Abandoned House
Toadie and Billy look through the window, but can't see anyone. Just then they hear a voice belligerently calling "You're looking out the wrong window!"

They suddenly realise they are under attack as more things get thrown. Just then, another window is broken. They grab their stereo and run out of the house.

No.22
CHERYL: Louis, I don't know why I'm trying to explain if you're not going to listen.
LOU: You're the one who came over here wanting a chance to explain.
CHERYL: Yes, a chance for us to talk about it.
LOU: Well, when you've finished explaining, let's see if there's anything to talk about. Oh, and by the way, my name is *Lou*. I hate being called Louis. I don't know why I put up with it for so long. If we're going to talk, please call me by the same name as everyone else.
CHERYL: Fine. Fine, OK. Well, what you've got to understand, *Lou*, is that some of us are only human, and I needed some support from someone who was going through the same things as me. Now, maybe I let that go too far. But you cannot blame me for losing control of my emotions under those circumstances.
LOU: Is that any excuse for being unfaithful?!
CHERYL: That's not what I just said!
LOU: The number of times I asked you to marry me, but you kept refusing. 'I don't believe in marriage', 'Our love doesn't need formalising with a piece of paper'. The truth was, you wouldn't commit yourself in case someone better came along. And the minute they did...
CHERYL: Oh, stop it, this isn't about somebody better coming along. I was terrified! Charles was there. He was someone for me to talk to and to share my feelings with and...I wish I could make you understand what it was like.
LOU: Do you love him?
CHERYL: Oh, God. Isn't it about whether I love you?
LOU: Of course, if you can't be with the one you love, love the one you're with.
CHERYL: Oh, no, no, no, no. You konw that I love you, I've loved you since the moment that I saw you. You remember me, running around after you like some schoolgirl! Knowing all the time that I was making a laughing stock of myself, but it didn't matter because I loved you! I still love you. I always will.

Lou is silent.

CHERYL: Now, isn't that all that matters?
LOU: No, Cheryl. What really matters is living up to the way you say you feel about me.

Coffee Shop
Billy and Toadie race in. Toadie thinks it might have been a biker gang attacking them at the house. Angie comes over and asks why they're sweaty, out of breath, and looking shifty(!) Billy thinks they should go back as he's suddenly realised that he's left Mal's tools in the house!

No.28
Karl has got the number of a local police association who might be able to put him in touch with his real father. Karl isn't sure if he's going to ring yet though - he's worried that his father won't want to know him.

Coffee Shop
Angie goes over to serve Cheryl, who is sitting at a table looking upset. She sits down with her.

ANGIE: We haven't talked since you got back. That's fine...maybe you're not ready. Maybe you never will want to talk about it. It's up to you. But what's up to me is to make sure you understand how much our friendship means to me. I know I'm a bit loud at times, and I can even get carried away on occasions. But I do know how important friends are. So, if ever you want one, you know where to look. We won't say anything else, we'll leave it at that and you can have the time on your own like you wanted. Besides, I've got work to do. That coffee you ordered, for instance.

Cheryl, who had been expecting Angie to berate her, looks touched.

Pub
Karl comes in and asks Lou about his daughter from Hong Kong getting in touch with him. Lou says that he was pleased to meet her, just sorry that he missed out on her early life. Karl says he has a 'friend' in a similar position.

They go on to talk about Cheryl.

LOU: I've been told what *really* happened over there. Fool me for being so concerned, eh?
KARL: Oh, now, Lou, you can't afford to think like that. I know you must be hurting from what happened, but don't forget, Cheryl was being held against her will, it was a terrifying experience.
LOU: If that's the result of being terrified, Karl, why did she open up to you when she came home?
KARL: You're playing judge and jury here, I know you're hurting, but I know you still love Cheryl. I think she still loves you. Look, if you want, I could recommend professional counsellors that would be a lot better at dealing with this than a GP. And I think you should take that extra step to work things out with Cheryl. Because you don't want to miss one second of another daughter's childhood.

This last bit seems to get through to Lou.

