No 22
Ned explains to Terese that the tattoo studio he set up in Queensland is going broke.

TERESE: Why didn't Brad mention this?
NED: Dad doesn't know. He's just so proud of me, you know...
TERESE: Look, Ned - a lot of businesses struggle in the first year. I'm sure your dad and Lauren will want to help.

Ned looks uncomfortable. Terese offers to go over the figures for the business with him, to see where he could cut costs.

NED: The real reason I'm back down here is because I wanted to get some space from everything back home.
TERESE: And the black eye?
NED: Look, all you need to know is, I'm not in any sort of trouble, Terese. I promise you.
TERESE: So I have no choice but to trust you?

Ned nods, and Terese smiles enigmatically.

The Flametree Retreat
Dipi is hard at work networking at her fundraiser, when Shane turns up and hurriedly tries to refill the water jugs, attempting to take Paul's glass off him. But Paul is enjoying his water, thank you very much.

AMY: I thought you said it was cloudy?

Shane tries to stop Paul drinking any more, which rouses Gary's suspicions.

GARY: This is our filtered water, isn't it?
SHANE: Err, yeah, of course - why wouldn't it be?

Paul adds that the water is 'perfectly quaffable - can't fault it'! Shane sighs with relief and pours him another glass!

DIPI: Why does it feel like I'm missing something?
SHANE: Well, seeing as everyone seems to like it so much, I might as well tell ya. This water is actually recycled urine!

Paul spits out a mouthful, and everyone looks ill/horrified.

No 30
Toadie and Sonya are discussing what Dipi will think about Shane being pipped to the post for The Waterhole manager's job by Sheila, and Toadie's role in making it happen. Sonya notices Cassius pruning the Kennedys' bushes out of the window and, even though he's Not In This Episode™, gets very hot under the collar watching him!

SONYA: It's nice to have him back on the street!
TOADIE: So is it nice, or is it niiiiice?
SONYA: Well, I'm not complaining - put it that way.
TOADIE: You are terrible!
SONYA: I don't see you complaining about it either! Maybe I need to remind you of just how niiiiice it is.

They start pashing, while Sonya continues to look out of the window with one eye!

TOADIE: I can see that!
SONYA: I know!

Nell comes in and interrupts their pash! She's packed her bag ready for her playdate, but has forgotten her drink bottle, so runs off to find it. Sonya and Toadie remark on how tall she's getting.

SONYA: Is it just me, or was that terrifying?
TOADIE: Yeah, she just grew like a whole nother metre right in front of us.
SONYA: She'll be moving out next!

Toadie wants to resume the pash, but Sonya's lost the urge...

Harold's Café
Sonya and Toadie join Mark in the café, who reports that Fay is happy to be back in Adelaide, and Tyler is starting to pick up after his low spell. Mark then says that the Rebecchis seem 'a bit flat' - Sonya replies that it's because Nell has a busier social life than they do, and is growing up too fast. They high-five over her lack of supermarket tantrums these days, but their hearts aren't in it.

Aaron appears, and moans that his social media feed is full of baby stuff. Mark suggests it's because he announced his engagement; the algorithm must have decided that having kids is next on the cards! Aaron remarks that one of the posts that's popped up is a free consultation at the hospital's fertility clinic open day. Toadie and Sonya are both suddenly paying attention.

Aaron says that the promo code is only good for today, and Mark teases that he could surprise David by taking a fertility test. Mark and Aaron leave.

TOADIE: Shall we have lunch since we're here?
SONYA: We've got nothing else to do.

The Waterhole
Chloe and Terese are sorting out Sheila's employment paperwork. Terese checks Chloe will be OK working with Sheila after her fall-out with her mum. Chloe says they probably won't be besties, but that it's 'all over, red rover'. Terese is pleased, since she has 'enough personal drama on her plate'.

TERESE: My stepson has made a surprise visit.
CHLOE: And that's not good?

Terese explains about the black eye, and that Ned got caught up with a biker gang a couple of years ago - she's worried he'll bring trouble into their lives, and doesn't want to risk Piper's stability. Chloe offers to have a chat to Ned.

