Episode 8456

Extended Summary

Abigail brings Mali and Levi coffees on the house on the Salt balcony, saying it’s a perk of them living together. Mali points out that she’s already given him a lot of freebies, plus Mackenzie used to give him free meals before that. However, he’s looking forward to it, saying it’s the first time he’s lived with a girlfriend. They manage to attract Levi’s attention and he thanks her for the coffee.

Back at the farm house, Mackenzie is telling Tane that she’s never thought about children before but now can’t stop. Tane agrees it’s hard to shift the idea once you get it out of your head. Mackenzie is worried how Levi will react, recalling how he wasn’t sure about having children with Imogen. Tane encourages her to talk to him but Mackenzie doesn’t want to right now and asks Tane to just tell Levi he’s got nothing to worry about.

Roo is still sat staring at the box. She hears Eliza coming home and quickly stuffs everything back in the box (except the knife) and replaces it. She tells Eliza she was putting her history textbook in there. Eliza shows her a teddy she’s bought for the baby, saying she wants Tane to let her back into the youth programme. Roo says she’s going to go and see what there is to eat and takes the opportunity to hide the knife in the pantry. Eliza comes downstairs and Roo suggests tuna pasta. Eliza notes the vegetarian will love that and Roo explains Marilyn’s staying with a friend for a couple of days. Eliza says that means it’s just them and Roo decides to eat out.

At the surf club, Abigail tries to get Mali to come upstairs and hang after he’s finished work but he wants to move his things back to the farm house. Levi asks the pair to give him and Mackenzie some space tonight. Abigail protests that once Mali’s moved out of the van he’ll have to pay for a hotel room to get rid of them. Mali texts Dean. Tane comes in and tells Levi that it’s not what he thinks, and it’s not his place to say anything else.

Tane arrives home and notices some bags in the middle of the room. Harper springs out and surprises him. Tane’s reaction is a bit muted and he worries that she came back on her own. Harper says the guy she was training gave her a lift. Tane asks if he can get her anything and she asks for a welcome home and a hug. Tane obliges but she still doesn’t seem happy. At Salt, Dana is telling Abigail about how Irene knows she came home drunk and she’s realised she needs to keep a clear head. She comments on not having a date for the wedding. Abigail offers to be her plus one; Dana assumed she’d be going with Mali but Abigail says he hasn’t asked her. Dana thinks he’s going to. Mali comes in on the phone to Dean and tells Abigail that something big happened in Queensland.

Mackenzie is making a meal when Levi comes home, saying that she was going to order food in but found some leftovers in the fridge. Levi asks what she’s keeping from him. Mackenzie tries to insist there’s nothing, but when he pushes it she says she wants a family with him. Later, the two of them are eating in awkward silence. Levi asks what made her think of this. Mackenzie says that what happened brought things into focus but it was really seeing Dean and Ziggy with Izzy and another one on the way and realising that’s what she wants. Levi asks her to let him sleep on it.

Tane checks that Harper is happy with her replacement. Harper says she’s focused on the wedding and the baby from now on. She asks Tane how things went with Eliza. Tane says he took her advice and thought he was making headway but then she threatened Scott again and he’d rather not talk about it. He asks how her tea is.

At the Diner, Marilyn watches Roo and Eliza before Roo comes over to pay and asks Marilyn how things are going at Irene’s. Marilyn is uncomfortable to see Eliza smiling at her again. Dana turns up, hoping to walk Irene home, but Leah says she left early. Dana gets a text saying Harper’s back. Eliza asks if that’s Tane’s pregnant girlfriend (Dana says she’s actually his fiance). Roo explains Eliza was in Tane’s youth programme. Eliza asks about Harper’s caesarean, which she’s heard she’ll be awake for. Dana goes to meet Harper, and Roo and Eliza also leave.

Harper and Tane have just finished eating. Dana runs in and excitedly greets Harper and the baby and, as an afterthought, Tane. Tane is surprised that Harper asked Dana to come over. Harper says she wanted an update on the wedding planning and Dana says she’s done nearly everything on the list. Meanwhile, Roo and Eliza arrive home. Eliza wants to go and see Harper and give her the teddy now. Roo says to give her time with her family. Eliza presses to do it first thing tomorrow and asks where Harper’s been. Roo explains she’s a social worker who gave her a lot of support over fostering and has been training up her maternity cover. She sends Eliza up to bed, then goes to the pantry and moves the knife up to the top shelf.

Next morning, Mali and Abigail watch Mackenzie and Levi in an intense conversation outside the surf club. Mali wonders if he should talk to them about what he found out but Abigail reminds him Mackenzie didn’t want him to know about it. Levi tells Mackenzie that he’s not saying no but doesn’t think it’s the right time.

Outside the caravan park house, Roo finds Eliza looking over the history module on Ancient Egypt and mummification. Eliza says only the heart was kept in the body: All the other organs were removed and put in jars, except the brain which wasn’t considered important. Roo asks what Eliza would want buried with her if she was a pharoah. Eliza says things that make her happy. Roo asks if she means memories and Eliza says trophies.

At the Diner, Dana wonders why Harper has suddenly gone quiet about the wedding. Harper says she didn’t call Dana over to discuss the wedding but to act as a buffer with Tane, saying things were awkward and they were like strangers. Dana suggests it’ll take them time to get back in their groove. Harper gets a call from Roo.

At Salt, Abigail serves Roo before Harper joins her. Roo apologises for making her come up the stairs but Harper says the exercise was good for her. Roo asks for advice about Eliza, explaining about what she found in the box: A picture with the faces scratched out, a bandage with blood on it, and a knife. She guesses Eliza got the latter while helping Alf in the bait shop. She says Marilyn doesn’t want to be in the house, Alf’s away, and it’s just her and Eliza in the house and she’s scared.

Eliza is in her room, leafing through the book. She notices the box has been left at an angle and goes over. She starts looking through it, becoming more and more frantic as she realises something is missing. Back at Salt, Harper offers to talk to Eliza although Roo is cautious. Harper says Eliza might need specialised care and she could point her in the right direction. Roo warns that Eliza has fixated on her pregnancy. Eliza turns up in an agitated state, wanting the knife back. Abigail comes over and tries to calm things as Eliza shouts that Roo knows what happens to people who take her stuff and she wants it back now.