EARLY AFTERNOON, several days later

Kane wanders around the bedroom of the drop in centre, carefully constructing a speech in his mind. This was his chance to talk the Sutherlands around. This was his chance to be happy and he couldn't mess it up. If he messed it up he could be back where he started. He hadn't seen Kirsty for over a day, not since before she was discharged from the hospital. He had thought it best not to intrude. He was the first there, over twenty minutes early. He was wearing his best shirt. He wanted to give the right impression.

Kirsty walks down the beach alone in the direction of the drop in centre. She didn't want to arrive with the family. She wondered where Kane was and what he was doing. If he was as anxious as she was. She couldn't understand why she hadn't seen him for over a day. Maybe he was having second thoughts about facing her family.

Shelley and Rhys rushed around the caravan park. Shelley had persuaded her husband to put on a shirt and tie. He couldn't understand the fuss, but Shelley thought it would be best to make an effort, for the sake of their family. Shelley was dreading the mediation. She hoped Rhys would be as civil as he had been towards Kane recently. Her main concern was Josh. He was sometimes more hot headed than Rhys, and he was just as protective of Dani. Rhys was less concerned than his wife. He had begun to see things differently recently. His family had been much happier. Even Dani didn't seem upset anymore.

Dani sat in the back porch, trying to prepare herself for the mediation. She knew it was for the best, but she still didn't feel entirely comfortable about it. She was doing it for the sake of her sister, her family. She wanted to understand. She didn't want to have to talk about her feelings again though. That had been what the first mediation with Kane was about. She hoped it wouldn't come to that anyway. She just wanted to listen to what her sister and Kane had to say. It was Josh's attitude that concerned her most. He had been strongly against this mediation. He had been against the first mediations. She couldn't understand it, especially now, when their relationship was over.

Jade sat in her and Kirsty's room. She felt a bit left out. Although she was attending the mediation there was very little she could contribute. She and Kirsty had slowly been rebuilding their relationship during Kirsty's time in the hospital and she had made an effort to understand for her sisters sake. She couldn't deny that Kirsty was much happier now and she hoped that this mediation would bring the family together and help them to understand one another.

Josh was finishing his shift at the drop in centre. He couldn't understand why Flynn had wanted him to attend the mediation in the first place. He hated the guy and that wasn't going to change. He couldn't understand why Dani had agreed to it. He was worried that it might upset her and most of his reason for going was to support her.

..................................

Kirsty walked into the drop in centre. She knew she was early by about ten minutes but she had wanted a word with Kane first, and she predicted that he would be there early. She stuck her head round the bedroom door. Kane was staring out of the window distantly.

"Hey"

He turns slowly and smiles faintly.

"Hi"

Kirsty could sense something was wrong. He looked pale and tired.

"What's up?"

"Nerves... I didn't get any sleep last night"

She knew how he felt. Their relationship rested on this being a success. She walked further into the room. He looked behind her, expecting the rest of the Sutherlands to follow her in.

"Coast's clear - I'm alone"

"In that case..."

He walked up to her and put his arms around her neck. She slipped her arms around his waist and their lips met. A noise from the door made them part suddenly.

"Sorry to interrupt..."

Flynn was awkward. He knew when he wasn't wanted

"...I thought I should warn you that your parents are on their way in Kirsty"

"Yeah, thanks Flynn"

Almost immediately the door down the corridor opened and the Sutherlands entered. Kirsty and Kane drew reluctantly apart as Flynn stood aside and the rest of the Sutherland family entered the room. An awkward silence follows. Kirsty makes the first move.

"Hi."

Shelley smiles at her daughter, trying to look relaxed.

"Hi Kirst... We wondered where you were - you left without saying anything"

"Yeah, I had to have a walk. Clear my head."

Another long silence. Flynn speaks.

"Um... take a seat... we'll begin once Josh arrives."

The Sutherlands all sat down across the room on the various beds. Dani noticeably distances herself from Kirsty and Kane. Rhys sat next to his wife silently. He didn't want to say anything yet in case he rocked the boat and upset the family. He avoided making eye contact with Kane and Kirsty in case he felt inclined to say something. Kirsty and Kane sat awkwardly on the edge of a bed, not touching. They didn't know how to behave. Whether it would be safe to make physical contact of any sort without someone blowing up at them. The tension in the room was almost unbearable and the silence made things worse. Flynn stood by the doorway, willing Josh to arrive so they could get started. One thing was certain. This wasn't going to be easy.

