The Beach House on the Gold Coast
It's early in the morning and Donna sneaks back into the house to overhear Ringo stressing out about not being able to contact her and regretting having left her at the party. He's about to call the cops, but Donna comes in and stops him. She spins a story about falling asleep on the beach seeing an opportunity to stop any more questions Donna takes the bait when Ringo suggests she's cranky at him for leaving her at the club. She goes off to have a shower and in the hallway pulls Andrew's number out of her pocket then crumples it up.

Charlie's
Steph and Toadie wonder whether counselling will work for Libby and Dan. Steph then shows Toadie an ad for a bike that she thinks Lucas would like. Toad thinks it's nice and shiny and ribs Steph about her and Lucas and she protests that they're just mates. The schoolies gang arrive back and nobody is looking particularly full of the joys of youth. Declan and Donna are grouchy with one another. Ringo decides to head home.

Counselling
The counsellor asks Libby she's there and Libby replies that counselling is supposed to help and she needs help with her marriage.

Dan is rather frosty with the counsellor as she doles out the sort of advice he has done on a weekly basis.

Libby identifies the central issue as the baby and Dan explains that Libby blames him for Susan's accident and she's trying to get past it.

Harold's
Ringo looks for assurance from Lucas that relationships get easier as you get older. Lucas reminds him that his fiancé is in New York/Middle East. Steph comes in to show Lucas the bike she's found him and they decide to go and have a look at it. It's a date in fact, which Steph seems pleased with. I'm not sure Lucas sees it as a "date" date though. They wonder how things are going with Libby and Dan. Steph doesn't think Libby will have a problem talking, but they both know that Dan will have problems being a patient.

Counselling
Libby explains that she needs time to forgive Dan, but he's not giving her the time or space. Dan thinks they could have got through it a lot quicker if she'd been upfront with him in the beginning. Libby agrees she should have been honest. The counsellor asks how she could begin resolving her anger. Libby suggests Dan move back in, but Dan thinks that would be a disaster, they'd be walking on eggshells all the time. Dan accepts that Libby blames him for what happened and also wonders what would have happened had he gone back to Susan.

DAN: It was my child too, Lib.

Libby doesn't want to blame Dan but doesn't know how to stop. The counsellor thinks they're getting somewhere but sees there is a deeper issue to get to the bottom of.

Number 22
Declan is acting as a mannequin for Donna's shrug-a-lero, but is all sulky, just like Kate, Donna comments.

DONNA: You've been weird for days.
DECLAN: You've been weird for years!!

There's a knock at the door and it's Ringo. Declan bundles the shrug-a-lero into his arms and says that he can go and play dress ups with the noodle. RIngo puts the shrug-a-lero on and says that they can talk properly about the previous night while she pins. He explains that he was only angry because he was worried. Donna reminds him that he walked off on her.

RINGO: Alright so I forced you to spend the night on the beach did I? There's all sorts of weirdos out there...

Donna doesn't want to talk about it and suggests he should leave.

RINGO: Fine, if that's what you want.
DONNA: Yeah go, walk off, it's what you're good at.

Counselling
The counsellor is doing the "talking ball" trick even though neither Dan nor Libby are really talking over each other or anything. She wants to examine any problems from the past that they might still be hanging onto.

COUNSELLOR: Are there any issues that spring to mind? Libby?
LIBBY: Not really.

The counsellor says that it is important not to hold back. Dan tells Libby they don't have to do this and the counsellor gets all arsey because he's not holding the ball.

DAN: Sitting here digging up old wounds isn't going to fix anything.
COUNSELLOR: Daniel if you ju....
DAN: It's DAN.
COUNSELLOR: What is it that you're afraid of Dan?
DAN: Oh wow. I'm not afraid of anything.

The counsellor says it's perfectly normal to avoid sensitive issues and Dan protests that he's not avoiding, not scared, not holding back. In fact, he's not staying around for any more rubbish. He walks out. Libby apologises and leaves too.

Number 30
Dan is fed up of other people having a say in their marriage, Susan, Karl, counsellors... Libby retorts that they're doing such a good job on their own, but Dan shouts that they haven't even tried. What goes on between the two of them is private and he's embarrassed about having it all pulled apart in front of strangers.

LIBBY: You are normally the first person to bang on about conselling.
DAN: WE DON'T NEED IT!
LIBBY: Then why are we standing here yelling at each other?!
DAN: We can fix it ourselves!
LIBBY: How? How...

Dan kisses Libby passionately. Libby pulls away and says it won't help, but Dan isn't so sure. He pushes her up onto the phone table and reminds her this is where they first kissed. He tells her it can be like that again and starts kissing her once more. It's all a bit awkward to watch.

After the break a shirtless Dan and a bedraggled Libby leave their bedroom and bump into Toadie who remarks that it sounds like counselling worked.

DAN: Yeah, we decided to sort things out ourselves.
TOADIE: Yeeeaahhh.... don't let me get in the way of your make up...romance...

Libby awkwardly tells her husband that she said she'd meet Steph for lunch (Woah, all this has happened in one morning! Crikey.) They agree to meet up for coffee later. Dan, still basking in his masculine virility reckons that Libby was right about him moving back in and making a proper go of things. He thinks they're going to be ok. So speaketh the man thinking with his trousers. Libby seems unsure and uncomfortable.

