Fireflies (2004): Season 1, Episode 3 - Sifting Through the Ashes - full transcript

- Ah, I know you, lill.

Yeah, you put the
weekender up weo road.

- We're not weekenders anymore.

We just moved up permanently.

- Yeah, well, good on you.

- You're Tim from the
craft shop, aren't you?

- Yep.

- [Jeff] You've been turning
the shop upside down again?

- No, it's svettie's
got this good idea.

- Good idea?

Good management is what you need.



- Do you wanna marry me?

- No, I'm busy at the moment.

- [Backa] How long will this take you?

- [Svettie] All this work and detail.

- Oh, a couple of years of weekends.

It's maybe gonna be a bit quicker

now that we've moved in here.

- You boys break my heart.

He marries that bloodsucking
Russian bottomless pit,

and you, you pretend
she isn't one of them.

- Fifi's not typical.

- If I want to have the
baby, I'll have it, okay?

Fire-com, we're about to
be impacted on by fire.

We're taking shelter in
the truck, do you copy?



- Fire-com agent, can you tell me

what's happening down there?

- [Patto] They're trapped,
there's no way out.

They're bloody trapped.

(Grunting) - Argh argh!

(Fire crackling) (Structure crashing)

- Fire-com, this is lost river two,

we've lost the structure here,

the fire is very big, very fast.

- Yeah yeah.

Bring it up, bring it all the way in!

We'll bin the house,
we'll save the house,

that's the crook shed, let it burn.

- Any sign of life?

- There's somebody out,
there's somebody out.

(Coughing) - Argh!

- Oi, are you going somewhere?

- [Joey] Yeah.

See you, Fifi.

- How long for?

- Don't know, mate.

(Truck revving)

(Light music)

♪ I have to pinch myself to feel ♪

♪ if what is going on is real ♪

♪ from the gods themselves we steal ♪

♪ night and day ♪

♪ night and day ♪

♪ a jug of wine, a loaf
of bread and then ♪

♪ lying on a blanket underneath
that big old spreading tree ♪

♪ it's such a beautiful feeling ♪

♪ it's such a beautiful feeling ♪

- Hey, Bryce, I need to call
luisa and my phone melted.

Thanks, mate.

(Somber music) (Birds chirping)

(Luisa chuckles)

- Stop (Laughing)
- Leave it.

- Hey.
- She's ticklish.

(Dog barking)

- Oh shit, gotta go.

See you.

- See you then.

See you later. - Ciao.

You dog fugly, you're a giveaway.

Come on, hurry up.

I better get you home.

Come on.

(Phone rings)

- She's not there, er.

- Mom, yeah, mm-hmm, I'm okay.

Listen, eris is looking of
luisa and he can't find her,

and he just wants her to
know that he's all right.

- Okay, you tell him I'll
find her, it's okay.

I'll find her, I'll let her know, okay?

- Ah-ah-ah, you stay put, okay, take.

(Horn honking)

- Luisa.
- Hi, Rebekah.

- Hey, one of the firetrucks
has been burned out.

- What?
- But eris is okay.

He was inside but they
all got out okay.

He nearly died.

Listen, I wouldn't worry about Mike.

He won't be coming.

- Hey, how did you know
about me and Mike?

Who else knows?

- Darling, come on, get in.

We've got to go to the hospital.

Fifi was in it too.

- Hey, sharpie.

- No problem.
- Thanks.

Thank-you.

Baby. - Luisa.

(Gasping) Oh love.

It was terrible.

- Rebekah sharp got me.

- I tried to call you.

Where were you?

- Shh, I'm right here.

(Generator cranking)

- Oh, bugger!

Bugger!

Damn it all, I followed the manual,

I can't start it.

I'm a girl.

- Look what I found in the ashes.

- That doesn't look like your trowel.

- No, it's not.

I don't know how it got there.

- You found a treasure in the
ashes, yet you do look grim.

- So do you.

- I'm not grim, I'm incompetent.

So do we build the same again
or something different?

- Why not make it even bigger, eh?

Let's have twice as many rooms.

We'll have a bunker down there.

Let's make it a castle.

- That's the spirit.

What about my root cellar?

- With a root cellar.

And we'll have a family crest

over the portcullis and crenellation.

- Useless corridors that go nowhere.

- Oh, we'll have a moat
with a pirate ship

and a princess screaming
from the top floors.

And we'll have our own bloody
fire brigade in the dungeon.

- Come on, they did save our home.

So are you getting back
to your mud bricks?

- That is my latest mud brick.

- That is sad.
- I know.

It's a sad little unfinished,

unfinishable pathetic
little half brick.

I know, look, you can't analyze me.

I'm the expert.

- I know how you feel.

I had to watch it burn

while I was trying to
start the bloody pump.