Kirsty decided to choose this moment to make an announcement. It was as good a time as any.

"Um... I've made a decision..."

She glanced around. She had everyone's attention.

"...I've decided to go back to school"

Shelley's expression was one of happiness and pride. She had been hoping Kirsty would make that decision for months.

"That's great Kirst"

She looked around to Kane, who smiled reassuringly and moved his hand onto hers subtly. At least one of them had a future. He didn't even know if he'd be able to get back on his TAFE course. It was stupid of him to throw everything away in the first place. He had spent the morning pleading with his boss for his job back at the wharf and had eventually succeeded in getting a second chance. It was a start.

"Yeah... I've decided to make the most of life"

Kane had inspired her to continue her education. Their future was looking brighter.

"Josh, hi"

Flynn hadn't seen him enter

"Hi.

Josh was wound up by the presence of Kane already. He looked around the room before going to sit next to Dani. The atmosphere was tense again. Flynn closed the door.

"I suppose we should get started... I think we all know the purpose of this mediation is to help to get an understanding of the situation from other peoples perspectives. This is a chance for everyone to get their feelings out in a controlled environment"

Shelley frowned. She hated him being so formal. This was no normal mediation. Flynn continued

"I don't think I need to say that you should listen to and respect what other people have to say. You will all get a chance to speak if you want to and no one should interrupt"

Flynn didn't want this turning into a battleground. He knew he wouldn't be able to control the situation if Josh or Rhys started laying into Kane. It would be World War 3. Rhys looked calm enough. Which was more than could be said for Josh.

Kane looked to the floor, running his speech through in his head. He had already heard this talk from Flynn when he had done the mediation with Dani.

"Does anyone want to start us off?"

There is a moment of silence.

"I will"

Kirsty knows that she is at the centre of all of this. Everyone is looking at her now. Kane squeezes her hand reassuringly.

"Um... I know the past few months have been... stressful for all of us..."

She glanced around nervously. She was sounding more like her Mum every second.

"...I never expected it to turn out like this... I never meant to hurt anyone but everything happened so quickly..."

Her planned speech was already out of the window.

"...when the Mirigini went down and I came face to face with Kane in the bush I was terrified. I just didn't want to be alone with him..."

She paused. She had to do this. She hated talking about this. She hated saying anything bad about Kane. It all sounded stupid now. She couldn't imagine being scared of him. He had always been kind and understanding around her. She glanced across to him for support, but he was looking downwards.

"...but as time went on and he saved Mum's life I saw another side of him. He was all I had for support out there and we did a lot of talking... I found that I could talk to him easier than I have been able to talk to anyone for months. I guess I didn't feel like I was being judged on everything I did, everything I said... and when Kane passed out I panicked. I felt so alone... I thought that he and Mum were both going to die and I'd be stuck out there on my own. Just talking to him had made all the difference."

She swallowed. She had thought all of this over so many times but it all sounded stupid now that she was saying it. She glanced at Kane. He was looking at her now. He looked like he understood. She just hoped everyone else did.

"...by the time we got into hospital I wasn't scared of him anymore. If he was going to try anything he'd have tried it in the bush when we were alone... after the accident I couldn't get him out of my head. I don't know why... I couldn't understand it but I just felt like I had to go and see him..."

She remembered how she had been drawn to his room in the hospital. It had been awkward but she had still enjoyed his company. When she was with him she had his undivided attention. She wasn't constantly in competition with her sisters.

"...it was such a relief when Flynn had a word with us about trauma bonding. I thought I had been going mad... but the more time we spent together 'trauma bonding' the more I realised that he was the only one who understood me, not just about the accident... about everything... I didn't want it to get this far... I don't know how it happened but it just did. I couldn't understand it and that scared me more than you can imagine... I knew that if I told anyone how close we had become that they wouldn't understand. I was so confused... I didn't even understand it myself..."

