9, 10, Start Again

1. Mortality

A/N: Hey again. So I've been trying to finish this story for ages and ages [literally] and after a lot of swearing and procrastination I decided to just rewrite it. I tried to keep it as close to the original story as before but there are a few changes. Lots of Nikki/Josh fluff and Zoe is now three-and-a-bit instead of 18-ish months. And and and also I want to kick my fourteen-year-old self for bringing back Ursula. Why couldn't I have just created a new character. So please assume that instead of Witness Protection for Ursula that she was free to resume a normal life as Gallagher was dead. Because let's face it, the only reason for the witness protection was to get her out of the show. Also, the Hammersley peeps get a lot of shore leave. Sorry. But it's just more fun that way.

Also I am now including Bird, Dutchy, Maxine [who I love!], 2Dads and any others my tired brain can't think of at the moment. Yes. Thank you so much to everyone who was poking me, reviewing, faving and subscribing for the inspiration and desperation. Thanks so very much!

9, 10, Start Again

Billy Webb remembered that day all too well.

It was just meant to be a regular FFV. Just another illegal fishing vessel full of poor, innocent, naive people trying to feed their families. People who they'd once again send over the line back to their homes, only to have them return the next week.

It was supposed to be just another routine boarding.

But it wasn't.

They weren't poor, clueless men trying to feed their families; instead it was home to a murderer.

[Screams] – It had been the first indication that something was wrong. It had seemed so out of place and so improper that the entire boarding crew felt the hairs stand up on the back of their necks. And then it had registered. Bomber. Bomber was the one screaming. Something was wrong.

[Blood] - She had been on the floor. Their XO. Pale faced and barely conscious as Bomber held her fingers tight to the wound. In the corner of the room, a man lay dead, blood trickling in a slow stream out of the small bullet hole in his head.

"Don't just stand there! Do something!" Bomber had screamed as Spider stood in the doorway, taking in the scene. All the while, Kate's blood was pooling beneath her, spilling out onto the rotted deck of the ship.

[White] - The pale face of the CO was almost as bad as the X's as he watched her being carried into the wardroom by ET and Bomber.

"Just… just keep her alive, Bomber." He had whispered. For a moment, Spider could finally agree with all the guys about the boss' feelings for their XO. And then his mask went up and he headed back towards the bridge, yelling about Medi-Vacs and sprinting back to base.

[Tears]They hadn't believed it at first. As RO had relayed the information, ashen faced, all his CO could do was shake his head. Because it was impossible, unfathomable, that their XO, Kate McGregor, had died. It was Buffer in the end who had told them all. Voice shaking, he told them all as best he could. She had never made it off the medi-vac.

[Anger]He had meant to kill her. He had meant to make her suffer before her death. He never gave her a chance.

Rebecca Brown remembered everything about that day.

It was just a regular day. The sun was high in the sky as the RHIBs skated across the water. From the moment the sun rose the crew were sure that this day would be a great one. Everyone was smiling and laughing, congregating on the bridge and reliving childhood embarrassments. Even the XO had been happy, her mood perfectly in sync with the weather outside. But then Bomber had picked up that damned FFV, and alerted everyone.