- It'd be so much fun just to give up.

- Lill!

It's your writer friend.

- Ta.

Kc, hi, I'm at the ruin.

No, the one Perry's
been building forever.

I think we're gonna stay.

- Which one's my room?

What do we do now, bury it? (Laughing)

- At least you're still laughing.

- So you're not moving back to Sydney?

Sorry.

- If I could only get the smell
of smoke out of my nostrils.

- Ah yeah I see, look.

Hey svettie, can you get the
tweezers, Carter has a tick.

- I know, I'm getting them already.

- Thanks, and the bank's
not 'til 11 is it?

I've just gotta pop in
on the trauma session.

(Carter moaning)

- I can go up to the bank by myself.

- No, you won't have to.

I've just got to show the flag.

It's 10 minutes darling.

- Well, let's change the bank then.

- [Backa] No, we can't,
he's up deep that manager,

you know that.

- It's a big one.
- Hmm, the bank's

a priority, svettie, I promise
you, it's just 10 minutes.

(Carter moaning)

- I understand backa.

They nearly died there,
your brother, your people.

I hate watching you do ticks.

- Sorry, it's a big one, Carter.

- Yeah, I saw it in the mirror.

- It's a paralysis tick.

Hey, if I'm taking too
long, just pop down

to the station door
and give us a blast.

- Are you planning to
lose track of time?

(Cater moaning) (Svettie sucking)

Oh, did I get the head?

- Yeah, you got it, look?

- Well, we can change that appointment.

Yes, I see it.

- We got it Carter.

Are you okay? - Yeah, I'll live.

(Svettie laughing)

- Nah, we can't change the bank.

We're ready for it aren't we?

- Ah, uncle Jeff's money going
in today, they'll love us.

(Light music)

(Tractor rumbling)

- Woo, backa on his
back hoe, it's a cacko.

Oh.

Check it out.

(Shutter clicking)

Hey.

Can I? - Yeah,

if you don't mind getting a bit dirty.

(Coughing)

- G'day Bryce.

- Did backa tell you
I'm putting your name

forward for a medal?

- Don't tell dad.

- Joey'll get one too.

- We know you're not crazy
about being on live duty.

- Yeah, the world's
worst sandwich maker.

- Bryce and I were talking.

We thought you should
put your name forward

for a few leadership courses.

- Ah, you guys must
be getting desperate.

- No, no, we reckon
we're getting lucky.

- Yeah, career ladder's a top idea.

Hey, we better get in there.

You're not gonna tell anyone
about this medal thing are you?

- Of course not.
- All right.

- See what I just did?

I stood in the corner.

(Birds chirping)

- Hi.
- Dad, can you get her

to give me a break?

- Now what?

- If you could find
out, I could apologize.

At least tell her what a pain she is.

Oh, and she can't find her mobile.

- Oh, it was in my car, taz.

- Careful, this is my
lifeline to reality.

(Phone beeping)

- You look like hell.

- Yeah, hi.
- Let the dose

of love made it.

- Sharpie's making knives, mum's dark.

- Hey I don't see Ali here.

- Hey lu.
- Ali.

- Eris.
- Can you pop round after?

It's really important.

Okay, for brat. - Yeah, fine.

- [Luisa] See you later.

When you call, I'll come and get you.

- G'day Stewart.
- Fifi.

- Hey Stewart.
- Backa, eris.

Erm, I just wanna thank-you
all for erm, saving my life.

And Noel's.

I just wanna thank-you.

Sorry for what happened.

- Ah, no one died Stewart.

Backa, can Stewart do
the debrief with us?

- Erm, well no, he's
not in the brigade.

There's juno, service chaplain.

She's available for counseling
families and non-members.

She's great. - Yeah, you should

consider it Stewart, she's good.

- Yeah well, I've got
my own pastor thanks.

- Right.
- Stewart, you all right mate?

- Yeah.
- Mike.

- See you guys.
- Hey Mike.

- Backa, good luck with
the debriefing hey.

- Thanks. (Coughing)

- Did you see that?
- What?

- Stewart with the cop.
- They're investigating it.

- You're joking.
- Bloody hell.

- He had a can of petrol
in the back of his truck.

- No.
- He claimed it was there

in case he needed to burn off but.

- (Laughing) Shit.

- You think he's responsible backa?

- I don't know mate, I
just fire them out.

- Hey do you reckon this
chaplain would talk to dad.

- You're joking.
- No give us the milk will ya?

- Yeah, he doesn't like hearing

his daughter screaming at night.

- We're on, come on.

Let's get this show on the road.

Okay, Bryce. - Mate.

Well, you all met Morgan long
up at the fusing session.

That was important but your work

here today is even more important.

- [Reggie] Hey erm, is Stewart
Mactavish really in trouble?

