It's been a while since I posted any of this story and I'm sorry for that. Unfortunately I've had writer's block and have also been involved with other projects as well as college work. However, a very nice person (who wishes to remain nameless) sent me this chapter, which I have altered only slightly. As well as being very good, it has also jolted me from my writer's block, so expect another chapter very soon.

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NEW BEGINNINGS

"No," Emma said, covering her face with her hands. "I can't. Please don't make me."

"No-one's going to make you, darling," Susan said, giving Emma a reassuring hug.

"Of course not," Benny added, indicating to Flynn that they should leave.

"I can't believe you even suggested such a thing," Benny said angrily once they were outside the ward.

"As a doctor I have to consider every option," Flynn replied calmly.

Benny's eyes flashed. "You know, I've been hearing some very interesting things about you just lately, Doctor Saunders. About how you knew Kane was dating young Kirsty Sutherland, but kept it quiet from her family and that led to them running away together. I'm not sure I even want you near Emma let alone counselling her."

He hadn't realised he'd raised his voice but he had and, the door still ajar, Emma and Susan couldn't help but hear. Emma's stomach was churning. She was the cause of all these arguments, of her family having to move to Summer Bay, of Benny going to prison. Her mother seemed to have aged ten years overnight. She wished she'd never been woken.

Kane dejectedly roamed the beach all afternoon.

At the diner where they'd arranged to meet Flynn had given him the bad news. "I'm sorry," he said.

"I expected as much." Kane shrugged. He really didn't know what to do next. He wouldn't be able to settle at home and anyway his aunt was in poor health so he didn't want to upset her. The atmosphere in the diner was very hostile. Emma was very popular and everyone was aware of the reason she'd taken the overdose.

"I can't promise anything, but I'll keep working on it," Flynn said.

Kane nodded his thanks and got up to leave. As he pushed open the door, Kirsty, Dani and Josh were just entering. None of them spoke. Josh glared and Dani, after taking a sudden sharp breath when she first saw him, now looked very deep in thought. Kirsty however, dressed ready for her shift at the kiosk, patted his arm lightly when no-one else saw. He longed to stay and pour his heart out to Kirsty but they both knew Summer Bay wouldn't approve and beside he was always careful to stay out of Dani's way.

So he went down to the beach and walked aimlessly. He hadn't had anything to eat all day and a heavy rain had begun to fall, but nothing seemed to matter any more. There was something soothing about the ebb and flow of the tide. It was late evening when he looked down from the very top of the cliffs with the tears still streaming down his face.

"I need to speak to Flynn," Dani announced, jumping up suddenly.

Josh and Kirsty exchanged glances as Kirsty put their two strawberry milkshakes down on the table. They were used to Dani saying she had to see Flynn - some days she was okay about Kane, other days she wasn't - but normally she made an appointment with Flynn or phoned. Since Kane had been dating Emma she'd seemed more relaxed. Perhaps Emma's suicide attempt had brought back too many unpleasant memories.

"I'll come with you," Josh said.

"No, you won't." Dani looked determined. "This is something I must do on my own."

After a while Kane brushed the tears away and with a heavy heart made his way back to the town where the lights of the hospital shone down over the dark Bay like a castle. It was eerily quiet except for the steady patter of rain and waves lapping against the shore, but the cold night air had seemed to clear his head a little. He knew his aunt wouldn't worry when she saw his empty bed - she was used to him getting up very early or being out very late to work on the boats - so he sat on a bench outside the hospital. Please let Emma be okay, he prayed silently to nobody in particular. The stars in the velvet sky maybe. He shivered as a cold breeze came from the sea. He was all out of tears now. The sea whipped up the wind again, even colder. When the storm came, he still didn't move, oblivious to the rain beating down. He didn't care what happened if Emma died.

"Kane?" At first he thought the voice came from a dream and that it had all been some terrible nightmare. Someone was leaning over him when he opened his eyes to the soft dawn light. Birds were whistling and the cold breeze of last night was now a warm caress.

"You look awful," the vision said. "Have you been here all night?"

"Kirsty!" He was so glad to see a friend. "Have you...have you heard how Emma is?"

