Episode 7302

Extended Summary

Marco and Ben are chatting outside and Roo gets herself introduced to Marco, explaining she works with Maggie. Ben asks Marco about their parents and Marco notes their father’s retired, meaning he’s running the business now as planned. Ben says he misses them. Nearby, Ziggy remarks to Dean that she’s pleased it’s worked out. She goes inside to tell Maggie, noting that Ben’s having a good time and making up with Marco could be the best thing to happen to him apart from them. Maggie sends her out with some sauces, looking drained.

Outside the Diner, Nikau wonders why Gemma’s going to the party and Gemma says it’s what Marilyn wants. Nikau asks for money for a pizza and Gemma agrees so long as he does the cleaning and vacuuming. Bella approaches Nikau and asks why he hasn’t been answering his phone. Ryder also appears and Bella suggests they all hang out but Nikau makes his excuses and leaves. Bella thinks it was weird and Ryder tries to claim it’s normal. At the party, Maggie watches Ben and Marco. Roo quizzes her about the newcomer; Maggie says he never married and Roo jokes that either he hasn’t met the right person or there’s something wrong with him. Maggie joins the brothers. Roo watches as Marilyn approaches John, saying she thought he wasn’t coming. John says he’s Ben’s friend, unlike Ari, who he describes as Marilyn’s plus one. Marilyn says she invited the whole family so they can make friends. John says they can make their own friends. Marilyn says she doesn’t expect him to understand.

Marilyn goes inside and quickly takes over kitchen duty from Ziggy. Roo follows her and says hiding in there won’t fix things with John. Marilyn isn’t sure they can be fixed and thinks by putting Ari and Gemma down he’s putting her down. Roo asks if she has feelings for Ari. Marilyn says she doesn’t but they went through a nightmare ordeal together and he’s the only one that understand. Roo asks her to think about how John’s feeling but Marilyn says she’s tired of worrying about John’s feelings. At the surf club, Nikau comes downstairs with his pizza. Bella and Ryder are playing pool and Bella invites Nikau to join them but he again makes his excuses. Bella is upset, telling Ryder it feels like Nikau doesn’t think she’s good enough to hang out with anymore.

Gemma checks with Ben and Maggie that it’s okay for her to be there. Ben assures her it is, as does Maggie when she’s finished being distracted by Marco talking to Ziggy. Ziggy is happy to forgive Marco for what he did years ago. John watches Marilyn chatting with the Paratas and tells Ben and Roo that he has to go. Shortly after, Roo and Gemma are inside. Gemma notes John didn’t look too happy and insists that they didn’t ask for Marilyn’s help and will be out as soon as they have money for their own place. Roo says John and Marilyn had problems before the Paratas arrived but always sort it out.

Marco chats to Dean and Ziggy about Dean working for Ben; they admit they had some problems last year but say it’s all over now. Ziggy goes over to Maggie and remarks that Marco doesn’t seem such a bad guy. Maggie says he could always talk but warns her not to trust him. Gemma is telling Ari and Marilyn about her conversation with Nikau. Ari thinks he won’t do any cleaning and Marilyn tries to defend him. Later, everyone sings “Happy Birthday”. Ben makes a quick speech thanking Maggie. Marco steps up and reminisces about Ben borrowing his car without asking before saying he’s waited twenty years to tell him something: He’s proud of him. He asks to end the feud. Marilyn calls out for them to hug and make up and they oblige. Ziggy quietly tells an uncomfortable Maggie that it’s the best birthday ever.

Nikau is eating the pizza and making a mess when Bella comes up, demanding to know why he’s ghosting her and suggesting he only hung out with her for free pizza. Nikau says it’s not that: He didn’t want to put pressure on her. He says he heard about her being attacked. Bella asks who told him; Nikau doesn’t answer but she guesses. She goes to Salt and tells Ryder she’s worried she might have done something wrong with Nikau…or maybe someone blabbed. Ryder looks guilty and says he was worried about her. Bella says she’s already got a brother, two with Dean, and he’s put her right back in the middle of what happened with Tommy: She liked the fact that Nikau didn’t know and it wasn’t up to Ryder to tell him. Ryder says he got it wrong but Bella tells him to leave her alone.

Marilyn, Ari and Gemma arrive home and quickly find that Nikau has left a mess behind. Marilyn tries to brush it off but both Ari and Gemma are embarrassed, calling it disrespectful. John appears from the interior door, explaining his presence by saying it’s his house. Ari and Gemma quickly leave, taking the rubbish with them. John tells Marilyn that he knows she’s unhappy with him but he misses her and wants to come back. Marilyn says she doesn’t feel the same way. At the Diner, both Ari and Gemma have a go at Nikau. He says John arrived and wanted him gone but Gemma says he should have cleared up first. Ari gets angry with an increasingly resentful Nikau who ends up saying he’s done and walking away.

Bella finds Nikau on the wharf. Nikau says people have already had a go at him but Bella says that’s not why she’s there. She points out he can drive and they have Dean’s car, suggesting they go do something fun. Nikau says he knows where they can go. Back at the farm house, Ben says he’s glad Marco came, although Maggie faux-casually suggests he needs to go soon for his long drive. Dean is also about to go but Ziggy convinces him to stay, saying Bella will be all right for one night. Marco says he’ll call Ben in a few days about meeting up again. Maggie follows Marco to the door and says him and Ben hanging out is wrong. Marco insists she has nothing to worry about but Maggie doesn’t look reassured.

Bella is confused when Nikau pulls up by a house. He explains it’s his uncle’s. There are several people there for a party and he asks a man where Tane is. They find Tane with a woman but he happily greets Nikau, who says it’s a surprise visit and introduces Bella as a mate. Tane invites them to join the party. Back at the Palmer house, John tries to convince Marilyn they can work things out but Marilyn doesn’t think they can. She says she should be the one to go, since it was his home first. John asks if she really thinks he’d kick her out and she doesn’t answer. He says she’s talking as though their marriage is already over and she still doesn’t answer. John gives up and leaves.

Bella is asleep on a sofa. Nikau drapes a blanket over her, then joins Tane outside. (Everyone else has gone.) Tane asks how the family ended up in Summer Bay and Nikau explains about Ari being caught up in the hospital siege, saying they had to stay on because of it. He says he’s fed up with Ari acting like he’s his dad. Tane notes he misses Mikaere. Nikau says he wishes Ari had died instead but Tane won’t agree. Nikau says he’s not going back.