- They're still investigating.

- [Backa] They're investigating me too.

- What for?

- I didn't clear the
fire ground blacked out.

Fire started up again, you
guys had your burn over,

join the dots.

- But you weren't even there.

- They're investigating a few people,

I wouldn't worry about it.

Okay guys, good luck.

- Hey fif, where's Joey?
- He won't be coming today.

- I bet it's been a
blur since the overrun.

- Yeah.
- You could say that again.

- Not all of you were there
when the truck burned over

but you were witnesses
one way or another.

Maybe eye witnesses, maybe
listening over the radio,

and you knew the guys
who were involved.

Now everything that happens
in here is confidential.

- Aren't you forgetting
something here, Morgan?

- Yes, patto.

- Well, nobody died.

There isn't anything to
be traumatized about.

I'm just here because backa asked me.

- You told me you couldn't sleep.

- I've been getting panic
attacks but I wasn't in it

so I thought it must lessen.

(Eris crying)

- Oh god.

Oh, oh I'm sorry.

All I can I think of
is how I couldn't get

in contact with luisa.

I mean we nearly burn up

and I couldn't get her on the phone.

(Horn honking) - There
are some surprising

feelings that can surface eris.

(Horn honking) Take your time.

(Bleepers beeping)

- What the hell's going on?
- We've got a fire and mva.

- Hmm, oh fuck.
- What's going on?

- Timing's original.
- Pagers were meant

to be switched off.
- Where's it at eris?

- I understood that other
crews are covering today.

- Oh that's our fire!
- What are they beeping at?

- That's svettie honking.
- There's a small fire,

guys, I'm sending fox
cove to sort it out.

- Is it on this side of lost river?

- Yeah.
- Yeah, well it's in our area.

- They wanna go Bryce.

- Backa, it's only a small fire.

- Yes, so if it's a small
fire what's the matter?

- We're wasting time!
- Fifi, you're not going.

- You're not gonna get me up there.

- Well, I've got my gear ready.

- Good on you Reggie.

No speed, don't bust a gut and
keep us informed all right.

- I've gotta go svettie.

Can we cancel the bank.

- It's too late to cancel.

- [Reggie] Ali have you seen my boots?

- All right, go on.
- Yeah, good on ya, go.

- Hey eris.
- Thanks Bryce.

Fire-com, lost river seven,

orc Tim Burke crew are full responding.

- [Contact center] Copy that,
thanks lost river seven.

Fox cove are currently on scene there.

You're gonna have to

(voice drowned out by
sirens) Flashing around

and a four by four ran
off the road there.

(Ominous music)

- Fire-com, lost river seven, on scene.

As per fox cove sit rep,
small fire, no problem.

- No, I thought that was our fire.

- We're assisting, all right,
let's get amongst them.

- Patto, you you...
- Ah yeah, just

just a sec mate.

- Hey Roy.
- Mate, you made deputy,

congratulations. - Yeah, thanks.

- Listen, we've got a live reel out

so we're gonna work on the car there

and take real care of the
fires round there right.

- [Backa] Do you want
us to put a hand trail

around the back?

- Yeah, clear excessive
fuel like trees, stumps.

- Ah righto, good idea, I
think you know what you mean.

Hand trail round the back.

- Right there.
- Yeah.

Kieran. - Yeah, coming mate.

- Good Kieran.
- Yeah, drop the wood please.

- I didn't see this mate.
- Hey backa?

We gotta cut down that big old tree.

All right, so I want you
to clear out all the fuel

from behind it.

- All right, it's pretty
close to that car but,

sometimes those big old
trees don't fall the way...

- yeah, thanks backa, listen I'll take

that under advisement, cheers.

- All right.

It's your decision.

Hey come on patto, what's
going on, we need you.

- I can't take my hands
off the steering wheel.

- Sure you can.

Just take them off.

I've got them now, patto, see.

You can take them off.

Easy. - I need someone over here.

- [Backa] Did you hear that,
dick with his new helmet.

- Yeah.

What a wanker hey.

(Radio crackling)

- Hey boys, just hop back
behind the truck will you.

Thank-you.

(Shovels clanking)

Looking over your shoulder, Kieran.

- Just keeping an eye on it.

- Of course you are, mate.

Understandably.

But I tell you what, you
look over my shoulder

and I'll look over yours, hey.

(Machine whizzing)

- G'day sharpie.

- Luisa.
- Should've brought

my knives over for a sharpen.

- It's for the new one.

- Hmm?
- Well, Fifi's pregnant.

- Oh yeah, congratulations,
your first grand kid.

- First one I'll admit to.

(Luisa laughing)

- Hi Rebekah.
- Yeah.

- Oh that's gorgeous!

Sharpie's making the baby a knife.