Harold's
Zeke helps Donna edit her website (FFR Donna's password "ringoisahottie") while Steph waits for Libby. Declan joins them and asks if she's finished her, I swear to god he says "shag-a-lera", which doesn't sound like something you'd expect on a G rated show. Dec tells Donna that Ringo and her are really great together and they should sit down and talk it all out. Donna tells him that life isn't a chat show and does her best to ignore the boys who decide to go and join Ringo in Charlie's. As they leave, Libby arrives and tries to think of an answer to Steph's "how did you go?"

Number 30
TOADIE: That is the hottest thing I've ever heard.
DAN: You need to get out more.

Dan does seem like the cat that got the cream though. Make up "taking it to the next level" beats counselling any day. Toadie is thinking of writing a sequal to "The Girl Next Door". Move over Mills and Boon.

Harold's
Steph asks if Dan's own take on counselling was a breakthrough or not. A stunned Libby isn't sure what it is. In fact, she feels like it was a mistake.

Number 30
Dan tells his mate it feels good to be sorting stuff out on their own. Is it *really* sorting stuff out though Dan? Toadie is clearly on my wavelength and says that Dan is kidding himself if he thinks this is going to fix everything overnight. Dan knows, but he sees it as the first step. For a lot of people it's the final step, but ok. No more counselling, they're going to get through it together.

Harold's
Libby thinks that counselling was their only way of getting everything out in the open. Steph wonders if she really wants to go back there given that there's a lot of baggage - Sam, Lucas et al.

LIBBY: If we can't face our past, then we're finished.
STEPH: Right, so what are you going to do?
LIBBY: We have to go back.

So that's it for Libby and Dan then...

Charlie's
Donna joins the boys and asks to speak to Ringo. Grudgingly he goes with her.

DONNA: I know I've been acting like a complete freak and I know I gave you a really hard time when we were away, and you deserve so much better. I swear I am so sorry. I really just don't want you to hate me.
RINGO: I don't hate you. You drive me crazy, but I could never hate you.

Tearfully Donna admits that if she had a time machine the first thing she'd do is go back and fix everything. Ringo tells her that it's not all her fault, but Donna knows it is and that she deserved him walking off.

DONNA: I will never dance with anyone else ever. I swear.

Ringo pulls her into a hug as she dissolves into tears and tells her they'll start over and everything will be fine. Donna doesn't look so sure though.

After the break Donna has calmed down and Ringo tells her there is nothing she could do that would push him away. Evidently he hasn't thought through all the possibilities. Zeke and Declan are glad to see they're ok again.

Steph and Lucas come in for a celebration beer. Lucas has really enjoyed hanging out and is stoked to have a new bike. Steph looks really loved up.

Number 30
Dan overhears Libby on the phone making another appointment with counsellor Janine. He asks her what she's doing and she gives him the facing the past to face the future line again. Dan can't see why. Libby says it will help her, they've been running away from their problems since day one and she's sick of it. Dan frustratedly tells her that Sam is history and Libby retorts until she calls again.

DAN: Oh come on, that's not fair, she's ill.
LIBBY: All you ever wanted was a family. It's something she could give me and I couldn't.
DAN: Lib, I married you...I chose you!
LIBBY: You chose a consolation prize. And when we had to resort to the surrogacy deep down you resented it and it drove you back to Sam. I hated you every time you went back to her. And I punished you for it. And I'm still punishing you for it. And that is why, that's why I can't forgive you for mum's accident.

Libby says that she swore Sam wouldn't come between them but she has, as has Lucas.

DAN: Oh for god's sake!
LIBBY: Come on, please. If we have any hope we have to be honest with each other. Admit it, you will never forget that I was with Lucas before you.
DAN: I am out of here.
LIBBY: You're running away again!
DAN: Ok. You want the truth? Yeah it hurts. Every time I see you in the same room it kills me.
LIBBY: It's exactly how I feel about Sam. How do we get past this?

Dan walks out and Libby gives in to the tears she's been fighting back.

Come the evening, Libby is sadly looking through their wedding album (and no, I have no idea how they got photos when Libby collapsed at the ceremony either).

Charlie's
Dan gets a call from Libby and agrees to come home.

Number 30
Libby has prepared a candlelit meal and both manage to smile at each other when Dan comes in. They eat in an awkward silence. Dan comments that she always did make the best roast chicken. Libby replies it's Susan's recipe. Dan realises that she invited him to dinner to end it. Libby thinks she did. She explains that when they got back from counselling it was different and he know that.

LIBBY: What we had is...just not there anymore.

She tells him that she doesn't want to punish him anymore. He deserves better. Choked, Dan decides it's time to leave. Before he leaves he turns and tells her:

DAN: Just so you know. You were never a consolation prize. You were the best.

Libby breaks down in tears.

Preview
- Libby wonders how she'll tell Ben.
- Libby falls out with her father.
- Libby asks Dan to keep his distance from Ben until she tells him.
- Toadie and Paul give Callum conflicting advice on how to tackle bullies.
- Steph and Lucas worry about Dan.
- Dan takes it out on the punchbag.
- Ben is upset by Libby and Dan's split.