Number 26
Dane and Kyle bicker about their sleeping arrangements as they sniff their way into the kitchen where Rhys is preparing a Christmas lunch. Kyle comments that he's a bit early and Jade says she's spending Christmas with Sonya, Toad and Callum. Rhys explains that that's why they're having a house Christmas today.

KYLE: Oh that house thing you wanted to do?
JADE: What house thing?
RHYS: You didn't tell her?
KYLE: Doh, are you free today? Rhys wants to do a house thing.
RHYS: Unbelievable.

Jade is interested to know what the big effort is all about and Rhys admits that he may have overreacted about the interview and in the grand scheme of things it's not that big a deal, he has forgiven and they can move on. Hearing that there's dessert Jade is convinced that she could clear her schedule.

KYLE:(eagerly) And we can do presents after lunch?
JADE: Presents?
KYLE: Yeah.
RHYS: You didn't tell her about that either?

Jade hits Kyle hard.

Number 30
Sonya can't believe that Toadie is working on the first day he's had off in ages when they could be making babies. Toad agrees that's an excellent idea, but he has to finish what he is doing first, which is making a list of things to get for Sonya for Christmas. She pinches the list and Toad chases her around the room. Callum comes in with an updated list because Toadie's job is now permanent and they're officially rolling in it.

TOADIE: Firstly, we're still not rolling in it and secondly, a long board? Mate, you don't even skate!

He does however agree that it is tree time and commands his son to change into his Christmas boxers so they can go shopping. Sonya, however, was thinking she could get the tree this year. Toadie and Callum always get the tree from the same guy each year, but Sonya thinks she's got a really good idea. The boys agree and Sonya excitedly leaves to get it.

Number 26
Lunch is nearly ready but there are no brussel sprouts or prawns. Kyle thinks it's nice that they're all hanging out, he's been away for a while so it's good to catch up on things.

JADE: Catch up on what?
DANE: Why don't you tell him about the bloke you've got going?
JADE: What bloke?
DANE: Yeah, that's right. All the phone calls, all the sneaking about at funny hours. I'm very perceptive Jade, think I didn't notice?
JADE: Yeah, well, THAT is over.

Poor Kyle looks gutted and comments that there are plenty more fish in the sea. Jade busies herself with setting the table. Awkward.

Charlie's
Lucas and Chris are finishing lunch when the homophobic dude's son, Blake, comes in to apologise for his father's behaviour the other day. He doesn't agree with his views at all, it's just not that easy standing up to him.

LUCAS: Oh well, we did.
BLAKE: You don't have to live with it. Couldn't even convince him to get behind me going to uni.
CHRIS: Do you want to swap? My dad wants me to go to uni!
(He's not homophobic though, Chris!)
BLAKE: Dad reckons real men get a trade to earn money.

He offers to get another round of beers in.

Number 26
Lunch is complete and everyone is stuffed. It's time for presents! Jade goes off to get hers from her room while the boys get stuck in to swapping and opening. Kyle and Dane pronounce their gifts from Rhys "sweet/sick" - and after many unsuccessful pauses I've come to the conclusion the awesome gift is a walkie talkie. Rhys receives some golf tees and Jade comes in with a 6 pack of beer for each of them. The guys are rather underwhelmed, but Jade reminds them they didn't give her much notice. She offers to take them back, but they didn't say they didn't want them!

Dane presents Jade with a present for her bloke's dance class (a mini rugby ball/football depending on your hemisphere) then Kyle gives her his present which he didn't exactly spend $20 on. It's a photo frame with hinged shutters which open to reveal a picture of the two of them. Jade is really touched when she realises that Kyle made it. She gives him a very special smile.

Later Kyle and Jade are on washing up duty as Rhys did the cooking.

KYLE: That dude's turning into Brenno.

Rhys points out that Jade and Kyle are under the mistletoe and expects them to observe tradition. Jade mouths "no, no" at Rhys but he just tips her a wink and says "merry Christmas".

KYLE: Ah, mistletoe.
JADE: Yeah, I know what it is.
RHYS: Bad luck to break with tradition.
JADE: Don't be stupid.
KYLE: Yeah, he's right and now you're gonna have to kiss me because you called me stupid.
JADE: No, I wasn't...I was calling Rhys ... stupid.

Kyle just looks at her and she cracks and agrees to give him a kiss. She cracks a bit too much though and lets the kiss continue until she realises what she's doing and runs off to get ice cream for dessert leaving Kyle uber confused.

Number 30
Toadie and Callum leap up as they hear Sonya come in. She apologises for taking so long, but Toadie agrees that tree buying is an exact science.

TOADIE: You've got to get the right shape...
CALLUM: And the exact width for maximum present coverage.

They are eager to help her get it off the roof of the car, but Sonya has already brought it in. She reaches around the corner and shows them a very small plant. A lemon scented gum, to be precise.

SONYA: Every year that we have it, every inch that it grows, it'll be a living reminder of who we are as a family.
CALLUM: So it only grows an inch a year...
SONYA: Yeah, but it's a symbol.
CALLUM: Small symbol....

Sonya explains that she just prefers it to the idea of cutting down a living tree every year for decoration. She heads off to the nursery to get it some nutrients.

Charlie's
Chris and Blake are playing pool and Chris is winning when Tash and Andrew join them. Chris goes to get another round with Tash leaving Andrew to explain why his nickname is Pickles. Tash apologises to Chris for crashing his date, but Chris is quick to try and quell that idea.

TASH: Maybe you're not, but your new friend seems to think he is.

Chris explains that they've just met and who Blake's dad is.