- Yeah, that bit of metal
he dug up in some alley.

You wanna know how I
knew about you and Mike?

I'm not gonna tell you.

- Lost river's a bloody small town.

- Hey luisa.
- Hi.

- Hey mum, make us a coffee.

Hey dad.

- Darling.
- Hey I've line you up

with a visit from the
chaplain tomorrow.

- Yeah, hey?

What do I wanna see a chaplain for?

- Ah I wonder.

- How as the counseling session?

- Ah, it never happened.

Everyone went off to fight a fire.

G'day fugly, fugly you
spoiled bloody mongrel,

come here, awe, you are an ugly
bloody monster aren't you.

- Is that where Kieran is Fifi?

- Yeah, he's on a forest trail.

It's only small, I
wouldn't worry, noodle.

You like, you like it.

- I'm supposed to be Kieran's ride.

- Oh no luisa, it's fine,
I dropped him home.

- Ah thanks.

Hey, Fifi, what do you
think of Mike Jones?

People gossip about him.

- I don't know, I don't like gossip.

Never did my family any good.

He's all right.

First I didn't trust
him, he's too nice.

- Hmm.
- No one trusts

a nice cop, hey.

- Come on bugalugs.
- See ya.

- Ciao.
- Hey, dad,

this chaplain's very non-scary.

(Soil crunching)

- Hey.
- Hey.

Those were onions.

- Thought they were leggears.

- Wrong bed.
- Agh.

- I was gonna pick you up.
- Yeah, sorry.

- [Ali] I'm gonna need therapy
after all this therapy.

- [Luisa] Sex therapist
is what you want.

- Got one at home under my bed.

- [Luisa and ali] Ooh! (Laughing)

- Had a big session
with that Morgan long.

He's all right.

- Eris has just dug the wrong bed up.

- It's gonna take awhile darl.

What you got?

- How does Rebekah sharp know about me?

I only ever told you.

- Shit.

Well me and Rebekah sharp
don't exactly move

in the same circles.

- Could five people know,
50, who'd you tell?

- No one, lu.

- Ali, if Rebekah knows
then someone told her.

If half the town knows,
when's eris gonna find out?

- Anyone guessing would do it.

What can I do?

- Deny it.
- Huh, I would

but no one's asked me.

- Hey, just leave them baby.

It's okay, I'll fix it up.

(Waves crashing) (Seagulls squawking)

(Door knocking) - Ah, reverend juno.

- Have you been working
with Noel McKinley?

- Yes.

- Could we have a minute.

- Yeah yeah, I'll just er.

- How have you been?
- I'm in full charge

of my symptoms.

Feelings of hopelessness,
isolation, mortality,

lethargy, insomnia, mild
paranoia, er low sex drive,

sporadic breathing difficulties.

- Sounds like me before
my first cup of coffee.

(Perry laughing)

Well if you need a kind ear.

- Ah thanks, I've got
plenty of them at home

just itching to give me penance.

Noel, juno says you
asked for me to sit in.

- Yeah, thanks Perry, yeah.

- Is it about the burn over?

- I started the fire
in the first place.

- Go on.
- Well everyone is saying

it was Stewart but it was me.

He'll lose his farm, the
insurance company will sue you.

They'll take him to the cleaners.

- Right, erm, you talked to
the investigators before

but you didn't tell them any of this?

- I lied to them.

Gotta save Stewart.

- Well, I can call them but it
might take a couple of days.

- We've got to save Stewart.

- He's making it up.

- Yeah, basic guilts.

They went through a fire
together, he feels a bond.

- A bond and a debt.

They've hated each other for 30 years.

- (Laughing) Every cloud.

(Door knocking)

Shall I call the investigators?

- I'll do it tomorrow.

He might change his mind
in a couple of hours.

- It's okay I can sit and read.

The beach was pretty shitty
but found a bookstore.

- No no no, let's go home.

Reverend juno. - Thank-you.

- Hello, ah working.
- Just finished.

What do you think?

- Ah well, which witch is this?

- Now, here's your boncle, your
crenellations, root cellar.

(Laughing) - Jesus.

- Here's the bushfire
brigade running the Barbie

in the dungeon.

- A palace built on a half brick.

- Yeah, we just need council approval.

- You 10 year olds, are you gonna go

and stick it on the fridge?

- Yeah, okay, why not.

Look at that.

- Dad, do I have to go to
this stupid dinner thing?

- Not if you...
- Ziggy invited all of us.

- All right.

- I want her to come.

- I didn't say anything.

- God, if it was up to me I
wouldn't be going either

but, you know... - they
did save our farm.

Hmm, I'm sorry they couldn't
save the mud brick masterpiece.

- No, but I can build
it up again can't I.

With walls and towers, girdled around.

- You know, I also lost things.