CHLOE: I'll only pry a teeny, tiny bit.
TERESE: I'm still your boss.
CHLOE: And I want to help you! (...) All you need to do is show me what Ned looks like.

The Flametree Retreat
A furious Dipi is pouring away the jugs of recycled water, while Paul glares at Shane.

SHANE: I was just trying to open minds!
PAUL: By opening your bladder?!

Dipi tears into Shane for humiliating her. Amy tries to defuse the tension by remarking that Jimmy would love this story.

AMY: Some people even say it has health benefits!
PAUL: Like dysentery?!
SHANE: No, we drink it all the time at home, and -
DIPI: *You* do, Shane!

Dipi apologises for the distress caused, adding to Gary that she'll explain to all the other guests so it won't reflect badly on the Retreat. But Gary is very annoyed, noting he doesn't have the appropriate council permits to serve wee on the menu! Word of mouth alone could ruin the business, and how would he explain that to Steph?

SHANE: I'm so sorry. It was selfish of me. I cannot apologise enough.
PAUL: No! No, sorry is not going to cut it!

Paul announces he's cancelling his donation to Dipi's theatre fund, and marches off. Amy tells them he'll calm down, and rushes off to follow him. Dipi stares at a sheepish Shane and shakes her head.

Harold's Café
Toadie and Sonya are looking at pictures from Nell's playdate, and getting all wistful. Sonya announces that their afternoon without Nell is 'a gift', and that they should make the most of it. They start pashing again, intending to head home and pick up where they left off earlier. As Toadie's going to pay, Paul comes in.

PAUL: Your brother is a disgrace.
TOADIE: Oh, you drank the water?
PAUL: Yeah, yeah. I should sue him.
TOADIE: Yeah, it could take a while to trickle down through the legal system.
PAUL (fuming): ...
TOADIE (trying not to laugh): Sorry.
PAUL (to waitress): Macchiato, double shot, please.
TOADIE: That should kill the nasties!

Sonya asks Paul if he's had any word from his contacts on the search for Andrea. He says not yet.

TOADIE: I know our three months is nearly up, but you can never tell when a breakthrough's gonna happen, can you?
PAUL: Yeah, well, in my experience, the longer it takes, the greater the chance is that she's gone for good.

Paul promises to check again, but tells them not to hold their breath. This conversation seems to change the Rebecchis' minds about heading home to TITTNL™, and they each make excuses to be elsewhere.

The Waterhole
Ned has come in to ask about job vacancies, and Chloe appears from nowhere. She remarks that his black eye won't impress prospective employers, and gets out her make-up to cover the bruise!

NED: ... Err, we don't know each other, right?
CHLOE: Chloe.
NED: Ned. Thanks, but I don't need any make-up.
CHLOE: It's concealer. You can use it to cover up anything. Scars, hickeys - here.

She leads an unwilling Ned to a seat!

CHLOE: See, I used to know this prince of a minor European country. The amount of marks I had to cover up on him! Mind you, they were made by me (...) I used to walk his mother's dogs. She would not have *pupp-roved* of us!

Chloe laughs at her terrible pun, and begins to apply the concealer!

NED: Are you for real?
CHLOE: Look, once this is done I will shout you a coffee.
NED: Err, who are you?!
CHLOE: Chloe, remember! Rhymes with 'snowy' - like this country I was telling you about? Here, hold still.

Ned looks bewildered as Chloe paints over his bruise!

The Flametree Retreat
Shane's itinerary of contrition begins in earnest, with a devastated Dipi. He explains he was just trying to drum up interest in his urine converter.

DIPI: Yeah. Promoting your dream at the expense of mine (...) You embarrassed Gary; you put his job and Steph's business on the line.
SHANE: I know, I feel terrible.

Dipi thinks Paul will pull the family from the Face of Lassiter's campaign too; and when she hears that Sheila got the manager's job at The Waterhole, that's the icing on the cake. Shane says he needs to concentrate on his inventions, even if Dipi doesn't believe in them.

