The General Store
Paul pays for lunch for him and Elle, but realises that his card is missing from his wallet. Elle offers to pay, and Paul remembers that he used it yesterday afternoon here, with Laura. Elle is immediately suspicious that Laura took it, but Paul staunchly defends her.

Outside Grease Monkeys
Adam and Sophie are carrying coffee back to their car, when a car nearly runs them down. Sophie conveniently ends up lying on top of Adam in the road. They jump in the car and call for back up.

Number 26
Steve and Miranda are eating breakfast, and Pouch the kangaroo is eating away at Miranda's toast. Lovely. Steve complains that Miranda is watching his diet - he's taken the day off to spend it with the kids, so the diet doesn't apply today.

MIRANDA: Or weekends. Or holidays, or...days when the football's on.
STEVE: What are you trying to say, sweetheart?
MIRANDA: Planning on having a choc top at the movies, are you?
STEVE: None of your business.

Didge comes in, looking just about ready to leave the house. Steve asks her if she'd like to watch a movie with them, but she claims she has to study for her exams when she gets back. Steve believes her, but Miranda tells him she's lying - she's meeting Declan. She has a huge crush on him, and telling little lies about it makes it all the more exciting. Steve doesn't believe it for one second...and he doesn't like Declan, either.

Miranda reminds Steve what they did when they were younger...secret meetings and stolen moments... Steve is horrified that Bridget would be doing this.

Green Hills and Wooded Areas
Declan is polishing his car, and Didge approaches. He didn't think she'd show, but she admits she told her parents she was studying. She doesn't look so sure as she gets into the car, though...

The General Store
Pepper is showering Adam with affection after his near miss, whilst Sophie watches on. Adam tells her that risk comes with the job, and goes to get a drink.

Pep approaches Sophie and apologises for her behaviour the other week - Sophie seemingly accepts, but is clearly not forgiving her in the slightest. Pepper leaves, and Sophie comments that Pepper really cares for Adam. He admits that he's never had that before, and Sophie has a look on her face that screams "I care! I care, Adam!"

Yeah - whatever.

Lassiters Hotel
Laura has finished another crying jag (is she the new Rebecca?) and Nick asks her if she's still up for pursuing this...but Elle knocks at the door. Nick hides in the bathroom.

Elle tells Laura that her dad has lost a bank card and he might have left it here; she starts hunting for it. Laura tells her if it turns up, she'll let Elle know. With the door shut behind her, Nick appears and says that as long as Paul trusts Laura, it doesn't matter that Elle knows what's going on.

A Drag Racing Place
Didge and Declan drive up to see the Hunter boys. Justin has a *really* wide mouth. I'm sure it's not important to the plot, but it's so wide, it's worth a mention. They decide to race for each other's cars. Didge tells him not to - it's not his car to lose - but Declan agrees.

The race begins.

And we get a nice shot of St Kilda Pier as the break kicks in.

Behind the Trees, Alongside a Road
Adam and Sophie are seemingly just...well, waiting. For what, I'm not sure. They're playing a word game, and Soph asks Adam if he put Pepper up to that apology. Adam says no, it was all Pep's idea - she really is sorry. They talk about the fact that Essex (part of their word game) is a county, not a city.

ADAM: Yeah, it's the best place in the world.

And what do you know, but the drag race goes RIGHT past their car! They speed off after them. Declan and Didge are winning the race, and Dec panics when the police car appears. Bridget forces him to pull over. The police car continues to chase after the Hunters, so it looks like Dec 'n' Didge (I want to call them Ant 'n' Dec) are off the hook for now.

Back at Lassiters car park, Didge and Declan leave the car, and Bridget says that her parents would kill her if they knew what she'd been up to. She also thinks she should go to the library to make her cover story look convincing. They agree to speak later, and to never mention the drag race again.

The General Store
Paul and Elle are eating together. Laura comes in and orders a muffin, sliding Paul's card under some papers on the counter. Harold finds it, and Elle realises that Laura blatantly placed it there. Elle and Paul ask Laura to join them, but she can't.

Number 26
Didge arrives home, and grabs her books out her bag to carry into the house. Miranda is waiting in that way that parents do because they know something about you and you're about to be grounded. Randa asks how the library was, and Didge says it was okay.