- Like what?
- Things.

- It's only misery lill.

Would you feel better if I said
I think we should stay here

and not sell up?

- Would you mean it?

- Ah, he's just a bank manager.

You should've just
canceled the meeting.

- Well, I just thought I'd talk to him

and you'll have one less thing to do.

- (Laughing) Look
svettie, I've just spent

an hour explaining what you meant by

"we just take our time to repay."

(Car door thumping)

- They're at the front, come one,

we'll talk about it later.

(Light music)

(Door knocking) (Backa sighing)

- Lill, welcome.
- Hey.

- Ah, taz, how you doing.
- Good.

- Excellent.
- There you go.

- Through here, through here.

- Look at all this shit.

Ah, I wasn't expecting this decor

or are we still in the shop?

- Watch it, taz.
- I didn't do anything.

You kept the fire down.
- Svettie will put

ground glass in your soup.
- (Laughing) Only with

parents' permission. - Carter, candy,

come inside and meet our guests.

- Lill, I hope you don't mind,

I wanted to show you our art supplies.

- No, yeah that's fine.

- Guys.

- Hi, I'm candy.
- Hi I'm taz.

Got any dolls we can
give fresh haircuts to?

- No, but I've got dolls.

- Come on then.

- Have fun children.

- Good champagne, what's the occasion?

- We lived.
- Yes!

- Oh, I'll drink to that.

(Champagne cork popping) - Oh!

(Champagne squirting) - Agh!

- Oh shit!
- Woo!

(Laughing) (Moaning)

Maybe we should talk about
art supplies after dinner.

- Yeah, bumpkin.

(Light music)

(Dishes clattering)

- So how's your place?

- Yeah, how's your mud brick?

What will you do?

- Oh, that's being discuss.

- Well, if you need a hand
rebuilding, patto's your man.

He's a bloody good builder.

I mean local workmen are scarce,

and he's been through some tough shit.

- Yeah, he saw the whole
thing from outside.

Must have felt so hopeless.

- [Lill] So is he doing counseling?

- Well, he turned up today

but the whole thing was a debacle,

we ended up going to fight a fire.
(Laughing)

- But Morgan's a good counselor

so, if he didn't finish
you get back to it.

- If you didn't finish, get back to it.

- So you, you staying?

- We're staying.

- We think.

Keep the dream alive.
- Dream, that's nice.

- Dad's the one who wanted to go bush.

- Rubbish, I wanted to.

- Yeah, after he persuaded you.

- Right, so what's
your dreams, svettie?

- Oh, world peace and a bit
of Minsk in lost river.

(Backa laughing)

- I thought you were from St.
Petersburg.

- I was.
- It's er,

part of our colorful past.

- Boy meets girl.

- Er, girl falls in love
with picture boy paints

of country life in Australia.

Boy comes back to find
girl waiting on doorstep.

Boy can't believe the miracle
that's walked into his world.

Girl agrees to stay.

Discovers boys has no
talent for languages,

(laughing) Particularly Russian.

Ah, it's the usual.

Well I'm glad you're staying.

It's a sweet place lost river.

I tell you what I thinks special
about a place like this.

As in people like you,
like good people,

I mean you can make a real difference.

You can, well there's room.

I reckon, I know it sounds corny but,

I reckon lost river's a great
place for good people.

- Gees, dad, how are you gonna fit in?

- Hey hey, backa just spoke
from the heart there.

- I'm not saying he didn't.

- She made a joke, that's all.

- At your expense.

- Then I'll handle myself.

- Don't worry dad.

(Car rumbling) (Gravel crunching)

(Somber music)

- I'm not the evil stepmother you know.

- Hmm.

You're not my fairy godmother either.

Stop treating me like
an emotional cripple.

Look, it's just a few mud bricks, lill.

I mean, nobody died. (Sighing)

I was more worried about you
but they wouldn't let me in.

And with hoppalong backa
in here risking your life.

- I was wanting to save the
mud brick masterpiece.

- I didn't want it saved.

I could live in the shed
forever, I don't care.

Hey, I'm among the good
citizens of lost river.

I can live in a bloody cave.

- Well, you've been living in a cave.

You only ever poke your head
out to defend your daughter.

I mean, god, why can't you
come out the bloody cave,

and thump me on the head
and give me a seeing to

for a bloody change.

I'm sick of it.

(Gentle music)

- Hmm, all that fire.

- Please don't use
that word around here.

(Laughing)

- Taz is in there.

These seats lie straight back.

- So do I.

(Laughing) - Hmm, yeah.

- It's nice to see someone else
having a tiff for a change.

- You're joking.

- Bryce called, he wants a chat.

Fire investigators have
finished their report.

I might be in trouble.

- You weren't even there.

How could you be in trouble?

