Kane and Dani stand, about a hundred yards between them, frozen to the spot. Dani in fear, Kane in uncertainty. How should he react? He knew how much pain he had caused her. How much pain he had caused the entire family. Dani's heart was pounding. She tried to steady her breathing. The way that Flynn had taught her to try and calm herself down. What was he doing here? Why couldn't he just leave her alone? Kane can't look her in the eye. He feels guilty. Ashamed. He can sense her fear. Another movement catches his attention. Rhys storms down the path from the house, followed by Shelley, Kirsty and Jade, trying unsuccessfully to stop him. Kane's expression turns to fear as Rhys gets closer and he takes a couple of steps back.
Dani watches as her father strides towards Kane. What was going on? Then she saw Kirsty and panic swept through her. Kirsty's phone call. There had been someone trying to hurt her. That could be the only explanation. Now Kane was tearing Kirsty's life apart the way her life had been torn only a year before. After the mediation she had believed Kane was sorry. Had he really done it again?
Shelley called out to her husband as she spotted Dani.
"Rhys! Dani"
Rhys swung around to face his eldest daughter in alarm. Dani's expression was one of panic and confusion. Kirsty used Rhys' distraction to place herself between her father and Kane. Shelley informed Kirsty that Dani had no idea who she was away with and Kirsty was overcome with fear. What was Dani going to say? She had thought that her running away would mean Dani found out everything. The one thing Kirsty feared most was Dani's face when she found out.
Dani stepped uneasily towards her father.
"W... what's going on?"
Nothing made any sense anymore. Kirsty didn't look upset, just nervous. Not of Kane but of her. Of the family.
No one replied to her question. No one could find the words to explain what was going on. They knew how much it was going to hurt Dani. Life would never be the same again. Kirsty couldn't make eye contact with her sister. She could feel herself shaking.
Kane just wished he had never brought Kirsty back. That they were still on the run. They had been the happiest weeks of his life. Just knowing that she loved him had made his life worth living. He had never believed in love himself until he had met her and she had turned his world upside down. He had a reason to make the most of his life. He had just wanted to make her proud of him. But now the price of their love was becoming obvious. He had never felt more uncomfortable. He knew how many lives he was destroying for love and he didn't want to hurt anyone. He could see Kirsty shaking and he just wanted to comfort her. To make sure she knew he was behind her one hundred percent.
"Dad?"
Dani's voice was weak. She couldn't think straight. Not with him there. Whenever she thought of him all she could think of was the worst day of her life. Her immense feeling of weakness as he had...
She felt physically sick and it took all of her strength to keep herself from running away. Her father looked at her in despair. He forgot his anger towards Kane for a moment and just wanted to make Dani's pain disappear.
Shelley was the first to speak.
"I think you'd better come inside Dan"
Shelley walked up to her daughter and put her arm around her. Dani flinched but allowed her mother to take her inside. She didn't dare to ask any questions. It scared her to think what might be going on. Shelley was being so protective and it was clear something was wrong. Her mind flashed back to the group counselling session after the Mirigini went down. The looks exchanged by Kirsty and Kane. The way that they had talked to each other openly and how Kirsty had backed him up afterwards. And now he was there and Kirsty was back at the same time.
Shelley and Dani enter the house silently.
"I'm going to my room"
She just needed some time to think. What if she was right? Surely Kirsty wouldn't betray her like that. She hurries to her room, mind racing. There had to be another explanation.
CARAVAN PARK (exterior)
The remaining four, Rhys, Kane, Kirsty and Jade, wait until Dani is out of earshot. Kirsty is still stood between Rhys and Kane. She couldn't let Rhys hit the man she loved. She had chosen Kane before and she would choose him over her family again. Rhys glared at Kane. Ever since Dani's rape he had vowed to get revenge. But it wasn't the time or the place. Two of his daughters were watching him and he knew Kirsty would never forgive him. He couldn't understand it. How could Kirsty bear to even be near Kane after what he had done to Dani? Let alone touch him... kiss him. He grimaced, struggling to remain calm. That day on the wharf, the day that he had found out, it had sickened him to see Kirsty clinging onto that man.
"Kirsty, go inside"
He tried to make himself sound in control but underneath he was ready to explode. To teach Kane a lesson. Justice.
"No"
Kirsty took a step backwards towards Kane. She couldn't give up now. They'd come too far to throw everything away. Rhys took a step towards her, seething. Not so long ago he was in full control of his family. They wouldn't dare defy him. Kirsty shrunk further back. She knew she shouldn't be afraid but she had never seen her father so angry. She is relieved when her body brushes against Kane and she can see him by her side.
"Kirsty, go inside now"
His voice was louder now, more firm. Kirsty didn't move and Rhys lunged forward, throwing his fist at Kane. Kirsty screamed at her father to stop and stepped towards her father in an attempt to hold him back. Rhys' fist clashes with Kirsty's jaw and she collapses to the ground.
Kane, seeing red, threw himself forward at Rhys, who had frozen numbly after his outburst, not quite able to believe what he had just done. All he had wanted to do was protect his family. Kane caught him off guard and he fell backwards, groaning as his head whacked against the ground. He attempted to stand up again but Kane held him down, throwing several more punches at him.
Rhys was barely moving as Kane finally came to his senses, Kirsty's pleas for him to stop ringing through his head. A nightmare. Just like Dani had told him to stop all those months ago. He was out of control. It was all happening again. He stumbled to his feet.
