Ramsay Street:
A stunned Scott stutters that he was only trying to apologise. Charlene doesn't want to hear it and yells that she's had it with him. Tom and Jim run over, Jim warning that someone is going to get hurt (bit late there Jim). Tom calls Scott a wimp and accuses Jim of mollycoddling him. The kids go off to school and Shane and Tom laugh at how easily Charlene knocked Scott out.

At the Robinsons:
Jim fills Helen in on all the juicy details. Helen is amused and says it might do Scott the world of good but Jim that warns Madge will be disgusted with her daughter's behaviour.

At the Ramsays:
Madge is disgusted with her daughter's behaviour. Tom and Danny think it's excellent and Tom points out that Scott had it coming. Madge toddles off to patch things up with the neighbours leaving Danny and Tom to chat about the diving competition. Tom is crowing about how well Mike has come on with him training him but Danny is upset that he can't see how good a coach Shane was.

At the Robinsons:
Madge is apologising to Jim on behalf of Charlene and Tom. She is worried Charlene will ruin whatever reputation she had left. Jim leaves her to chat to Helen and goes off to work. Madge worries that she can't look after Charlene, she feels a failure as a mother. Helen thinks Fred should shoulder some of the blame. Madge confides that she rang him last night to "share the responsibility" but he didn't want to know. She moans that Charlene is very hard work, but admits that she loves her to death.

At school:
Mike and Nicky tell Scott he should apologise to Charlene again but he doesn't want to risk another black eye. She walks up and overhears him telling them that he wishes she'd never turned up. When she tells them she's going to hitch back home he starts to worry about her though and reminds her what happened to him when he got a lift with a stranger. She is insistent though - and he walks off declaring that it's nothing to do with him. She makes Nicky and Mike promise not to tell anyone until she's gone.

At the Ramsays:
Fred arrives, demanding to know where Charlene is. Madge thinks it would have been better if he'd just sent her fare home. She fills him in on what happened with Charlene and Scott at the hotel room and he dismisses it as "puppy love", insisting there's no problem and that he never had any trouble when Charlene lived with him. Cue the perfect opportunity for Madge to set him straight. He is shocked and Madge tells him it's time to face the fact that he neglected his daughter for years.

At a truck depot:
Charlene meets up with trucker Charlie and asks him if she can have a lift home with him. She can't wait to get back.

At the coffee shop:
Debra Fleming quizzes Daphne on the coffee shop, the Daniels Corporation and Shane Ramsay. Clive is very impressed by her, but is distracted by Daphne's French accent and decorations. He is still feeling green from his posh dinner. Mike and Nicky arrive and forget all about their promise to Charlene, blabbing straight away that she's hitching a lift back home.

Outside:
Scott is also blabbing about Charlene's hitching, telling Shane what's happened. Shane thinks it's up to Scott to sort the mess out.

On Ramsay Street:
Madge is waiting on the drive for Charlene when Shane comes home to get his car keys. He tells her not to panic - but Charlene's hitching a ride back home. Madge panics. Shane calms her down and says Scott and Clive have gone to the rescue (!)

At the truck depot:
Clive and Scott pull up in Bertha and Scott tries to talk Charlene into staying. He accuses her of running away again and says she can sort things out with her mum if she tries, and he really cares about her too. She walks away saying she's heard that one before. He follows her and asks her to give him another go and she reluctantly agrees, telling Charlie to go ahead without her.

At the Ramsays:
Tom is surprised to see Fred in his living room, and tells him a few home truths. Madge joins in and says he should have paid more attention to their daughter than to Susan. They start arguing and Tom yells that they're as bad as each other, arguing when their daughter's hitch hiking alone. Fred's a terrible dad for trying to off load her and Madge is a terrible mother for always nagging her. They sit in a sulky silence.

Outside:
Clive advises Charlene to give her mum a fair go but Charlene's worried about all the questions she's going to get asked. She hopes Madge will listen to the answers this time!

At the Ramsays:
Madge and Fred are still sulking. Charlene runs to her dad and gives him a big hug, she's delighted to see him. He seems a bit awkward and Tom pushes him to tell Charlene the truth. She checks that he does still want her to come home, and he insists he does - but there's not much room with the new baby. Added to that is the trouble she was in before she left - he thinks she'd be better with her mother. Finally he admits that things are a bit tight financially, that's why he hasn't been able to send any money. Tom reveals that Madge has been struggling to keep her there, paying for everything. Charlene is upset and shouts at her dad that he didn't want her at home and was happy when she left. He protests that he does, it's Susan who's changing things, but she isn't buying it. She cries and tells him he just doesn't want her.