Okay. - Come on.

- Backa, okay okay.

Hey. - Yeah.

- Let's figure out how to spend $4,664.

- It goes in the bank.

Svettie, I just spent
half an hour trying

to convince the bank
manager that we would...

- I just told him that it was
from our big spring sale.

- Yeah but that's not the point.

We can't just take the
money and piss it away.

- Oh no.

Okay, we're doing your
plan for up to the rodeo.

Backa? - Yeah.

- You know your work in the morning.

- The back hoeing?
- Yeah.

Change it.

Go to the counseling.

I'm worried about you.

(Laughing) (Door clicking)

(Clattering)

- Got that out of your system?

Why do you only get two channels?

- We don't watch a lot of TV.

- Do not go there.

(Dramatic music) (Crocodile growling)

(Birds squawking)

(Dog barking) (Truck rumbling)

- [Fifi] Backa, backa dacka,
did the big fella send ya?

- Hey?

I just come by to check that
you're coming to the session.

- Oh god.
- I'm getting christened.

I never got christened, did I ma?

- As long as you don't go coming
around converting people.

- Na, won't change me a bit.

- Juno, how did you
get roped into this?

- Ah, sharpie was making
a knife for the baby.

I mentioned christening
and here we are.

- To the known self be true.

- I don't believe in god and
Jesus and shit like that.

This is great!

Come on, I'm freezing here.

- I'm not sure I'm following this.

- She's joining the company
of the good for me backa.

Reckons it might stop
my hand from trembling.

God I love her.

Well, better get on with it.

- So, does she have
to reject Satan then?

- Nah, I did that when I was 17.

- She's a wonder.

(Car vrooming)

- Hey.
- Hey, I'm in a hurry.

- You tell someone about us?

You must have. - I haven't told anyone.

- You had to blab.

- Huh, don't be a dope.

Who have you told?

- What, no one.

Who would I tell?

- Exactly.

Luisa, I reckon you're
bloody beautiful but,

I just think... - it's over.

Yeah you're right.

It's over.

(Truck rumbling) (Somber music)

- Morning luisa.
- Morning.

- Hey.

- What's the matter with her?

- It was one of my oddest conversions.

- Do you think it'll take?

- Who do I confess to?

- Probably won't need to, Noel.

Stewart's got something to say.

- You silly bugger, claiming
you started the fire.

- I did!
- I started the flaming fire,

you dill, I was burning off!

- You said I'd started it
in the first bloody place!

- Typical bloody bar.
- Shut up both of you!

Talk about still waters and
bullshit running deep.

Can we try the truth now, please.

- Well, the truth is, that
we wouldn't have been

in trouble in the first place

if those Burke boys hadn't told
us to stick near the track.

We would've been further up the hill

where we would've been safe.

- It's true.

- Which is half the reason they
aren't going to pursue it.

- The fire investigators
made a preliminary report.

The rural fire service declared
the fire ground blacked out

two days before the burn over.

So even if you did start
the first fire, Stewart,

which you did, you can't be
responsible for the second.

- So who is responsible?
- Not you two.

- So that means I won't lose my farm.

- The point is, you've been
through enough already.

So let's not stuff it up with
some mock fantasy battle.

I mean, look guys, you're here now.

So you just need to get to
there, then there and so on.

Just do it.

Stop wasting all of our time.

- You okay Perry.

- Yeah, I'm all right.

Climbing a bit of a cliff of my own.

- How about we have a prayer?

I'm on a roll today.

Our father, - which art in heaven.

- So erm, what's the upshot?

Am I in trouble?

- You could've been, except
I went out there myself

and confirmed the blackout.

Do you know what I think it was?

A big old hollow tree, reigniting

and chimneying off a spot
fire in the adjacent bush.

In the end it was an act of god.

- I hate those big old hollow trees.

- Well they are important habitat.

- You're beginning to sound
like head office, Bryce.

(Laughing)

Look at you, you look
like you're head office.

- Before we start, I'd like
to get a two hour commitment

from you all, yes?

- Even if there's a tidal wave, Morgan?

(Door clicking)

Joey. - Joey Burke isn't it?

- Yeah.

- Glad you could make it.

- Thanks.
- G'day mate.

- Hey Fifi.
- Okay, I'll explain

what we're gonna do,
then we'll start talking

about exactly what happened.

Turn your pagers off.

- No, no no, Joey'd
turned the sprinklers on,

and got in and then that's
when eris got Stewart in.

- No no, Stewart was already in

when you asked where Joey was.

- So then when did I take my watch off?

- When Joey got inside.

- Joey.
- Yeah, that's what happened

pretty much.

- You okay, Joey?

- Yeah, I'm here aren't I?

(Fire crackling)

(Backa coughing)

- I'm a captain, I
should've been there.