DIPI: Don't put this back on me.
SHANE: I'm not pulling my weight, I'm not contributing enough to the family - that's what you think, isn't it?
DIPI: Look, you've put everything into your passion, Shane. I respect that. But sometimes, it does feel like you put us second.
SHANE: But I do it all for you. For you and the kids. I mean, I came so close with Rolli! I know I can do it, I just have to keep trying!
DIPI: Shane, I want you to follow your dreams. I want the world to see you shining!
SHANE: And that's what I want for you too!
DIPI: Oh - well, you know, for a moment there, I did see the full cast on stage. I could hear the audience stamping their feet.
SHANE: We can still make Flapper happen, love.
DIPI: No, no - not without financial backing.

Shane promises he'll pick up more shifts at the pub to contribute to the family finances.

SHANE: But please, love, don't ever doubt my commitment to you and the kids.

Dipi just sighs and walks away, leaving Shane feeling guilty.

The Waterhole
Chloe is done an adequate, if noticeable, job on Ned's bruise.

CHLOE: I was punched in the face once - a little old lady in Puerto Rico. I got in the way of her telenovela (...) What happened here?

Ned again makes the claim that he had an accident with an overhead locker on the plane. Chloe asks why he's come back to Erinsborough.

NED: I didn't tell you that I was back from somewhere.
CHLOE: ... Oh, you must have! How else would I have known? Gold Coast, I think you said.

Ned is suspicious and gets up to leave, so Chloe admits she's Terese's assistant and that she showed her Ned's photo, which is how she recognised him. She says Terese is worried Ned could be involved with his old bikie mates again, and doesn't want Piper affected. Ned says he was just involved in a 'bit of a scrap' over a woman, but that he's not involved with her and it's unlikely to happen again.

CHLOE: Might've been better to be honest, then?
NED: Oh, because that's a rule you live by? (!)
CHLOE: Touché!

They smile at one another.

No 24 / Erinsborough Hospital
Aaron gets a phone call from Toadie, asking if he could send him the promo code for the free fertility consultation at the hospital.

TOADIE: Also, could you please not tell Sonya?
AARON: Hold on. So, you're clearly thinking about having a kid, but you're not gonna tell your wife?
TOADIE: It's complicated.

Toadie explains that they had decided to wait and find Andrea before trying for more kids.

AARON: Seems logical.

No, it really doesn't!! Anyhow, Toadie says it looks like they won't find Andrea now, so he's keen to get on with making a baby - but he doesn't want to put pressure on Sonya. However, just as he finishes the conversation with Aaron, Sonya herself walks through the hospital doors!

BOTH: What are you doing here?!

The Flametree Retreat
Amy is leaving a message on Jimmy's answerphone; she's been unable to talk to him yet today, and is clearly feeling his absence. She's been summoned back to the Retreat with Paul by Shane, who is still in contrition mode.

Gary says he's calling all the guests individually to apologise, Dipi having already done so in person. He thinks that this should resolve the urine scandal, although he's clearly still furious with Shane.

Shane asks Paul if his family are still going to be the Face of Lassiter's, adding that he doesn't want to see the kids punished for his mistake. Prompted by Amy, Paul grudgingly mumbles that a change of Face would be bad for the hotel.

Shane then asks if Paul could find it in his heart to allow Dipi to hold another fundraising event at the hotel, in lieu of his pledged donation. Again, Amy pushes Paul into agreeing. She suggests that a sponsored dance marathon would be the perfect format for the event, and Paul seems to go for this. Shane offers to buy Paul a coffee to chat about it.

PAUL: Talk, sure - but how about I sort out my own beverage, hey?

They both laugh, Paul rather sarcastically!

Erinsborough Hospital
Toadie admits to Sonya that he called Aaron for the promo code.

TOADIE: What was your plan?
SONYA: I was gonna charm my way in!
TOADIE: I didn't want to put any pressure on you, just in case you weren't ready for this.

They each admit that what Paul said earlier about Andrea got them thinking.

