Episode 7290

Extended Summary

Ziggy arrives at the surf club, looking to get a pizza before meeting Dean, and asks Ben where Maggie is. Ben explains about the phone alert concerning a message on Leah’s site and hopes it will shed light on things. At the Morgan house, Roo, Maggie and Tori are looking at the website in confusion, all of them thinking the engagement is fake, especially with Leah’s fiancè not showing his face. Justin has a frustrating phone call and explains that the police can’t act straightaway because no-one’s in: He’s been told to e-mail the link to the liaison officer. He points out that they don’t know for sure Leah’s alive because they don’t know when the photo was taken. The others try to reassure him, before Roo and Maggie leave, with Justin and Tori left to wait again.

At Salt, Roo and Maggie have filled Ben and Ziggy in on the development. None of them believe Leah would get engaged to someone random. Maggie worries she’s made things worse by getting everyone to watch Leah’s website so closely although the others point out that at least they know Leah’s alive. Meanwhile, Willow is in the kitchen at the beach house. Alex joins her and offers to go over the home loans process, also saying they’ll make sure they’re close to Russell. She points out that it was Willow who wanted answers. Willow doesn’t seem calmed by Alex suggesting they don’t need to do it all at once and could map out a timeline. Alex eventually decides she should head home and give Willow time to think.

Next morning, Ben and Ziggy are heading down the beach for a surf and find Willow in a mood and taking her stress out on her gym bag by hitting and kicking it. While Ben moves a discreet distance away, Ziggy asks what’s up. Willow asks how she felt when Dean asked her to move in and Ziggy says she was shocked and not ready for it. Willow comments on people springing huge life-changing events on them, then storms off, leaving Ziggy none the wiser. Meanwhile, Tori gets up and finds Justin looking at the laptop, realising he’s been staring at Leah’s website all night. She reminds him he’s not supposed to post and he says he’s just reading the comments, which are all congratulating Leah. He wonders if he’s got it wrong and the engagement’s genuine. Tori doesn’t believe that but he points out that means someone’s forcing her.

Ben has joined Ziggy at the garage: She hasn’t heard from Justin but assumes he’s not coming in. They are surprised when a somewhat distracted Justin suddenly appears, saying he’s waiting for a call from the police. He says there’s a vehicle he wants to get on with but Ziggy reminds him he finished it yesterday. She suggests he leave the big jobs to her and Ben convinces him to come for a coffee and a meal. Shortly after, the two of them are at the Diner but Justin is struggling to eat anything, saying he almost wishes he hadn’t seen the photo since he can’t stop thinking about it. Roo comes over and Justin tells her he hasn’t heard from the police. Roo and Ben try to assure him that the police have something to go on now and are probably just busy.

Alex catches up with Willow at the surf club and asks if she slept any better. Willow admits she didn’t and Alex again points out Willow wanted answers. Willow says that, instead of simply moving, they’re now talking about getting a mortgage together and it feels like Alex is about to propose. Ben, who has just arrived to reopen the board shop, makes a point of greeting them and they decide to go somewhere private. Meanwhile, Tori is looking after Grace when Justin arrives home. He tells her he’s heard nothing from the police and offers to give Grace her feed.

In the office at the gym, Alex tells Willow she’s not sure what the problem is and she was just trying to make a home for them. Willow says they’ve never discussed having this sort of life. Alex asks if Willow wants them to buy two houses in Queensland and Willow admits she’s not sure if she wants to get a mortgage or settle down at all. Alex points out she told Willow right from the start that this is what she wanted. In the surf club main area, Ziggy is chatting to Ben and Maggie about the garage and Justin. Alex walks out past them, ignoring Willow calling after her. Ziggy offers to get Willow a drink.

Justin continues to fret over Leah but Tori tells him that if Leah is being held captive and forced to do things then she’d fight against it: They know she’s alive now and hopefully there’ll be another post with a clue in it. Later, after Tori has returned from putting Grace to sleep, Justin gets a call from the liaison officer but his tone soon becomes frustrated. He tells Tori that the police claim the photo’s legit: They’ve spoken to Leah on the phone and she says she’s happy with her new life. They consider the case closed and that Justin’s simply an ex-boyfriend who won’t move on. Justin gets annoyed at Tori’s questions and Grace starts crying; Tori goes to check on her.

At Salt, Willow has filled Ziggy in. Willow wonders if Ziggy has a magic wand to put everything right. Ziggy notes if she had then she wouldn’t be divorced at twenty-one, adding that she and Brody rushed things which is why she’s taking things slowly with Dean. Willow says moving to Queensland is forcing her and Alex to take things fast. She thinks that if she doesn’t go with Alex then the relationship won’t survive, but she’s worried she might go and it collapses anyway. Ziggy suggests the important thing is whether or not Willow loves Alex enough to risk it. Later, at the beach house, Willow tells Alex she didn’t imagine her life would be like this a year ago but she’s realised the important thing is that she loves her. However, Alex needs to be sure and says she couldn’t bear it if things ended with Willow hating her: She’s going to Queensland alone.

Tori comes back from settling Grace and says she told her Uncle Justin was in a mood. She realises Justin is about to post on Leah’s blog. She reminds him he’s not supposed to but he says he’s not doing anything the police haven’t done and he’s got nothing to lose. Tori accepts it and Justin posts saying that he won’t stop looking for Leah unless she calls him.