Like normally I'd be the first...

- but it's not normal, backa,

you're always doing 10 million things.

- You're busy.

- Nothing gets the
attention it deserves.

You know, my brother, my mates,

they were burning up, and I
couldn't even think about

that I'd be fighting some other fire.

(Fire crackling) (Wind rushing)

- We could've had ivf.

There's too many bloody kids

in the world anyway isn't there.

We've got fugly.

Well, he's a substitute.

Actually he's a substitute isn't he?

He's a great dog but, and
we've got each other.

But when I came out of the fire,

luisa was the call, you know.

But I couldn't tell her
because she was distracted,

she was worried, I just can't tell her.

- [Morgan] You could
write her a letter.

- Yeah, that's a good idea.

And I've been getting these nightmares,

but I'm exercising, I'm
watching what I eat.

I don't know, I think,
I reckon I'm gonna

be pretty all right.

- What about, erm, toxic fumes?

- Yeah, sure.

Did you see where my watch
melted into the dashboard?

- Yeah, it's been on my mind.

- Yeah, I had a cough
for a couple of nights.

I reckon I'm gonna bounce back, yeah.

(Joey scoffing)

What Joey?

What?

- Well, you're just gonna
bounce back are you?

That's bloody funny that is.

- Why is that bloody funny?

- Well, 'cause you're pregnant.

'Cause what about the baby, Fifi, hey?

- Well my baby, my bloody business.

- Isn't there a word for
that, where you won't talk

about something that's important.

- Denial.
- Oh shut up, backa.

- You're not acting like any
mother I have ever met.

- You drove off to toowoomba,
you forgoed your right.

Look I'm getting something out
of the ashes of this okay,

and it's not you, so
you can stick it Joey.

See you Morgan.

- Hey Fifi, we're talking here.

Joey, do you want to keep going?

- No, no, just get eris
to write his letter.

Thanks a lot.

You know I, I turned the car around

and that should be
considered don't you reckon?

- Joey, wait up.

Joey, Joey, wait up.

Where are you staying.

- That old caravan on
old McKinley's place.

- You didn't go to toowoomba?

- No, didn't quite make it.

- Why don't you come round
for dinner sometime, please.

- Ah yeah sure, backa, sure.

And like take it back one.

Who's big mouth started all
this in the first place hey?

You just think about
it, think it through,

before you come at me with
your warm invitations, please.

(Brick banging)

- Breaks clean.

Yeah, it's a good aspect.

It's a shame hey.

- Yeah, still, it's not a life hmm.

- Sure.

Are you sure you wanna rebuild here?

- Why not?

- Too fire prone.

- Yeah, as a matter of fact
I applied to the council

for permission to build
further up, over here.

But well, the approval
came through and then,

well, I changed my mind.

Was going to be a series of pavilions.

- Pavilions?
- Yeah.

- Yeah, they're good.

So this was insured?

- Er not heavily, no.

- No, no builders never are.

Main problem here is, with that amount

of thermal mass on the West Side,

it's gonna be hot in
summer, cold in winter.

- I wanted meaningful
verandas, you know.

- Yeah, that'd still trap the heat.

Ah there's a few ways
around that, though.

- Yeah, and without losing the view?

- Yeah yeah.

Is this your trowel?

- Ah hang on yeah, as a
matter of fact it is.

A bit the worse for wear and tear.

- Listen, I've got two weeks clear.

After that, I can work on weekends

and whenever I'm available
which is pretty often.

Reduced rate, but if there's a fire

I'll have to drop everything.

- Yeah yeah sure.

Yeah.

How about that burn over hey.

- Wouldn't have been in
there for a million bucks.

- Huh, yeah.

(Perry grumbling)

- How is he?
- He's hired.

He seems to know what
he's talking about.

And he's got a cement mixer.

- I mean after the burn over thing?

- Ah good, he seems good.

- Good.
- And so now,

I am gonna go out and erm,
er I don't know erm...

- Finish that brick?

- Oh yeah yeah right.

Oh and he says the fuel line's blocked

on that fire pump so you
should be able to start it.

Now watch it, taz.

- Yeah all right.

- Your dad didn't need a good woman.

He just needed a good man.

(Truck rumbling)

(Dog barking)

- You should start separating
out your interest payments.

- They won't fit on one page, then.

- Svettie and I are having
a go at the cash flow.

We don't exactly see eye-to-eye on how

to spend that $4664 loan of mine.

- How was your day, backa?

- Amazing.

I've been exonerated, had
a great trauma session.

Got that ramp dug in the
end, Joey turned up.

- Ah, how is he?

- Hmm, troubled would be the
best way to describe it.

- You should get to those
back hoeing jobs early.

People always have a few
extra jobs they need doing.

Meanwhile my loan is
going god knows where.

