Episode 7020

Extended Summary

Chelsea comes down the steps from the Diner flat and tells Willow Colby didn’t come home last night. Willow says she got a text from Dean saying they were staying with Bluey. Chelsea got the same text but asks Willow to take her there or give her the address. Willow tries to get her to go for a coffee instead, practically confirming to Chelsea that something’s wrong. Meanwhile, Colby and Bella both exit the house, Bella still holding him at crossbow-point. Colby tries to get her to come with him. Dean approaches and Bella fires a warning shot at him and reloads before running off.

At the surf club, Maggie is looking on as Ben sets up his counter. John notes he expected Ben to be done by now; Ben points out he didn’t have any keys and John makes it clear he doesn’t want Dean having them, waxing lyrical about the place becoming a River Boy headquarters. He says the shelves are 5mm out; Ben denies it but Maggie checks and admits it’s true. John insists Ben fix it. Maggie congratulates Ben for keeping his cool and goes for a workout. Back at the isolated house, Dean comments to Colby that it isn’t the happy reunion he expected and they wonder what Ross has told Bella. Although they don’t know where she is, they know she can’t have left the property and split up to search while worrying about Ross coming back. In fact, Bella is in a hide made out of metal sheets.

Chelsea finishes a phone call with Neil, saying she’s sorry she didn’t get his message and thanking him for his help. As Willow approaches, she says Neil called to check she got the address and realises that’s where Colby and Dean are. She says she has to call Homicide but Willow thinks it might ruin everything if the police go in. Chelsea says Willow didn’t hear the recording of Ross threatening Colby but Willow says she heard it in real life. Chelsea thinks the boys could be in danger but Willow thinks the police turning up could send Ross over the edge. Back at the house, Bella makes a noise which Colby hears but he doesn’t let on. He calls out, reminding her of how she wanted a bike for her birthday once so he rescued one from the dump, getting a friend to kit it out and Willow to decorate it, and how Willow taught her to make jewellery. As he talks, Bella writes a text to Ross: “Colby here. Come home.” She hesitates over Send as Colby talks but eventually presses it.

Chelsea notes Colby never said much about the abuse he suffered, just about Bella going missing. Willow says she and Dean often patched Colby up or hid him. Chelsea isn’t reassured but Willow insists he doesn’t want revenge on Ross, just to find Bella. Chelsea agrees to hold off until they hear from them. Willow invites her to hang out with her even though she’s not babysitting anymore. Back in Karingal, Dean rejoins Colby who gestures to where Bella is. Dean pretends to go and look again but in fact they approach the hide from opposite directions. Bella kicks the sheet into Colby and tries to run off but Dean grabs her. Colby convinces her to stay if they let her go.

At the Diner, Alf, Irene and Roo are discussing the friction between John and Ben. Roo thinks Alf needs to deal with it but Alf says he did his part by getting it through the committee, although he does admit he was close to being kicked out of the bait shop. Maggie comes in and comments on John and Ben being close to coming to blows. Roo again prompts Alf who reluctantly heads out. He finds Ben packing up, having had enough of John despite paying a month’s rent in advance. Alf goes to John in the office, saying Ben is a paying business owner. John says he’s the surf club manager and Alf retorts that he’s the president and they aren’t doing well financially: He may have to audit the books, apply Section 26 Subsection 8 and place John under close scrutiny. John says he’s unhappy if Ben’s unhappy and Alf makes it clear that if he’s unhappy John will be very unhappy. After Alf has closed the office door, Ben asks what Section 26 is. Alf has no idea but neither does John. Ben is happy to stay to see Alf put John in his place again.

Colby bandages up a wound to his ankle and tries to convince Bella to come with him. Bella says she needs her things and Colby agrees to go inside and pack. Dean notices her phone on the ground and sees the text, realising she’s stalling; Ross replied half an hour ago to say he’s on his way. They realise they need to get out now and, after a brief struggle, Colby lifts Bella up and carries her to the car. They drive off. At the gym, Chelsea tells Willow she can’t concentrate because she’s worried about the boys. She notes Dean seems to have forgiven Willow for cutting him off while Willow notes she and Justin are at the “hi and bye” stage. Chelsea asks if Willow will be her maid of honour now things are settled and Willow agrees.

Roo finds Alf sat outside the bait shop. She notes that Alf has come out on top: Ben has to deal with John and Alf has the shop to himself. She wryly describes him as machiavellian. Back at the surf club, John gives Ben a set of keys, claiming there was a delay getting them cut. Now acting friendly, he invites Ben for lunch but the appearance of Maggie gives Ben an excuse to have lunch with her instead. He tells her John will never be able to keep it up.

Dean is driving while Colby sits with an angry Bella in the back. She threatens to call the police and Dean says Colby is the police; Bella retorts that the brother she remembers would never have become a cop and Dean agrees. They see Ross’ ute coming the other way and Colby holds Bella out of sight to stop her attracting his attention: There’s a tense moment but Ross keeps on going and disappears round a bend. Dean asks where they’re going and Colby tells him to just keep driving. He calls Chelsea who is still with Willow at the gym; he initially tries to keep up the pretense but Chelsea tells him she knows. Colby says he and Dean are fine; they have Bella with them and Ross wasn’t home. Bella calls out that he’s lying and Colby holds a hand over her mouth, getting Dean to pull over so he can lock Bella in the car and get out. He tells Chelsea that Bella’s shaken so they’re going to take her somewhere for a while. He also tells her to alert Homicide so they can go pick up Ross. After he’s hung up, Dean asks why he didn’t tell her. Colby says they’ve committed a crime by abducting Bella: He doesn’t want Chelsea involved and wouldn’t have involved Dean if he’d known. Dean thinks going to jail would be worth it since they’ve got Bella back. Bella calls out that Ross won’t let them get away with it and Colby admits he doesn’t know what to do.