"She's fine, Kane. Making good progress, the hospital said." Kirsty sat down beside him on the bench as he gave a sigh of relief. "Mum rang Emma's Mum last night. She said Susan was much happier. Emma has managed some food and they think she'll be discharged either today or tomorrow." She looked with genuine concern at the boy she still loved but it was in a sisterly kind of way these days. Though she hadn't at first, she understood now why Kane had ended their relationship.

"I can leave Summer Bay then," Kane said huskily. "Emma's going to be all right. I'll tell my aunt I want to travel. I'll get a job on a ship."

"You can't just leave!" Kirsty was aghast.

"I have to, Kirst."

"Because of what people will say?" Her early morning swim with Seb totally forgotten, Kirsty frowned down at the costume and towel in her lap as if puzzled how it all got there. "The Kane I knew was more gutsy than that!"

"No, not because of that. Because I want Emma to be happy. And she'll never be happy if I'm still here - and even if she gave me another chance it would turn her whole family against her. So, Kirsty, thanks for your advice and it's good to know I have at least one true friend here and I'll never, ever forget you, but this is goodbye."

"You're in no fit state to go anywhere!" Kirsty thought she sounded more like her Mum every day.

"I'm fine. I'm okay. Bye, Kirsty. Thanks for everything." Kane hugged her and Kirsty held him tight. "Take care, Kane."

"I will. You too." He had to tear himself away from her hug. Then he stood - or tried to stand. Suddenly his knees gave way and he was stumbling into some dark spinning world.

The hospital ward was white and bare. He blinked in the harsh light. A ray of sunlight beamed in through the window where the garden and its colourful array of flowers could be seen.

"You picked a good place to be ill!" Emma was smiling, though a tear was glistening on her cheek. Her hair was soaking wet like she'd recently taken a shower and she wore a pink towelling robe that brought a glow to her face. She reached for his hand. "You had me so worried, Kane. You've been in and out of consciousness for two days. Please don't leave me. Ever."

"But I thought..." He took her hand in his. "After you knew about Dani..."

"It was a terrible shock," Emma said. "I can't pretend it hasn't changed things. I...I needed time to think and I thought it would be for the best if we broke up and I didn't want to see you but...but I couldn't help loving you. And when I spoke with my family and the Sutherlands they agreed that we should give it another go. Most of them were very hostile, but Dani helped me talk them round in the end."

"Dani?" Kane stared at Emma incredulously.

Emma nodded. "Dani had this idea that her family and mine should get together and talk about everything because she said talking things through was how she'd coped. She only told Flynn to begin with because she didn't know how everyone else would react so none of us knew anything about it till this morning when Flynn got us all together in the day room. It was tough, Kane. Kirsty and Lucy were the only ones who wanted to stand by you. Benny and Mr and Mrs Sutherland were so angry and Jess and Jade, they were torn in two, Jess for me and Jade for Kirsty, and Mum, she was just holding Jordan, and looking so sad. She kept saying "I trusted Kane" till it almost broke my heart..." Emma smiled when he squeezed her hand, and took a breath before continuing with her story. "Flynn was trying to calm things down because it was getting a little heated between Benny and Kirsty when Dani said suddenly "Maybe we should give Kane a go." It was like she was talking to herself, getting her head together. We all went quiet and she said like she'd made up her mind "Emma and Kane love each other. We shouldn't separate them." Josh was there, though he wasn't allowed to take part in the discussion, and he put his arm round her and said, "Are you sure?"

Then you won't believe what happened, Kane. Dani said she was sure and Kirsty jumped up and hugged her and said thank you. And Dani looked at Benny and said something about you saving her Mum's life and...I don't know what else, me and Kirsty and Lucy, we were hugging and laughing and crying, and Jordan was laughing because we all were, and shouting 'Daddy' and clapping his hands like he knew. Benny doesn't like it though, but things will work out with him. Once he sees how happy I am with you and gets used to the idea, he'll be fine. I know he will."

Kane looked at her with eyes that seemed to speak to her very soul. "Emma, I really do love you. If you'll have me..."

"Of course I will. I love you too." She leaned forward and kissed him.

The two of them still had a lot to work through, a lot to deal with but it was a new beginning. A new chapter in both their lives. They were coming home.