Episode 8245

Extended Summary

Tane is running a class on the beach. Harper joins Mali in watching him and they comment on the small class size, which they suspect is down to him being branded a kidnapper. Tane ends the class. Harper tries to talk to him about the case and eventually settles for helping him carry his stuff. Dana approaches Mali and asks if he’s heard from Rose about pressing charges. It’s news to Mali that it’s her choice.

Xander finds that Rose is still in the flat and she says she had a hard time getting going. Xander asks if she slept well and Rose brings up her visit from Dana, guessing Xander spoke to her and saying he had no right discussing police business in Salt. Xander tries to say that he was just telling Dana how stressed she was but Rose isn’t mollified.

Justin and Leah are in bed. He apologises for not telling her about Theo and Valerie but says he didn’t want to spoil the wedding of the century. Leah says she has no regrets about asking Valerie to leave, saying you can’t help somebody who doesn’t want to be. Justin says he has no regrets about last night or this morning either but their ardour is dampened slightly by John calling wanting to discuss the testimonial.

Roo runs into Tane and Harper outside the surf club. Roo asks if Tane knows she met Sonia. Tane calls her Maia’s mum and Roo corrects him that it’s Poppy. She says she can’t believe he took her, and Sonia thought she’d never see her baby again. Harper says Sonia was happy when she got her back but Roo doesn’t think it excuses it. Harper thinks she’s making a complicated situation sound simple. Tane tells her to leave it and Roo walks away. Tane tells Harper he doesn’t need her defending him.

At the Diner, John makes another unsuccessful attempt to call Justin and Leah. Marilyn and Irene point out they’re technically on their honeymoon. John thinks he needs a testimonial on the website to look legitimate. Alf says he did a good job but not enough that he’s willing to write something. Xander comes in and John accosts him, suggesting he write something about the mock wedding he did for him and Dana. Xander says he has to get the coffee up to Rose and get to work. Irene offers to do the former. She heads up to see Rose, telling her Xander gave the impression she was struggling but didn’t say much. She tells Rose she’s a great police officer and offers to talk to her off the record.

Dana approaches Mali again at the board shop and tries to get him to talk to Rose. Mali says that Rose will do whatever she thinks is right regardless of what he says. Dana insists Harper doesn’t deserve to be arrested and asks what the point is in him being Rose’s boyfriend if he can’t lean on her. Xander has come in and effectively brings the argument to an end by asking if they’re all right.

Alf and Roo are walking outside. Roo wants Alf’s president’s report for when she sends out the next meeting agenda but Alf hasn’t written it yet and says they can hand it out on the day. They stop by Mali, working at a table. He admits he’s a bit behind because of helping out at the gym and mentions possibly being charged. Roo snaps that he had a choice to go to the police or not. Mali leaves and Alf tells Roo to concentrate on the happy ending, not who’s to blame.

Rose has filled Irene in on the situation with the charges. Irene suggests that Rose ignore the fact Mali’s her boyfriend and works out what she’d do then. Rose said she’d look at the circumstances of the crime and how Mali and Harper got involved. Down in the Diner, Marilyn gives Justin and Leah a picnic hamper. John appears and asks about them not answering his messages. Justin says they’re thinking about what to say. John offers to come with them and give them pointers but Justin tells him not to follow them.

At the surf club, Harper and Dana encourage Tane to get character references and witness statements from nurses saying he was good with the baby. Tane thanks her for letting him say goodbye and checks she didn’t get into trouble. Rose appears and asks to talk to Tane. Dana thinks he should have a lawyer present but Tane is fine and the two of them leave. Dana realises he doesn’t know Mali and Harper could be charged. Harper thinks she can’t do anything about that and needs to focus on Tane.

Up in Salt, Xander asks Mali where Mackenzie is. Mali says she’s busy and Xander says he is too. Mali asks about Rose and Xander points out Mali could call her himself. Mali gives Dana short shrift when she turns up. Xander points out to Dana that she hassled both Mali and Rose. Dana admits she crossed a line but thinks someone needs to do something and tries to get Xander to talk to Rose. Xander says Dana’s sticking her nose in where it doesn’t belong and he’s being an adult and staying out of it. Dana calls him frustrating and Xander reciprocates before walking out, saying he’s getting away from her.

Tane and Rose walk by the beach. Tane says he didn’t mean to get Harper and Mali into trouble. Rose asks how they got involved. Tane says he was looking after Maia, then corrects himself to Poppy. He says when he saw himself on the TV he panicked and called Mali, asking him to bring his passport. Instead, Mali brought Harper and together they talked him down. He admits he doesn’t know where he’d be now without them.

At the surf club, Dana comes downstairs and Mali and Harper ask what happened to make Xander take off. She is saved from answering by Rose and Tane returning. Rose says she’s not going to lay charges and will make her recommendation to Callan. Mali checks she isn’t just doing him a favour and Rose says she looked at it objectively. Dana suggests going upstairs to celebrate and Tane agrees. Mali asks when Rose finishes work and asks her to call him when she’s done.

At the Diner, John decides he’d better go and do the business reports for the meeting, telling Irene that he’s given up on contacting Leah and Justin. Roo tells him to do the report in the morning. John then gets a testimonial through from Justin and reads it to Alf, Irene, Marilyn and Roo: They call him warm and funny and say he made the day special and they’ll renew their vows with him. He wants to text back a thank you but Irene takes the phone away from him, saying Justin and Leah are still on their honeymoon.

At Salt, Tane gets a round of drinks for Harper, Dana and Mali, and asks if Mali is all right with Rose again. Mali says they’re getting there. Tane notes they’re lucky Rose is a good cop and was always going to make the right choice. Mali and Dana look awkward and Dana decides to leave, privately telling Harper that she had an argument with Xander and has some making up to do. Tane gets a call which turns out to be his lawyer and goes out onto the balcony to take it. Later, Harper joins him. He tells her that Marshall is still registered as his lawyer and told him the court case is in five weeks.

Dana goes round to see Xander and announces she has stuff to say. She says she was a bit of an idiot and he was right about her sticking her nose in but Rose isn’t pressing charges because she’s a good person and a good cop. Xander asks if this is an apology, because he’s not sure. Dana says she shouldn’t have hassled Rose or Mali or had a go at him, but she’s not going to apologise for defending her sister like he did, just for everything else, although he said some uncool things to her… Xander finally silences her with a kiss. He notes he probably shouldn’t have done that, but it doesn’t stop him doing it again.