TASH: Well good on you two for sticking together.
CHRIS: Blake's not gay.
TASH: Yeah he is, and he clearly likes you.
CHRIS: What? Because he's playing pool at a bar? Yeah, he's obviously in love.

Tash is still convinced because guys don't just "make friends", not unless they're gay.

CHRIS: Did you know that Andrew got a tattoo? Hmm, yeah, it says 'Pickles'.

Chris' little diversion works a treat as Tash hounds Andrew out of the bar wanting to know all the tattoo details. Chris double checks with Blake that they're just two guys playing pool. And they are, Blake is not gay.

Number 30
Toadie and Callum look dejectedly from the big box of decorations to the tiny tree. Sonya comes in and is alarmed to see them looking so upset. Callum explains that this is all the stuff they usually put on the tree, like a tradition. It's from Angie and Big Kev. Sonya says they can still put it around the house, but is concerned that Toadie is still upset. Toad tells her he's been thinking about his gran, who the decorations came from - she gave them to him, not his brothers. It's no big deal though.

SONYA: Yeah..yeah, well maybe we should just get a bigger tree.
CALLUM: (Jumping up) YES!
TOADIE: SQUID!
SONYA: I knew it! That was really low.
TOADIE: (pointedly at Callum) Yeah maybe but it was working...

Sonya can't believe they didn't just tell her that they didn't like the tree. Toadie says they do like the tree it's just a bit small. Sonya supposes they could get a bigger one, but they compromise that they still get a living tree so the idea is the same.

CALLUM: As long as it fits my long board under it.
TOADIE & SONYA: You're not getting a long board!

Charlie's
Blake finally wins a round, but it's time for Chris to go. Blake invites him to join him and his mates for some drinks after the Tigers game that evening and they start to swap numbers, just as Mr Homophobic comes in. He orders his son to leave the bar and tells Chris to stay away from Blake. Chris says that they're just mates.

WARREN BURRELL: You're not his mate. I know what you are. Stay away from my son. Got it?

Ramsay Street
Jade watches Toadie, Sonya and Callum unloading their tree with the help of Mal letting the sound of a happy family wash over her. She sees Lucas and Emilia come out of number 32 and kiss.

Number 30
Jade comes in as tree decorating is in full swing in search of cream for the triffle as ice cream doesn't work. (Well, duh.) She explains they've been having a "share house turkey lunch thing" and Sonya teases her about getting all Christmassy. Jade comments on their tree and says she saw them struggling to get it through the front door. Sonya explains its a symbol.

JADE: So what does it symbolise?
SONYA: That you're a bad sister for not helping...

The sisters think about how different things are now to twelve months ago when Jade first knocked on the front door. Sonya thinks that everything they went through was worth it to get to where they are, Toadie kisses her as he passes and Jade gets a bit flustered and hurriedly leaves without the cream.

Garage
Lucas thinks Chris should go to the police and tell them that Burrell threatened him. Chris doesn't want to stir things up and make it worse. Lucas doesn't think that would happen. Just then Blake and some of his friends arrive and Blake apologises again, sometimes his dad loses it and he has to go around picking up the pieces. Chris assures him that it's alright. Blake tries to get Chris's number, but Chris thinks it's better if they just leave it. Blake accepts that and starts to leave. They're being watched though from across the yard, but nobody notices.

Number 26
Kyle and Rhys are sitting in the garden talking about their Christmas plans. Rhys's involve staying as far away from Franga as possible. Rhys goes to see if he can make the triffle work with ice cream leaving Jade and Kyle to talk. Jade wants to tell Kyle something, but is finding it very hard to find the right words, just as she is about to explain, Rhys interrupts suggesting they go to Charlie's and have dessert later. Kyle thinks it's an excellent idea and asks if they can rain check the D&M.

Charlie's
Rhys and Dane conclude their game of pool and go off in search of cream for the triffle, passing Mal as they leave. This gives Kyle and Jade a chance to talk. Jade thanks him for the photo frame, coyly admitting that she loved it. Kyle comments that there's no mistletoe in Charlie's either so she doesn't have to worry.

KYLE: But just for the record, I reckon we would have been good together, y'know. If things worked out different.
JADE:(guiltily) Yeah. It wasn't...it wasn't personal.
KYLE: It's not you, it's me?
JADE: Yeah, but you know me. I like being my own person.

Kyle assures her it's ok, but she cracks and says it isn't. He doesn't understand, because there's things she hasn't told him.

JADE: My last serious relationship was bad. It was, it was really bad. Er, he um, he hit me. And I promised myself that I would never ever be in that position again. And you know, that's why I'm just so big on just being fit and independent, I just have to be in control all the time. And you know, that's why I go for guys who just won't want anything serious, like long distance or a player or...or married.
KYLE: Jade, that's pretty messed up.
JADE: Yeah, it just means that I can cut and run when things get complicated, it suits the stupid decisions I make.

Kyle says that in the time he's known her he hasn't seen her do anything that stupid.

JADE: Yeah, well maybe you haven't been watching.

Kyle wonders how stupid she got while he was away the slowly follows her gaze to where Mal is sitting and realisation dawns.

Preview
FVO: In the final week of neighbours. The Erinsborough residents find themselves well and truly in the festive spirit.
Montage of Michael, Tash and Emilia at the beach, Summer and Andrew hugging, Rhys smiling, Toadie kissing Sonya, Lucas kissing Emilia, Paul and Sophie having breakfast, Kate laughing. Karl and Susan kissing.

FVO: But will everyone's year end on a high?
KARL: That was goodbye, wasn't it?
Susan runs her hand down his face.