No 32
Lauren proposes a family barbecue to celebrate the kids' last day of school before Christmas. Amber decides she'll invite Josh along. Matt gets home from work, and tells the family that the police IT team have looked at Gem's laptop - and confirmed that it was used to hack Kate's emails. Matt tells Bailey he's off the hook, as Kate's not pursuing the matter, but that the school will have to decide how to deal with Gem. Matt goes to tell Georgia the news.

No 30
Sonya is still looking after Elliott. She leaves a message on Jacob's voicemail, asking him to call her back, just as Toadie comes in with Nell. Toadie asks how long Jacob's going to be, and Sonya is about to tell him what Jacob said before he left - 'you look after him' - when there's a knock at the door. It's Matt, looking for Gem and Georgia, but Toadie tells him they've gone away together, and haven't said in their note when they'd be back. Toadie asks Matt if there's a problem.

Holiday Cottage
Georgia has lost her phone, and asks Gem if she can ring it from hers to help find it - but Gem claims she can't as her phone's dead and she's forgotten to bring her charger. Gem suggests that Georgia must have left her phone at the café they stopped at, and that they can pick it up later - but Georgia doesn't even remember having it there.

Gem suggests they extend their trip by heading up to Adelaide, but Georgia says she'll have to get back to work. Gem suggests she quit, so they can keep travelling - even as far as Africa. Realising Gem's serious about leaving for good, Georgia asks why she doesn't want to go back and clear her name over the email hacking saga. But Gem says there's nothing to clear as she didn't do anything wrong. Georgia looks worried.

No 22
Lucy is telling Terese about Paul's decision to take the hotel out of the Lassiter's chain rather than amend Terese's contract. Lucy is convinced that Paul's bluffing, but Terese is worried that she'll be jobless and homeless if Lucy's wrong.

Brad arrives, just as Terese disappears indoors to take a call. He asks Lucy if she's caught up with Lauren yet. She implies she got an odd vibe when she saw Lauren in Harold's, and asks Brad what he meant earlier when he said things were awkward between him and Lauren. So he shows her The Sketch™, now hanging on the Willises' wall, and explains how it's made things tricky with Matt, who wasn't happy when he found out about it.

LUCY: Why would she not want her husband to see it?
BRAD: I think she just thought it was easier that way. It's all cool now - we're just good friends. I was a pretty handsome devil, wasn't I?

Ramsay Street
Mason is decorating Hermione the car with tinsel, when Lauren comes out and asks him for some help indoors. Brad and Lucy are walking past, and Mason invites Lucy to the barbecue later - leading a none- too- thrilled Lauren to feel obliged to invite all the Willises as well. Brad rushes off to tell Terese, and Mason goes inside.

Lucy tells Lauren she doesn't want to crash their barbecue, but Lauren insists it will be lovely to have everyone there. Lucy can't resist dragging The Sketch™ into the conversation, and apologises if her not forewarning Lauren about Brad's arrival has stirred up old memories. But Lauren insists she doesn't have feelings for Brad, and tells Lucy she'll see her later. Lucy looks suspicious.

No 32
Indoors, Lauren looks sadly at the Christmas teddy bear hanging on the tree, and recalls again her dream of dancing with Brad, and the pram with the crying baby.

No 30
Toadie and Sonya are trying to call Georgia and Gem, with no success. They speculate over why Gem would want to hurt Georgia by printing off the email like that, and Toadie is increasingly worried as to what might be going on. He decides to go and see Kyle, to find out if he knows anything more, and to call Auntie Coral. Before he goes, he asks Sonya what she was going to tell him about Jacob, but she claims it was nothing, and tells him to go. She looks sadly at Elliott after Toadie's gone.

No 26
Kyle's had no success contacting Georgia either, but assumed it was just because she was mad with him - and Toadie fills him and Chris in on the latest news from Auntie Coral. It turns out that the quad bike accident Gem was in, which supposedly led her boyfriend to dump her while she was in a coma, actually occurred after he dumped her - and Coral thinks Gem staged the accident so he wouldn't leave her.

CHRIS: So she set herself up as a victim to trap him into marriage? That's sad.
KYLE: Dude, that's not sad - that's crazy. And this is who Georgia's gone away with?

