okay with that, I guess. I did like Mitch and Brodie together, even though it didn't last long, so that's nice. I was always a bit ambivalent towards Flynn and Sally but that's a personal thing. I think Nick and Kirsty cheating on their partners with each other is conceptually interesting but I'm not sure I'm too keen on where it's going. Still, nice to get a Don appearance.

 

Glad you both enjoyed the chapter particularly Don appearance. Stay tuned for more to come