Kirsty's voice was shaky now. She avoided eye contact with anyone. She couldn't put into words how special Kane had made her feel.

"...when it started getting serious I tried to break it off, I told Kane we couldn't see each other anymore. Dani had just broken up with Josh and I didn't want to make things worse for her... but when I didn't see him I missed him so much... I talked to Dani about being 'in love' and then I talked to Shauna. It all made sense I guess... I couldn't believe it myself...but I couldn't help how I was feeling and I just went for it... I just wanted to be happy. And he made me happy - he makes me happy"

She felt a bit selfish. Putting her own feelings first. But she just hoped someone would understand. She couldn't help it. For weeks she had watched Nick and Jade playing the happy couple. It frustrated her that her life couldn't be that simple.

"I knew someone would find out sooner or later but it was going so well and there was no way I wanted it to end... we were so careful and it was a shirt that finally gave us way..."

She looked around anxiously. What more could she say? She had missed out loads of what she had wanted to say but it didn't seem relevant now. She looks up at Flynn and nods weakly, indicating that she was done. Flynn cleared his throat, about to speak.

Kane exhaled deeply and glanced around the room.

"I'll go next"

Kane stares downwards nervously so as to avoid making eye contact with anyone. He felt small. Not so long ago he had had total control over his life. He had covered his feelings up with a tough act. But recently his love for Kirsty had revealed his vulnerable side. He would do anything for her.

"After all that has happened in the last year I never expected anything like this to happen... especially not to me... I've spent the last year trying to rebuild a life for myself after... after what happened and I never intended to make everything worse by dragging it all up again. I felt bad enough about destroying Dani's life."

Dani looked uneasy. She hated the past being dragged up, but that was what this was all about. Kane still looked to the floor, distantly. He remembered how Kirsty had come in the the crew room on the boat. The words she had used to describe him were 'sick freak'. Their time in the bush had changed everything. She had looked at him in a different way. Like no one had looked at him before. She cared.

"After the Mirigini went down my life completely changed... I'd never opened up to anyone like I opened up to Kirsty whilst we out there in the bush... to be honest I didn't expect her to want to know me afterwards"

He'd always remember the day that she had come in to visit him in hospital. Shelley had been discharged. She had come in just to see him. Not even his aunt had visited him. It had made him feel special. He couldn't believe she cared. And when she came to se him on the wharf after he'd been discharged. The start of a friendship. His only proper friendship. Even then he didn't imagine it could go any further. He had just been content with being close to someone.

"...when she did it was... it was unbelieveable... someone actually wanted to know me. For the past year everyone had hated me. No one had spoken to me unless they had to - I mean I don't blame them, but it was hard..."

He narrowed his eyes in thought. In reality his life since the rape had been hell. Up until he met Kirsty.

Josh was seething. However hard it had been for him it had been a thousand times harder for Dani. Dani could see how wound up he was and glanced at him, frowning, Willing him not to interrupt.

"...it was even harder not having anyone to lean on. No close family or friends. No one to turn to"

He and his aunt had only become close recently, since he had started getting on with his life. Making progress. But she had never said she was proud of him for trying. Maybe it was just a family thing. Not being able to express themselves.

"All I wanted was a second chance... and Kirsty was the only one willing to give me that chance... and the more I got to know her the closer we became. We both knew how dangerous it was but I had something I had always wanted - someone who understood me, someone I could talk to... someone I cared about and who actually cared about me - and I didn't want to let her go..."

Kane looked up and glanced from Rhys to Shelley. His eyes are pleading now.

"I just want a chance to prove myself... to everyone. To prove that I have changed. I have no intention of hurting anyone. Least of all Kirsty"

Kane had said all he wanted to say. All he needed to say. He just hoped it was enough. He hated himself for not being able to say everything that was on his mind. He hated himself for not being able to announce that he loved her.

Josh looked grudgingly across at Kane. He wanted to have his say but he wasn't really properly involved in all of this. What could he say other than express how Kane had ripped apart Dani's life? They couldn't even have a proper relationship because of him. He was about to speak out but a movement from Rhys stopped him.

Rhys stood up and walked across to the window thoughtfully before turning back and looking Kane in the eye. Judgement time.