Episode 6997

Extended Summary

Justin and Willow are on the beach; Justin says he has to get to work, having spent the night looking after Raffy, but Willow wants him to relax. She sees Dean further down the beach and tries to get Justin to go a different way but Dean leaves anyway. Justin asks how Willow will handle a day of community service with him and Willow says it will be fine. They go for a swim together. Dean heads back to his caravan and takes a small amount of money from his pay-off. He runs into Colby and invites him for a drink but Colby has to check in with Chelsea and tells Dean about Neil’s ultimatum. Chelsea overhears and says she wants to know everything.

At the Morgan house, Justin is checking over Raffy’s medication as Brody comes in from the back. Justin says Raffy was crying all night and hopes Tori can handle her but Brody says she’s been called into work. Justin says they can’t leave Raffy alone but he has to go into the garage: Ziggy’s at Tafe and Dean hasn’t been in in days. Brody rhetorically asks whose fault that is, before saying he’s arranged someone to cover at Salt. Raffy emerges from her room but goes into the bathroom without saying anything. Justin isn’t keen on leaving her but Brody convinces him; Justin tells him to follow the notes on her medication. Brody calls out to Raffy offering chocolate banana pancakes and she tells him to leave her alone. At the surf club, John is giving directions to the community service group and pairs them up, inevitably putting Willow and Dean together and refusing to let them swap. Marilyn comes in and tells John she wants to go and see Raffy but isn’t sure if it would help. John thinks Raffy would be pleased to see her.

Chelsea meets Neil at the Diner and asks him about the information he has. Neil says it’s real. Chelsea says he has to tell Colby but Neil insists he has to stop Chelsea ruining her life and says Bella’s fine where she is. He refuses to back down. Chelsea goes up to the flat and apologises to Colby, saying she thought she could talk Neil round. Colby says it’s not her fault. Chelsea says she knows Bella is important to him and will understand if he takes Neil’s deal.

John is directing the community service team pulling up weeds on the beach. Dean asks Willow to hand him the pliers but she is reluctant to have any interaction with him. When he tries to start a conversation, saying what they had was messy but real, Willow walks away and asks John when break is, going five minutes early. John tells the others they can go too. Dean heads up to Salt and runs into Colby, complaining about Willow and saying he regrets bringing Justin back into her life; Colby thinks he doesn’t because it was the right thing. Dean half-jokingly offering to set the River Boys on Neil. Colby tells him that Chelsea gave him permission to take Neil’s offer, although he isn’t keen to lose her. Dean offers him beer and pizza, before suggesting that if Neil found Bella, so can Colby.

Brody turns the television off and gets Raffy to talk to him, apologising again for the vlog. Raffy says it doesn’t make any difference. Brody reminds her of the terrible things he did when he was on drugs, saying he found his way back and so can she. Raffy replies that he chose to take drugs but she didn’t choose this. Up in the Diner flat, Colby has called Neil round. Neil refuses to change his mind and Colby scornfully notes he used to look up to them. Neil says that was before he found out who Colby really was and recalls how desperate he was to find Bella. Colby refuses to take the deal and tells Neil to get out. Neil says Colby doesn’t want to make an enemy of him.

John tells the group there’s ten minutes left and tells Willow and Dean to move a log, insisting they do it together for health and safety reasons. Dean sarcastically comments on Willow talking to him to give instructions. Willow says she wants to make her relationship work and asks him not to make it hard. Later, Willow is in the office of the gym, upset. Justin comes in and asks if Dean did something. Willow says he didn’t, it’s just hard. She insists she wants to make it work and hugs him.

John thanks Dean for helping him clear up. Dean has a favour to ask: He wants to change community service groups but says it’s nothing to do with John. John guesses it’s to do with Willow and starts telling an anecdote about working with an ex, Roberta Barnes, before Dean cuts him short. John says he can talk to the probation officer but Dean would have to go to Yabbie Creek or Reefton. At the Morgan house, Raffy gets an alert on her phone and tells Brody that Abbi has tagged her to a photo: Some bladder leak underwear with the caption “Don’t leave home without them”, which already has a number of unkind comments about her. Brody wants to post a response but Raffy angrily tells him he’s just making things worse before storming out, just as Marilyn comes in. Brody explains it’s about online bullying and Marilyn offers to stay with her.

Neil finds Chelsea at the caravan park and says he wants things back the way they were before, asking her to get Colby to accept his offer. Chelsea realises Colby turned him down. Colby turns up and confirms it, telling Neil to leave. Chelsea tells Neil not to expect a wedding invite. At the Morgan house, Marilyn gives Raffy some treats, saying she overdid the cheese. Raffy says that’s how she likes them and apologises for ignoring Marilyn before. Marilyn tries to tell her not everyone’s against her, saying Ryder and Coco want to see her. Raffy doesn’t want to see them and also refuses Marilyn’s suggestion of taking Buddy for a walk, saying she doesn’t want to leave the house and storming out of the room.

Justin approaches Dean outside the surf club, asking (in a pleasant manner) when he’s returning to work. He thinks they can keep their personal life separate and says Dean’s a good worker. Dean accuses Justin of feeling guilty and quits the job. Justin tries to stop him walking away and they nearly come to blows, with John and Willow stepping in and getting them to go their separate ways. Later, Willow finds Dean at the caravan park and tells him he can’t quit because it’s part of his probation. Dean makes it clear it’s no longer her concern and says he’s doing his community service in Yabbie Creek from now on: He’s out of her life.