Episode 7385

Extended Summary

Ari and Mackenzie arrive back at the Parata house. Ari asks if Tane has done something and Mackenzie says it’s not all him. Ari asks if something’s going on between them and Mackenzie says there isn’t. Ari asks if she wants it to and she doesn’t answer. Ari tells her to see herself out and walks away. Meanwhile, Bella and Nikau are getting cosy at the Diner flat when Colby comes home and asks what Nikau’s doing there. He points out it’s late and tells Nikau to go, which he does. Bella is annoyed and leaves also. Dean emerges from his room and asks Colby what happened to not acting like Bella’s dad.

In the Diner, Irene and Leah give Marilyn some pies to take home to John but she claims Amber has him on a strict diet and dodges their questions about when she’s moving out, quickly leaving. Bella enters and finds Nikau. He thinks he shouldn’t have gone to hers but she asks him not to let it ruin their day and kisses him. Up in the flat, Colby insists to Dean that he doesn’t want Nikau in the flat. Dean doesn’t think Nikau’s a bad kid but Colby still believes he stole Tori’s car and, when Dean points out he tried to blame Ari, says the whole family’s dodgy. Dean says people would have said the same about them and Colby says he wouldn’t have wanted his sister dating them either. Dean warns him that Bella won’t choose him. Bella comes back but refuses to talk to Colby and goes to her room.

Next morning, Mackenzie goes to the Parata house and meets Nikau, who says Ari went out early and didn’t say where he was going. He also mentions Tane didn’t come home. Mackenzie says Ari isn’t answering her calls but she’ll keep trying, and gives Nikau the bacon and egg roll she brought. Outside the Diner, Ari gets his latest text from Mackenzie and ignores it. Dean comes down the steps and guesses Ari’s chat with Mackenzie didn’t go well. Ari knows Dean and Ziggy were talking about her and Tane but accepts Dean wouldn’t betray his sister’s trust. He says the fact nothing’s happened is the only reason he hasn’t ripped Tane’s head off and notes when you get out of jail you worry no-one will trust you: Mack didn’t judge him and he thought they had a chance.

Dean joins Mackenzie at Salt. He chides her for hiring Tane. Mackenzie tries to fire back at him about Amber, before explaining Ari asked her how she felt and she hesitated. She says she never would have acted on it. Dean encourages her to fight for Ari. Meanwhile, Bella approaches Nikau at the wharf, where he’s cleaning a boat, and asks how long he’s working for. Nikau says he promised to get it done for tonight. Bella senses he’s avoiding her because of last night and tries to get him not to. Nikau points out Colby is watching them from the steps.

At the Diner, Alf fills Irene, Leah and Justin in on the funeral and notes Ryder gave a eulogy and he and Roo stayed on for a tribute gig Evan’s friends are doing. Marilyn comes in and Leah and Justin give her the details of a stroke recovery support group they found. Marilyn says she’ll pass it on to John. Everyone can see she’s behaving strangely. Alf and Justin go to see John with muffins; he notes he’s been surviving on microwave meals for one. He shows them the medical aid and tells Alf he’s one of the contacts and will get an SOS if anything happens to him. Alf wonders why he’s doing this now and John realises Marilyn hasn’t told them.

Mackenzie finds Ari at the Paratas’. He tells her Tane’s out but she says that’s not why she’s there: She wants to fix things between them. She insists she’d never betray him. Ari asks if she gave Tane the job because she was attracted to him. Mackenzie says she did it to help Ari’s family and Ari accepts Tane having a job helps. Mackenzie says she and Ari started off casual and have never talked about it but she wants to be with him. When Ari doesn’t answer, she turns to go but Ari stops her, saying he wants it too.

Alf and Justin arrive back at the Diner, where Marilyn is serving. Justin quietly tells Irene and Leah about her moving out to a motel. Alf sits Marilyn down and tells her they know. Marilyn admits that she’s lonely. Up in the flat, Bella tells Colby that Nikau’s scared to come up there. Colby says he doesn’t trust him but Bella says he doesn’t need to because she does and Colby’s got no right to point the finger. She says she’s finally found someone that she cares about and asks Colby not to make her choose.

With Irene watching from a distance, Marilyn tells Alf she didn’t want to bother everyone. She says she was married to John for six years and doesn’t know what to do next. Alf says he knows, and takes Marilyn and her things to his place. Marilyn worries what Roo, Ryder and Martha will think and wonders if she should stay in a van. Alf says she wouldn’t last five minutes in one and this is her home.

Bella and Nikau are sitting on the wharf when Colby approaches and asks to speak to Nikau. Back at the flat, Colby notes he’s been hard on Nikau. Bella, sat apart, chimes in that that’s an understatement, then backs off. Colby says he could see Nikau cared about Bella before she went into therapy and remembers he went to the hospital to check on her, but he thinks he stole Tori’s car. He notes it’s best he doesn’t know the truth, but it was stupid and irresponsible and could have ruined lives and he knows how a decision like that can follow you around. Nikau promises he won’t hurt Bella and Colby accepts it. Bella shows Nikau to the door: She notes it was unexpected, Nikau notes Colby’s all right and Colby notes he can hear them. Nikau leaves and Bella tells Colby he’s awesome. Dean arrives, bemused at them getting on, and reluctantly gets a hug from Bella.

Night-time in the bush: An area is cordoned off with police crime scene tape. Two detectives examine the contents of a hole and discover Ross Nixon’s driving license…