SONYA: We just can't let this woman rule our lives any more, okay? And we're obviously - I mean, we're on the same page, aren't we?
TOADIE: So you want to do this?
SONYA: Yeah.

They smile, and head in for the fertility consult together.

The Waterhole
Chloe and Ned are chatting more amiably now, as Chloe continues to dig for detail on Ned's black eye, assuming he was involved with the woman who was the subject of the fight - but Ned's unwilling to break Leo's confidence, so doesn't explain what really happened. At that moment, Mark saunters in, and is unimpressed to see Ned back in town and so cosy with Chloe!

MARK: Ned! What are you doing here?!
NED: Oh, you know.
MARK: No, I don't.

Ned clocks Mark's mechanic overalls and smirks.

NED: Bit of a career change?
MARK: Clearly. I see you've met my sister.

Ned's quick to make his exit when he learns Chloe and Mark are related! Mark sits down and warns Chloe that Ned is trouble, and adds that he's Elly's ex-boyfriend. Chloe puts two and two together, and starts to think Ned was fighting over Elly! Mark tells her to let it go, saying Ned isn't the kind of guy she should hang around with.

Chloe is about to go and make a phone call, but Mark encourages her to stay for a coffee, so they can talk about non-Ned-related topics. Chloe agrees, but looks intrigued by what she's learned about the newcomer.

No 22
Ned returns home, and Terese is surprised to see his bruise is gone! He explains Chloe painted over it for him. Terese apologises for getting Chloe to spy on Ned, but he's fine with it, saying he knows Terese was worried about Piper. Ned adds that he's looking for temporary work in the area to help pay his way while he's here. Terese thanks him, and walks off, apparently placated.

Once she's gone, Ned gets on the phone to a mystery acquaintance.

NED: Hey, yeah, it's me... Yeah - yeah, of course questions were asked, but I dealt with it... Trust me, no-one here knows why I'm really back, alright? ... And no-one ever needs to.

Erinsborough Hospital
Sonya is quiet following the fertility consult, telling Toadie it was a lot to take in. Toadie seems excited about the prospects of IVF being an option for them, but Sonya says it doesn't always work.

TOADIE: Are you sure you're ready for this? After losing Caitlin?
SONYA: I'm scared. But, you know, we're doing this together, aren't we?
TOADIE: We can wait.
SONYA: No - no, I'm ready. I am. I'm - I know it's gonna be a long and expensive process. And there are no guarantees. But I want another child, if it's possible. I want to give Nell and Callum a little brother or a little sister.
TOADIE: So we are gonna try to have another baby?
SONYA: Yep.
TOADIE: Are we really gonna do this?
SONYA: Yes!

They celebrate delightedly, and kiss.

TOADIE: I love you.
SONYA: I love you! I love you.
TOADIE: I love you.

The Flametree Retreat
Gary is still on the phone apologising to Shane's urine-water victims, when Amy comes in to buy some chamomile tea. When Gary asks if it's to help her sleep, she admits she's been a bit unsettled, but says it's time to get back on track again.

GARY: Has Jimmy called yet?
AMY: Ah, no. It's fine, you know. He's having an amazing time, and couldn't be happier.
GARY: Must be tough, not being there to share it.
AMY: ...
GARY: You're his mum - he misses you. Never doubt that for a second.

Gary goes to fetch Amy some chamomile from the storeroom - but while he's gone, she starts pinching other products from the shelf and putting them in her bag! However, Gary comes back in a second later, and catches her in the act!

GARY: Amy - what are you doing?!

Coming up on Neighbours
- Paul asks Gary why he's 'talking to my daughter like that', as Amy looks worried
- Sonya and Toadie are looking at a photo of Andrea; Toadie asks if Sonya still wants to contact her
- Willow is back in town, and turns up at No 30
- Piper tells a tense- looking Cassius that she likes him, and thinks he feels the same
- Bea asks 'Patrick' if she can 'tell them it's from you'; Finn responds, 'And ruin the surprise?'
- Finn is in a car, on a phone, while looking at Xanthe and Piper outside Grease Monkeys