Toadie tells Kyle not to panic, but Kyle is doing just that - and Chris thinks he has a point. Toadie gets a text from Coral, saying Georgia and Gem used to spend weekends together in Warrnambool - so Kyle and Toadie decide to head there to investigate. Kate arrives as they're leaving, and looks to Chris for an explanation.

No 32
Lauren and Matt are practising their dance moves when Lucy, Brad and Terese arrive for the barbecue. Matt admits he started learning to dance after he saw Brad sweep Terese off her feet after the fun run. While Matt takes Brad and Terese out into the yard, Lucy notices the sketch Lauren has done of Matt, hanging on the wall. Lauren insists it's no big deal, and Lucy points out that she didn't claim otherwise.

No 26
Kate is feeling like Gem and Georgia's disappearance is all her fault for sleeping with Kyle, but Chris tries to convince her otherwise, saying they need to focus on contacting Georgia. He goes to ring some hotels in the Warrnambool area, but Kate suggests they could look at Georgia's laptop, and see if she's searched for accommodation.

No 30
Kate and Chris scour Georgia's laptop, and find that she's clicked on a property in Lorne a few times.

CHRIS: Looks pretty secluded.

Kate rings the cottage owners and leaves a voicemail, while Chris thanks Sonya for letting them use Georgia's laptop - and suggests she could ask Sheila to help out as she's struggling looking after the two babies. Kate decides she and Chris should drive to Lorne themselves, so they head off. Sonya promises to let Toadie know, and gets back to looking after Nell and Elliott.

No 32
On the patio, Lauren, Lucy and Terese raise a toast, while Imogen makes eyes at Mason and Bailey mans the barbecue. In the conservatory, Josh and Amber are sitting together, but Amber's obviously in a mood and Josh asks her why. She admits she's been reading some of the comments about him on the online Star article. Josh says she shouldn't bother - he doesn't. Amber says he should, then quickly changes her mind.

Back outside, Imogen is talking to Bailey about the Gem situation. She tells Bailey that Gem's a psycho, but Bailey defends her, saying she's 'just a little messed up'. Bailey goes inside, leaving Imogen to talk to Mason. He thanks Imogen for going out of her way for Bailey over the Gem debacle; Imogen says she likes Bailey.

MASON: Just him?
IMOGEN: Why? Is there someone else around here worth liking?

The mild flirtation continues as Mason tries to inspire some festive cheer in Christmas- hating Imogen, but Bailey returns and unwittingly interrupts them. Meanwhile, Terese, Lauren and Lucy continue to chat.

TERESE: You know, this is so much fun - being surrounded by my husband's ex- girlfriends. You have got to tell me about the old days - what antics did Brad get up to?

Lauren and Lucy both avoid going into it, but Terese tells them they're being way too polite.

TERESE: So what was the order again? It was Lauren... No, not Lauren, no - it was you, Lucy, first... And then Lauren... And then Beth?
LUCY: Oh, Brad and I were never that serious.

Lauren puts an end to the discussion by (accidentally?) pouring wine all over Terese. She apologises and Terese tells her not to worry, but Lucy looks alarmed.

Holiday Cottage
It would seem Georgia's car is now out of action as well, and that Gem hasn't tried particularly hard to look for the jump leads.

GEM: That's weird. That's two things that have died, your car and my phone.

Oblivious to this classic soap foreshadowing (bad things happen in threes, lest we forget), Georgia goes on to say how odd it is the car has packed in, as she's only just had it serviced. Gem seems blissfully unconcerned. Georgia looks for something to eat, but there's virtually nothing in the cupboards. Georgia wants to go to one of the farms they passed to get some food, but Gem objects, saying it will be dark soon.

GEM: We don't want any more opportunities for the universe to work against us.

Georgia's about to try to hitch a ride outside, but Gem says it's too dangerous. Gem tells Georgia not to worry - it'll all be fine, and they can go to get food in the morning. Georgia reluctantly agrees, and Gem smiles.

No 30
Sonya is still struggling with Nell and Elliott when Sheila turns up to assist. Sonya admits to Sheila that she didn't want to worry Toadie, but that she's not even sure whether Jacob's coming back for Elliott. She explains how Elliott's pram nearly went in the lake, and that Jacob now thinks he's a terrible parent, and asked Sonya to look after him shortly before disappearing.

No 32
As the barbecue continues, Mason catches Imogen checking out the fairy lights he's rigged up.

