Episode 6850

Extended Summary

Coco and Ryder are playing on the Xbox at his place. Raffy turns up and asks what happened to them meeting in the library after school. They admit they forgot. Raffy says she got more done without them anyway and asks Coco how Maggie was after school, then realises Ryder hasn’t told her about her last class. Ryder says she seemed tired. Coco gets a text from Ben asking them to pick up some food because Maggie isn’t cooking. Ryder offers to walk Coco; Raffy also offers to go and looks disappointed to get turned down. At Salt, Ziggy gets a text from Coco indicating Maggie had a hard day. Brody gives her a bracelet that Ava made for her and says Ziggy was a natural with her. Ziggy quickly changes the subject, saying she needs to get takeaway. Brody offers to come round and cook for them but Ziggy says Maggie’s overwhelmed.

Ziggy, somewhat harassed, meets up with Coco and Ryder outside. Ryder kisses Coco goodbye and Ziggy comments on how quickly things can move sometimes, explaining that she thinks Brody wants to have children with her soon. Coco is shocked, saying Ziggy is nineteen and not ready. Ziggy agrees, despite being a bit bothered at how quick Coco was to say so, but doesn’t want to talk to Brody about it. Back at the farm house, Maggie has had a nap and tries to assure Ben that it was just one day. Ben asks what happens if the next day is just as bad. Maggie says she can’t walk away from the school, especially with them needing the money for rewiring. Ben doesn’t think it should all be on her. Things are put on hold a bit when Ziggy and Coco arrive with the food.

Alf, John and Marilyn are waiting at Salt, noting that Roo, who the meal was meant to be for, is busy and Leah couldn’t make it. Irene joins them and John suggests that at least the Diner being closed means she has the night off, although it isn’t much consolation to anyone. Meanwhile, the Astonis are also eating and Maggie continues to insist that she can’t give up work. Ziggy offers to pay board but both Ben and Maggie think she should be saving. Coco vehemently insists that money isn’t important and they need to worry about Maggie’s health. Ziggy quietly takes her to do the washing up as Ben suggests Maggie stop teaching full-time and focus on being principal. Maggie is reluctant but accepts the wisdom of it.

Next morning, Ziggy, who isn’t dressed yet, asks for a lift into town and Maggie says she’ll have to go like that because they’re leaving straightaway. Ben halts the argument by saying he’ll take her and Maggie and Coco leave. Ziggy asks Ben about his attempts to find work, which have been unsuccessful so far. At school, Maggie asks Roo to take the Year 11s for English and Roo also ends up volunteering to take a Business Studies class, since the usual teacher is needed to cover Maggie’s Maths class.

Ben passes Alf outside the bait shop and Alf asks him about getting the electricity back on. Ben says he’s accepted the quote and work should start soon. Alf asks him about his attempts to find work. Ben says that Maggie’s always been the main breadwinner in the family and he needs to step up. Alf tries to get him to keep his chin up. Meanwhile, Brody finds Ziggy at the gym, getting ready for a boxing session. He asks her about looking after Ava again, noting he doesn’t get to spend a lot of time with her. Ziggy asks to think about it and gets rid of him on the pretext of needing to have her session.

Roo is taking a class on The Tempest and tells the Year 11s to partner up in order to act out a scene. Coco asks if Raffy minds her partnering Ryder. Raffy says she doesn’t but as she partners up with one of the boys, Gordon, she shoots a longing look back at them. At the Diner, Ben is filling Irene in on the electrics work. He says he’ll keep on top of the electrician but Irene rather caustically tells him to just let the guy get on. Alf comes in and gives Ben the number of a couple of guys on the council with a lot of contracts. However, Ben is thrown when he realises Alf is suggesting he ask the contractors for a job, saying he’s used to being his own boss. Alf tells him to keep the number just in case.

Brody arrives back at the gym as Ziggy is finishing her session. She accuses him of following her but he says he was looking for John. He again tries to get an answer about looking after Ava, then wonders if Ziggy’s avoiding him. Ziggy ends up asking outright if he wants children. Brody is bemused, saying he was just paying her a compliment, but looks put out at how relieved she is. Later, after Ziggy has gone for a swim on the beach, Brody approaches her and says that while it’s not what he wants now, he does want to get married and have children in the future. Things are slightly awkward especially when Ziggy wonders if he means ten years in the future and he says more like four or five.

Maggie tells Roo she’s sorted out cover for all her classes and admits that Ben was right. Nearby, Raffy asks Ryder and Coco what they’re doing but they say they’re planning to have a rematch on the Xbox. Raffy says she’ll just hang with John and Marilyn. The couple initially fail to pick up on the sarcastic tone until Coco realises she’s being a bad friend and runs after Raffy, asking her to join them. Raffy says she doesn’t want pity hangs but Coco says they could play basketball, the two of them against Ryder. Later, the three teens are playing and Ryder claims he’s going easy on the girls. He tries to prove it by throwing the ball over his shoulder but it misses the hoop completely. He chases it down the drive and runs into a woman that is clearly Martha. He asks if she wants a caravan and says his grandfather is Alf. Martha says she took a wrong turn and walks away.

Ben is looking at the number Alf gave him when Ziggy arrives home. She notices him looking at the newspaper and realises he’s job hunting. Ben admits he doesn’t know where to start: He hasn’t been to a job interview in fifteen years. Later, Ziggy appears with her laptop, saying the best place to find jobs these days is online. Ben points out he’s nearly forty and has no resume but Ziggy offers to help out.

Alf and Ryder walk outside the Stewart house with Alf mildly complaining about the noise the teens were making earlier. They see Martha standing a short distance away and Ryder recalls she was there earlier. Martha turns round and she and Alf look at each other in shocked recognition.