UK Air Date: 11th October 1989
Writer: Anne Brooksbank
Director: Chris Adshead
Cat No: HAW-173
Roo tries to decide on Martha’s future after Brett issues her an ultimatum.
GORDON MACKLIN (RON HADDRICK)
Fifth appearance, last seen in #168. Refused Brett’s request to help him obtain custody of Martha.
ALISON PATTERSON (KATHRYN RIDLEY)
Twentieth appearance, last seen in #168. Picked fun at Brett & Ruth’s chatting on school grounds.
NURSE (PENNY BLADON)
Asked Roo and Brett to keep quiet.
TEACHER (GARY BAXTER)
Encouraged Ruth to sit a test exam.
Extended Summary
When Philip gets home, Narelle is upset because he didn’t notice she was dressed up before. Philip says he did notice but he ignored it because he was trying to let her down gently. Narelle accepts he likes Stacey and persuades him to give her a kiss to remember him by.
Brett goes to see Gordon in the city and asks him to go ahead with their original plan – threaten to pull out of the Summer Bay project and ruin the community unless Roo gives custody of Martha to him. Gordon doesn’t see the point, he doesn’t want a granddaughter and he can make a profit from Summer Bay. Brett says he wants custody of Martha because she’s the only child he’ll ever have and he loves her. Gordon offers to pay for a lawyer for a custody battle, using the paper Roo signed as evidence, but Brett doesn’t think he can win. Brett tells Gordon he’s not coming back to the company.
Narelle decides to play a trick on Lance and Martin, who are still out in the wetlands looking for ducks. She asks Philip to help but he refuses. She places some toy ducks in the water and Lance and Martin get excited but all three are shocked when some hunters open fire on the ducks, including the ones Lance and Martin are wearing on their heads. Philip goes to see Stacey and has a go at her for putting them in danger. He tells her he’s put Lance and Martin off by telling them he and Stacey are an item, so she’ll have to spend time with him for appearance’s sake.
Brett meets Roo at school and takes her back to the Stewart house. He tells her he wants to take custody of Martha and leave with her. Roo says no way. Brett then tells her all about the con he and his dad set up with the Sands Resort project. He says if she doesn’t give him custody his dad will pull out of the development and then Alf, who is heavily invested, will lose everything. He’ll be bankrupt and it will ruin her family. Roo begs him not to do this but he won’t listen. They argue but Brett doesn’t back down, he keeps pushing and pushing and threatening Roo with what will happen to her dad. Later, he finds her at the hospital with Martha. She finally cracks and starts crying, letting him take Martha from her arms…
Thanks to Derrick M. Domican.