Miranda calls her daughter over into the kitchen where Steve, Rebecca, Declan, Adam and Sophie are waiting.

Uh-oh...

Adam says that Dec has been charged with speeding, reckless endangerment and driving without a licence. Didge comments that they didn't want to do this, but Justin kept calling them 'chicken.' Yeah - like that reason's going to stand up in court.

Miranda is oh so terribly sure that this is all down to Declan - he must have encouraged her. Steve is clear that Declan and Bridget are banned from seeing each other in any way at all - no contact. Adam and Sophie comment that Declan has been in trouble before, and this could lead to juvie for him. Rebecca is horrified.

Later, Miranda tells Bridget that this sort of thing happens all the time:
A family torn apart by an accident.

Is it me, or does that sound rather prophetic??!

Miranda is furious with her daughter, and can't believe that she is one of those people who gives no consideration to others' lives.

BRIDGET: Please, dad, tell her I'm not like that. I've made one mistake.

Steve's face is thunderous and unforgiving.

Number 22
Rebecca is washing up and Declan watches her. Paul returns home and senses the tension. Declan wants to help with the washing up, but Rebecca refuses.

Number 26

DIDGE: Dad, please say something.
STEVE: I don't think you want me to say *anything*.
DIDGE: Yes, I do.
STEVE: You wanna hear that the daughter I've always trusted and respected is gone?
DIDGE: I haven't!
STEVE: You lied to us. You risked your life as if it was worth nothing. That's not the daughter I knew.

He walks off.

Number 22
Dec apologises to Rebecca, and she tells him to think about what her life would be like if she lost him. Declan doesn't think it matters because he's not hurt, but Becca tells him he's not invincible.

REBECCA: Young men like you die on the roads every day and it's a horrible waste!
DECLAN: I'm still here!
REBECCA: For how long? You heard what the police said: you could go to jail.
DECLAN: They're just saying that to scare me.

The boy has no self-awareness whatsoever. He says it won't ever happen again, but his mum retorts that he says this every single time.

BECCA: Am I not loving you enough? Is that what this is about?

She cries, and it's good to know she's still Rebecca. She walks out and Declan calls after her. Paul tells Dec to leave his mum alone. Declan texts Bridget: Don't worry, we can still see each other. Bridget texts back: No we can't, bye.

The Scarlet Bar
Sophie and Adam are talking about the drag race today. Adam wonders if Declan will do time, but Sophie doesn't know. Adam thinks they make a good team, and comments that they get stronger and stronger every day. Sophie's pleased - she thought she was the only one who felt that, so she kisses him; Adam is surprised, he meant they make a good working team. Sophie apologises, she misunderstood. She leaves quickly.

Number 30
Pepper returns home with a new dress. Adam comes in from the pool, although his hair has remained remarkably dry. Pepper flirts shamelessly with her man, but is cheered up by her present to him about Chelsea football club. She apologises to him about Sophie.

ADAM: We need to talk.
PEPPER: They are the four worst words in the English language.

She tells him that she's been silly, but Adam says she hasn't. He has to tell her something. I have to say - good on Adam for being honest and upfront about it. Many wouldn't have bothered, and would try and hide it and make it worse.

The Scarlet Bar
Sophie is at the bar, and Pepper marches in, pouting. She demands to know why Sophie still hates her, why she bullied her at school and is still trying to do it now. Sophie admits that she gave Pep a hard time, sometimes, but that was all.

PEPPER: You and your friends made my life a living hell.
SOPHIE: I didn't know. I'm sorry.

And she's genuine.

Pepper reminds her about her old boyfriend, Kevin, and Soph says they were just good mates - they were both St Kilda supporters. Hey! Go Saints! Sophie admits she likes Adam, but she's more jealous of what he and Pepper have. She also apologises for being a mole at school, but Pepper has a great life now and she has nothing. So - there you go.

Lassiters Hotel Room
Elle uses her key card to go into Laura's room, and starts searching through her drawers. She runs into the bathroom as Nick and Laura come home, and she overhears them talking about not being able to go to dinner in case they're seen together.

Laura and Nick kiss, and Elle sees them from the bathroom. When they pull away, Nick says that Elle won't win Paul over because she has no proof. Paul will do everything he can to help Laura and that's how it should be.

Laura says she's going to soak in the tub for a while, and Elle panics in the bathroom...