Episode 6871

Extended Summary

Brody is waiting on the beach as Ziggy comes back from a surf. He compliments her on her moves and she tells him to buy her dinner at Salt later. Brody sees Justin approaching and queries him being back in town. Justin says Ava’s better but he had to get back for work. Brody wonders if he also came back for Willow. Justin doesn’t answer. That night, Ebony is looking at photos of Tori, Justin, Willow, Dean and Colby in her motel room, laid out with annotations about them. Hazel turns up and wonders what Ebony’s doing, thinking they need to go after Colby. Ebony insists that Willow and Justin started it so they’ll be first.

Justin, Brody and Ziggy are having dinner together in Salt. Willow comes in and asks about Ava but isn’t interested in discussing anything else. Justin offers to get her a drink but she says she needs to get food, then decides to eat at home. Next morning, Raffy is assuring John and Marilyn that she’s fine with them fostering the boy, who’ll be in the same grade as her, and isn’t bothered about sharing with him after having three older brothers. John thinks they should talk to Tori and Justin first but Raffy says they let her make the decision about moving in. She and Marilyn convince John they should say yes if the foster people call.

Dean approaches Willow on the beach and asks her for money to get a lottery ticket, since he doesn’t have his rent money, then suggests she give him some tips on the ponies, recalling she and Russell used to clean up. Willow says only some weeks: Other weeks they lived on beans and the neighbours’ hot water. She wonders when Dean’s going back to work and he says when Ash comes back. Willow suggests he call Justin: They might not be mates, but he needs an employee and Dean helped save Ava. She admits that since they’re not together anymore she doesn’t talk to him. At the garage, Ziggy is bringing Justin up to speed: She has been turning away jobs and they’re full of cars. Justin tells Ziggy to work on one of them and he’ll check her work afterwards. Dean turns up and asks if they need help. Justin says he’s got a job for the day at least and tells him to put off jobs, sort out the part orders and do what Ziggy tells him to.

Hazel is still insisting to Ebony that they need to go after Colby and doesn’t care about the others. Ebony says that if they go after Colby then the others will get away with it. Meanwhile, at the garage, Justin and Ziggy are berating Dean for agreeing to another job. Dean says she sounded desperate so he said they could slip her in. At that moment, Ebony pulls up. She tells them about the problem with the spare tyre and says she needs to get to a job interview in Yabbie Creek, pondering if she could get the bus. The other three retreat to a corner; Dean is keen to help her while Ziggy thinks they should turn her away. Justin eventually agrees to do the job, telling Dean to take Ebony somewhere. Then he gets a text from John and Marilyn so tells Ziggy to look after it.

At the Palmer house, John and Marilyn tell Justin about the foster child. They admit that Social Services aren’t keen on having him living there with Raffy. Justin suggests that Raffy could move back in with them: He never intended her to be there permanently, although he accepts it’s her choice. John and Marilyn tell him that wasn’t what they intended: If they’re only allowed to have one of them, they’ll choose Raffy. They seem undecided about letting her know the situation but agree to Justin calling her. Meanwhile, in Salt, Brody notes Willow using a gambling app, which she says is out of nostalgia. He tells her Justin doesn’t blame her but she excuses herself onto the balcony. Dean and Ebony come in: Dean is explaining that Justin and his partner have both had problems lately and Ziggy has been doing most of the work. However, he then leaves Ebony to talk to Willow, telling her he took her advice and suggesting she talk to Justin too.

Outside, Justin has met with Raffy. She thinks he wants her to come home but he says he’s fine with it. However, he also stresses that she’ll always have a home with them if she wants it. Raffy says it’s not that she doesn’t want to be with them, it’s just that there’s less drama with the Palmers. Dean and Ebony come out of the surf club and go to his car; Ebony watches Justin and Raffy. At the Diner, Leah and John watch as Marilyn has an intense phone call with the department. Eventually, she comes back and says they agreed to the foster child coming to stay with them, meaning they’re going to be a family. Justin and Raffy come in and hear the news. Justin gets a text from Ziggy saying Ebony’s car is ready but instead responds to a call from Willow.

Ziggy is telling Dean and Ebony that, even though the work’s done, she can’t let the car go until Justin checks it. Ebony protests that she’ll miss her interview and begins pondering having to get work elsewhere. Dean encourages Ziggy to let her take the car and Ziggy eventually agrees to get the paperwork ready for when Justin arrives. Meanwhile, Justin is meeting Willow at Salt and ignoring his phone. Willow tells him he can’t fix her. Justin says he’s had the worst day but seeing her is the best part of it. Willow eventually says she was right to stay away from him and walks away.

Ebony pulls her car to a halt on a deserted country road and looks up brake failure on her smart phone. Meanwhile, Brody finds Willow skulking outside the surf club. He asks her how come Justin ends up being hurt when Willow was the one that did wrong. Willow tells him to leave her alone, then looks at the gambling app again.

Ziggy and Dean turn up at Salt; Ziggy is horrified at the fact that she did what Dean told her to. Justin asks them if everything’s okay and they unconvincingly claim it is before admitting they let Ebony take the car, since they couldn’t contact him. Justin tells them everything should come through him but accepts Ziggy probably did it right and offers them both after-works drinks. Back on the road, Ebony’s car is now smashed into a tree. Ebony is making some adjustments under it. She then gets back in the car, messes herself up a bit and rings the ambulance, saying in a panicked-sounding voice that she’s had an accident.