MASON: You know what I think? I think the girl who pretends to hate Christmas so badly doesn't actually hate it after all.
IMOGEN: I'm a sucker for things that sparkle. That doesn't mean I like Christmas.
MASON: Okay then. So why is Hermione still wearing her reindeer antlers? And the tinsel?
IMOGEN: Yeah, I saw that!
MASON: Face it Imogen. You're not the Grinch you pretend to be.
IMOGEN: Okay. So maybe Christmas this year isn't so bad after all.
MASON: Why?
IMOGEN: Why do you think?
MASON: I dunno. Would it maybe have something to do with me?
IMOGEN: Please.

He holds out some mistletoe, but is promptly told it is 'so cheesy' - so takes Imogen even further around the side of the house for a non- mistletoe kiss instead!

Lauren comes inside to clear up, but is highly distressed to notice that the Christmas teddy bear is missing from the tree. She frantically searches for it on the floor, and is hugely relieved when she finds it. Lucy has appeared at the door, and asks if Lauren's okay. Lauren says she's fine, but is crying - and Lucy demands that she tell her what's wrong.

LAUREN: I'm afraid to say.
LUCY: What could be so bad?
LAUREN: I'm afraid that if I tell you, it'll be real. And I've spent so many years trying to keep it out of my mind, and now - now I'm dreaming about it.
LUCY: Is it to do with Brad? Maybe it would help you to talk about this?
LAUREN: Nobody here knows.
LUCY: Knows what?
LAUREN: Twenty years ago, when I left Ramsay Street, I was pregnant. To Brad.
LUCY: Mason?
LAUREN: No, no, no. No - before Mason, there was another baby. Brad's baby.

No 30
Sonya is bottle- feeding baby Elliott, and Sheila has just put Nell to bed, when Jacob sends Sonya a text: 'I'm sorry but I need some time. I don't know how long. I'll be in touch.'

Holiday Cottage
Georgia is rifling through her bags, but Gem comes in and asks what she's doing. Georgia admits that she's going to hitch a ride to one of the farms they passed after all.

GEM: It's miles away.
GEORGIA: I don't care. I'm over it. I'm tired, I'm hungry - and to be honest I just want to go home.
GEM: Yeah, but we're having such a good time. Why would you want to ruin it?
GEORGIA: Have you seen the torch?
GEM: I've done everything for you, and it's like you don't even care.

Georgia marches over to Gem's bag and starts shaking it - and out drops Georgia's phone!

GEORGIA: What is my phone doing in your bag, Gem? Did you hide it there on purpose?
GEM: No, I swear... Okay, yeah, Georgia, I did. But it was for your own good. I just thought that it would be better if you didn't have contact with the people that hurt you.
GEORGIA: Forty- eight missed calls?
GEM: Hey, let's go for a walk. Come on - just forget about it.
GEORGIA: I have a text message from Toadie. 'The police have proof that Gem hacked Kate's email - what is going on, Gem?'
GEM: I tried to tell you but you wouldn't listen to me. You're so wrapped up in yourself.
GEORGIA: It was you. Wasn't it? You planted that email. You lied to me. You humiliated me in front of everybody.
GEM: No, Georgia, I was protecting you. You don't need them - they don't care about you like I do.

Gem grabs Georgia by the arms - and when Georgia tries to move past her, she shoves her backwards into the oven.

GEM: Do not leave me!

As Georgia hits the oven, she inadvertently moves one of the dials, and gas begins to hiss out. Georgia again tries to get past Gem, but during a scuffle Gem pushes her into a cabinet, and knocks her unconscious. Looking panicked, Gem grabs her bag and dashes for the door. As the gas continues to hiss, we home in on Georgia, lying motionless on the floor.

When Our Neighbours Return
- Toadie is none too amused that Jacob has left Elliott with Sonya indefinitely
- Imogen tells Mason she's not going to wait around to be someone's Plan B
- Paul tells Terese that she cannot 'win this fight'
- Lauren tells Lucy that she thinks of their baby every time she sees Brad's face
- Cal tells Bailey that the police apparently don't know where Gem is
- Gem asks Bailey why she would want help from him
- Gem cries for help, saying she's cut herself
- Kyle and Kate arrive at the holiday cottage, and check if Georgia's breathing
- Kate tells Kyle she's in love with him