Kane looks down at Rhys' crumpled body and staggers back. He can't face looking at Kirsty and he can feel her looking at him. He had been sure he had left his violent past behind but now it had returned. Rhys was never going to accept him now. And what would Kirsty think of him? He stumbles over to his car and climbs in, frantically starting the engine and skidding away from the house.
Dani watches as her father strides towards Kane. What was going on? Then she saw Kirsty and panic swept through her. Kirsty's phone call. There had been someone trying to hurt her. That could be the only explanation. Now Kane was tearing Kirsty's life apart the way her life had been torn only a year before. After the mediation she had believed Kane was sorry. Had he really done it again?
Shelley called out to her husband as she spotted Dani.
"Rhys! Dani"
Rhys swung around to face his eldest daughter in alarm. Dani's expression was one of panic and confusion. Kirsty used Rhys' distraction to place herself between her father and Kane. Shelley informed Kirsty that Dani had no idea who she was away with and Kirsty was overcome with fear. What was Dani going to say? She had thought that her running away would mean Dani found out everything. The one thing Kirsty feared most was Dani's face when she found out.
Dani stepped uneasily towards her father.
"W... what's going on?"
Nothing made any sense anymore. Kirsty didn't look upset, just nervous. Not of Kane but of her. Of the family.
No one replied to her question. No one could find the words to explain what was going on. They knew how much it was going to hurt Dani. Life would never be the same again. Kirsty couldn't make eye contact with her sister. She could feel herself shaking.
Kane just wished he had never brought Kirsty back. That they were still on the run. They had been the happiest weeks of his life. Just knowing that she loved him had made his life worth living. He had never believed in love himself until he had met her and she had turned his world upside down. He had a reason to make the most of his life. He had just wanted to make her proud of him. But now the price of their love was becoming obvious. He had never felt more uncomfortable. He knew how many lives he was destroying for love and he didn't want to hurt anyone. He could see Kirsty shaking and he just wanted to comfort her. To make sure she knew he was behind her one hundred percent.
"Dad?"
Dani's voice was weak. She couldn't think straight. Not with him there. Whenever she thought of him all she could think of was the worst day of her life. Her immense feeling of weakness as he had...
She felt physically sick and it took all of her strength to keep herself from running away. Her father looked at her in despair. He forgot his anger towards Kane for a moment and just wanted to make Dani's pain disappear.
Shelley was the first to speak.
"I think you'd better come inside Dan"
Shelley walked up to her daughter and put her arm around her. Dani flinched but allowed her mother to take her inside. She didn't dare to ask any questions. It scared her to think what might be going on. Shelley was being so protective and it was clear something was wrong. Her mind flashed back to the group counselling session after the Mirigini went down. The looks exchanged by Kirsty and Kane. The way that they had talked to each other openly and how Kirsty had backed him up afterwards. And now he was there and Kirsty was back at the same time.
Shelley and Dani enter the house silently.
"I'm going to my room"
She just needed some time to think. What if she was right? Surely Kirsty wouldn't betray her like that. She hurries to her room, mind racing. There had to be another explanation.
CARAVAN PARK (exterior)
The remaining four, Rhys, Kane, Kirsty and Jade, wait until Dani is out of earshot. Kirsty is still stood between Rhys and Kane. She couldn't let Rhys hit the man she loved. She had chosen Kane before and she would choose him over her family again. Rhys glared at Kane. Ever since Dani's rape he had vowed to get revenge. But it wasn't the time or the place. Two of his daughters were watching him and he knew Kirsty would never forgive him. He couldn't understand it. How could Kirsty bear to even be near Kane after what he had done to Dani? Let alone touch him... kiss him. He grimaced, struggling to remain calm. That day on the wharf, the day that he had found out, it had sickened him to see Kirsty clinging onto that man.
"Kirsty, go inside"
He tried to make himself sound in control but underneath he was ready to explode. To teach Kane a lesson. Justice.
"No"
Kirsty took a step backwards towards Kane. She couldn't give up now. They'd come too far to throw everything away. Rhys took a step towards her, seething. Not so long ago he was in full control of his family. They wouldn't dare defy him. Kirsty shrunk further back. She knew she shouldn't be afraid but she had never seen her father so angry. She is relieved when her body brushes against Kane and she can see him by her side.
"Kirsty, go inside now"
His voice was louder now, more firm. Kirsty didn't move and Rhys lunged forward, throwing his fist at Kane. Kirsty screamed at her father to stop and stepped towards her father in an attempt to hold him back. Rhys' fist clashes with Kirsty's jaw and she collapses to the ground.
Kane, seeing red, threw himself forward at Rhys, who had frozen numbly after his outburst, not quite able to believe what he had just done. All he had wanted to do was protect his family. Kane caught him off guard and he fell backwards, groaning as his head whacked against the ground. He attempted to stand up again but Kane held him down, throwing several more punches at him.
Rhys was barely moving as Kane finally came to his senses, Kirsty's pleas for him to stop ringing through his head. A nightmare. Just like Dani had told him to stop all those months ago. He was out of control. It was all happening again. He stumbled to his feet.
Kane looks down at Rhys' crumpled body and staggers back. He can't face looking at Kirsty and he can feel her looking at him. He had been sure he had left his violent past behind but now it had returned. Rhys was never going to accept him now. And what would Kirsty think of him? He stumbles over to his car and climbs in, frantically starting the engine and skidding away from the house.