Episode 7353

Extended Summary

Colby, Dean and Bella approach Willow, who is packing up a class near the surf club, and invite her to dinner at Salt with them. Colby helps Willow pack up while the others go on ahead. Willow asks about the Diner robbery investigation. Colby says there’s no leads but mentions Gemma refusing to give fingerprints. Willow thinks she would as well but accepts Colby’s argument that there’s nothing to fear if you’ve done nothing. She asks about Bella and Colby notes she’s being weird and he’s struggling with the new rules. Meanwhile, Ryder is loading Evan’s bags into his car. Evan insists he doesn’t want this and will catch the next bus. Ryder asks where he’d go and Evan admits he doesn’t have any plans beyond couch-surfing. Him coughing violently doesn’t help his case and in the end he gives in and gets in the car.

Ryder arrives back at the house with Evan. While Evan isn’t keen on staying, Alf, Martha and Roo are all fine with it. Ryder convinces Evan to go and get a shower. After they’ve gone, Alf worries that Ryder doesn’t know what he’s let himself in for looking after Evan. Martha replies that he’ll learn and they’ll help him. That evening, Alf and Martha go up to bed. Ryder has made up the spare bed for Evan and takes his bag up. Roo tries to get Evan to let Ryder help him. Evan reminds her he told her not to tell Ryder. Roo says if Evan had just got on a bus and disappeared then Ryder would be distraught. Evan says he didn’t want Ryder to have to watch him die.

Mackenzie serves Bella, Dean and Willow at Salt. Bella notes she thought she’d come back to find Colby and Mackenzie together but says it’s none of her business. Colby is at the counter; he tries to change Gemma’s mind about the fingerprints, saying it’s to rule her out as a suspect, but Gemma says since she’s not a suspect she doesn’t want her fingerprints in a database. Ben comes in and admits to Gemma he hasn’t spoken to Maggie, before ordering a takeaway. As he does, Maggie is eating alone at the farm house, picking at her meal. Back at Salt, Bella tells Colby, Willow and Dean about her photography course. Colby offers to go shopping with her for equipment but Bella says she’s bought some online and students always sell their stuff on. She goes to the counter to get dessert and Dean tells Colby he’s the one being weird. Colby admits it’s Bella’s 18th tomorrow and he has no idea what she wants to do, so he’s waiting for her to tell him. Dean calls over to Bella and asks her. She says she hadn’t thought about it so guesses they’ll do nothing.

Next morning, Dean meets Ben on the beach. Ben asks Dean to cover the board shop while he goes to see Maggie. He asks if Ziggy’s seen her and how she is. Dean agrees it’s right Ben should go and see her but says it’s not going to be a fun conversation. Ben heads to the farm house, calling out to Maggie and cautiously going inside. Maggie appears from the back and tells him he can’t just come in when he feels like it. Ben wants to talk about what happened, saying she shouldn’t have found out like that, but Maggie refuses to believe he didn’t do it to get back at her and hurt her and tells him to leave.

The Stewart household are having an awkward breakfast, with things not helped by Evan’s persistent coughing. Ryder offers to take the day off work to keep an eye on him but Evan says he just overdid it yesterday and wants to move out to the van. Both get annoyed and Roo defuses things by taking Ryder to get coffees. As they walk on the beach, Ryder wonders why Evan won’t let him help him. Roo suggests Evan doesn’t want Ryder to give up his life but Ryder doesn’t want to waste what time he’s got with Evan and decides to stop work indefinitely. Roo goes over to Maggie, who notes that she knows Ben’s free to do what he likes but wishes it didn’t hurt so much.

A short time later, Roo and Maggie have had a chat at the Diner. Roo goes to pay. Gemma comes in and approaches Maggie’s table, wanting to talk. Maggie angrily accuses her of swooping in as soon as Ben was single and seeing the wedding ring as a challenge. Gemma says that Maggie’s issue is with Ben so she should sort it out with him. Meanwhile, Bella gets up to find Colby and Willow waiting for her. Colby gives Bella a cupcake with a candle on it. She is somewhat bemused but he explains he bought one on her birthday every year while she was missing and now they finally get to celebrate together.

Mackenzie tells Ryder she’s happy for him to take time off and his job will be waiting. Gemma arrives early for her shift, having missed out on coffee at the Diner. Mackenzie offers her Ryder’s shifts. Gemma is surprised given the trouble the other day and asks to think about it. At the Stewart house, Evan notes to Martha that if the bus had come on time he wouldn’t be there. Martha says Ryder would have been upset. She recalls she hurt her family by abandoning them and says if he wants to leave then Ryder needs to understand why. Evan says he wanted to just get to know Ryder and then leave but Martha says he needs to accept what’s happened. Ryder arrives and says Mackenzie’s given him time off so Evan’s stuck with him.

Maggie runs into Dean outside the surf club, then sees Ben with Gemma on the balcony. Gemma notes she could have done without a second public shaming and it feels like when she was run out of town before. Ben touches her arm to console her, then realises Maggie is watching. Maggie walks away. At the Diner flat, Colby gives Bella a stack of pancakes while Willow looks on. Dean arrives looking for Ziggy and is prompted to wish Bella happy birthday. He calls Ziggy, saying World War III’s about to break out between her parents and they need to decide what to do.

Ben arrives at the farm house and tells Maggie she needs to leave Gemma out of things. Maggie is scornful at the idea that them spending the night in each other’s arms is considered “nothing” but says he can have the house, the car and everything he likes: She’s arranged a transfer, so won’t be around to see him with anyone else.