Coffee Shop
Billy has apparently told Mal that his tools are safely locked up in the clubhouse. He and Toadie will have to go and try to rescue them tonight and get them back to Mal ready for a job in the morning.

No.24 (evening)
Marlene and Cheryl are cooking. Cheryl is very distracted and Marlene tells her off.

CHERYL: I'm sorry, I was just wondering whether the fact that Lou and I can't talk about things means that there was already something fundamentally wrong with the relationship.

Marlene looks appalled.

MARLENE: You know, I think you really want to believe that.
CHERYL: What?
MARLENE: That there was something *fundamentally* wrong, that it was damaged beyond repair.
CHERYL: I don't.
MARLENE: Well, why are you always looking for something negative?!
CHERYL: I'm not, I'm just considering every possibility!
MARLENE: Cheryl, there are only two possibilities in this. Either you love Lou, and you want to save your relationship, or you don't.
CHERYL: I do, you know that.
MARLENE: No, I don't know that. I can't see into your heart. And the way you're talking, I don't think you can either.
CHERYL: Well, I know I'd hate to lose him.
MARLENE: Well, you want to make *him* understand that, and just hope that he still feels the same way about *you*.

There's a knock at the door, and Marlene answers it to Lou. He's come to talk to Cheryl.

LOU: Is there somewhere we can talk?
CHERYL: I don't know, do you think we'd do a better job of it than we did this afternoon?
LOU: Well, that's what I want to talk about. Karl's made a suggestion and I think it's worth discussing.

Marlene suggests they pop back to No.22 to talk while she looks after Lolly.

No.22
CHERYL: A marriage counsellor?
LOU: Well, the two of us aren't having much luck talking it out, are we?
CHERYL: All the same, I don't know if I...
LOU: What's the alternative? Just give up and call it quits?
CHERYL: Is that what you want?
LOU: If it was, I'd be suggesting that we talk to a lawyer, not a counsellor. Cheryl, despite everything, I don't want to lose you. I don't want this family of ours to break up. But the only hope we have of stopping that from happening is to talk to each other as calmly and dispassionately as possible. And frankly, I can't see that happening without us getting help, can you?
CHERYL: No, I can't.
LOU: So?
CHERYL: Well, if you think it'll help...
LOU: I am *praying* it's going to help. What we had together was the *best* thing that ever happened to me. And I don't want to let it go if there's any chance we can get that back.
CHERYL: I'm so pleased to hear you say that, Louis...Lou.
LOU: Then let's go with the counsellor idea. And hope to God that whoever the person is, they're damned good at their job!

Abandoned House
Toadie tells Billy that there's someone inside the house (he can hear music playing)

They peep through the window and there are only three kids in there. Maybe they were the ones that attacked the house before, not a biker gang. Billy insists that they have to get Mal's tools, they're not going home without them.

No.22
Lou has made himself a meal for one and sits down to eat it looking lonely. While he's eating, he looks through an album of photos of himself, Cheryl and Lolly.

The phone rings and it's someone ringing for Cheryl. He looks rather surprised and suggests that the person rings Cheryl at No.24.

No.24
Cheryl and Marlene are discussing the idea of marriage counselling. Marlene thinks it's a good idea, but Cheryl says it scares her to think of speaking to a stranger about personal things.

The phone rings and Cheryl answers it. It's Darren and he's being parolled early! Cheryl explains that she and Lou are "on a break". Cheryl is pleased he's coming home, but isn't sure how much support she'll be able to give him given how much is going on with her and Lou.

Abandoned House
Toadie and Billy are still trying to work out how to get in to the house. Billy suggests that one of them charges in and starts a fight, while the other grabs the tools. Toadie says he has a better plan - they can just scare them off.

He creeps around the side of the house, then bursts in through the door, shouting, "Freeze, Police! You're all under arrest!". The kids all scarper, but one is left behind. He exits through the window (in a rather good stunt), injuring his hand in the process. Billy says the injury is very bad and tells Toadie to go and meet Karl and them at the surgery. The kid tries to escape, but Billy stops him, telling him his hand is badly injured.