- We need gear to sell
during the rodeo.

- [Jeff] You're gonna have to get used

to me staring over your shoulder.

- Well, I guess you
think you're helping.

- I guess you thought you
could do it okay without me.

What if I asked for my loan back today?

- Jeff, the money is going
on the mortgage, okay,

that's a guarantee.

- Hemp pants are selling well.

- Ah there's always an
initial rush on these things

and people promptly go back to basics.

- Hmm.
- All right,

maybe I'll talk to you later
when you're in a better mood.

(Screen door banging)

- He loaned us the money.

He's our guarantor, we might need more.

- I know people nearly died,

but when are you ever in my corner?

- Christ, svettie, I covered your arse

when you stuffed up with
the bank, you know.

I'm taking all these
extra jobs on the side.

I am trying, and I know he's not easy,

but how hard is it to just
let uncle Jeff win a couple

from time to time.

You make it so hard on yourself.

Sometimes, you know,
you've just gotta put up

and just shut up, darling.

I've got to take the
back hoe to Paul Holmes.

You're not gonna burn
the house down are you?

- No.

Can I afford to call my mother tonight?

- You're the boss of the cashflow.

(Screen door squeaking)

- Ah, maybe we're all like that.

- Hey.
- Baby!

Hmm, hi. - Hey hold on.

Erm, you can take a seat. - Okay.

- I've written you something.

It's a letter.

(Paper rustling)

- Okay.

(Light music)

- Where was luisa?

I didn't need anyone else but her.

I'd been through hell,
literal and figurative,

flames and pain and fear and smoke,

through it and clear
out the other side.

But you don't really come
out again, not really.

So where was luisa?

I cried out for only her in this hell,

and where was she?

- She was with another man.

I was meeting this man.

I was having an affair.

(Paper rustling)

- Ah, that's when I knew where she was.

She's in my heart.

And after all the tough times,

we couldn't have kids and
we wanted them so bad.

We got through that together.

I knew I'd never want to
wonder where she was again.

So I wanna say goodbye to pain
and hello to luisa my love.

- I won't do it again.
- This is my promise

to love you better. - It's over.

It didn't last long.

Can I tell you who it was?
- Oh, I don't wanna know!

(Dog whining)

Fugly come on, fugly come on.

- Oh god. (Sniffing)

Oh shit.

(Gun firing)

- No, no!

- Here boy, come back!

Where is he?

I missed him!

- What are you shooting him for?

- Fugly, get here!
- No!

- Oh yeah, so how much of
a commitment would it be?

Hang on backa, bye taz,
thanks for coming up,

helping us in our moment of need.

- Bye, thanks for taking dad away.

- Bus is waiting taz.

- Yeah backa.

Okay, what would happen
if I couldn't turn up?

- Erm dad?
- Yeah?

- Can I stay with you for three weeks

in the summer holidays?

It's so dead round here, I'd
get loads of study done,

and I wouldn't be distracted
by any local attractions

because there aren't any, and
you'll be building your castle

on a half brick and you
could teach me to drive.

- Yeah, all right, well erm,
do you think you could er try

well just try and be
a bit nicer to lill?

- Of course.

- Well, I'll run it by her sweetie.

- Hmm hmm, well, all right
I'll give you a call

when that happens and then
you can get back to me.

All right, speak to you then.

Cheers, bye.

(Gravel crunching)

I think I just joined the rfs.

- I think I just told taz she can stay

for the summer holidays.

- There's not much for a
teenager to do around here.

- Oh well, we'll think of something.

Anyway, gotta go, gotta get
to the hardware store,

get that four by two.

- Right.

- Come on. (Door creaking)

(Sirens wailing)

- Eris, what are you doing mate?

You're breaking about
three laws right now.

- She's been sleeping around.

- It's over, I told him.

You don't have to take it out on fugly!

- Well, just what else can I do?

(Dog whining)

I'm gonna kill him him, my love.

- No you're not, 'cause
I'm gonna kill him.

- Shit you're both mad!

- I'm killing him!

- You lift that gun one inch.

- Fugly run, go back, go
back, go back, go back!

- God! (Gun firing)

(Eris crying) Do you
know what she's done?

- Playing around, you said.

What's killing the dog
going to achieve?

- [Luisa] It's over, it's over.

- Where's luisa? (Luisa crying)

- Right here, baby.

(Slow rock music)

♪ We're chasing a beautiful rainbow ♪

♪ our story hasn't been told ♪

♪ it takes rain to make a rainbow ♪

♪ takes a sun dying to
turn the world gold ♪

♪ the days run outside my window ♪

♪ like wild horses across the plains ♪

♪ fireflies dance in the shadows ♪

♪ love don't shine steady ♪

♪ it waxes and wains ♪