Previously
- Wendy coming second in the amateur jewellery competition.
- Nicolette inadvertently telling Remi her memory return might be due to a project Dex did.
- Remi resolute in wanting her life back.
- Nell freaking out when watching a movie with JJ and rushing out of the house.
- Nell telling JJ she's heading to Colac for a few days.
- Jane/Nicolette reassuring each other that they made the right decision telling Aaron to go.
- Now that he has proof about Andrew/Holly, Aaron isn't sure what to do with it.
- Aaron confronting Andrew and he begs for him not to say anything.
- Cara receiving the brunt of Andrew's bad mood when she approaches him with a work related issue.
- Wendy arriving home and hearing Holly say that she will be none the wiser.
Number 26 (garden)
Its like a stand- off at the O.K. Corral with everyone standing there saying nothing and feeling awkward before Aaron breaks the silence... but lies and says it related to the jewellery competition. Thankfully for Andrew/Holly, Wendy totally buys what Aaron has said and talk turns to setting up for Aaron's farewell party and Wendy heads inside to do that. With Wendy away, Andrew/Holly sincerely thank Aaron for lying but he informs them that his lying was for Wendy and Max.
Number 24
With party prep in full mode, Jane and Remi head outside to sort the BBQ which leaves Cara free to ask Nicolette how Remi found out about Dex's assignment [which they were keeping quiet from her]. Nicolette looks somewhat flustered and comes up with the excuse that she didn't know it was being kept a secret.
Number 32 (garden)
Sadie comments on how good the second pair of earrings Max is wrapping up for Holly look. He jokes that if Holly doesn't like these, Sadie might end up with them for her birthday instead! Sadie's attention is briefly changed from the earrings to staring at Taye towelling himself down after coming out of the pool, before Max pulls her back to reality talking about the earrings. After she says her farewells to Max, Taye is curious to know if Sadie said anything about him (no) but Max does report that she was checking him out.
Ramsay Street
As they set up for the party, Aaron updates Rhett over what happened when he confronted Andrew/Holly, but the chat is curtailed when Wendy approaches with a farewell gift.
WENDY: You are a legend of a neighbour and the best co- worker ever.
Aaron promises though not to blab to Jane/Nicolette what she's just said to him as the pair share a hug.
Number 30
JJ seeks his mum's opinion of the shirt he plans to wear. Cara is confident Nell will like it, and with his mum's endorsement, he heads off to his room. This allows Andrew to come into the house and apologise over how he was before with her and comes up with a plan over how they can take her concern about the Linwell brothers seriously.
Ramsay Street
Thankfully Aaron is the only person picking up the looks between Holly/Andrew, as the rest are too busy socialising.
Max hands over the earrings to Holly and she is thrilled with them, so much so that Wendy comes over to see them and jokes that he could give Andrew pointers on how to make a girl happy! When Max calls for a farewell photo with Aaron/Rhett, Holly plasters on a fake smile.
Barely seconds after the photo is taken by Wendy, Holly makes an excuse to leave the party. Aaron takes her leaving as a way to have a chat with Holly and runs after her.
(Later)
JJ is thrilled to have Nell back from Colac and since he's driven her back, Toadie joins in with the party too.
Number 28 (garden)
Holly is having a mini panic attack when she spots Aaron arriving. She pleads with him that she needs some time "and then all of this will go back to normal."
HOLLY: I know what we've done is terrible. I've been cheated on before, and now I've done it to somebody else, and I've dragged you into it.
AARON: Andrew is married. Wedding vows mean something. I even still wear my wedding band that I got from David.
Angrily, she replies back that maybe he shouldn't and just at this point, they spot that Rhett is in the garden too. Holly apologises for her outburst [as Aaron starts playing with his wedding band] and tells the pair to go have fun. She also adds that they need to trust her regarding Andrew before heading off.
"Did that give you reassurance?" Rhett asks and Aaron isn't sure. Having had it pointed out, plus the fact Aaron is playing with the wedding band too, Rhett brings its presence up.
When we come back from the commercial break, Aaron confesses that he's thought about taking it off, however while he is looking forward to a new life with Rhett, he doesn't want to erase the past either. Rhett suggests that he could give the ring to Isla when she's older and as a compromise for now, suggests that he wears it on a different finger.
RHETT: I would never want to erase a single thing about you.
Ramsay Street
The party is in full swing when Aaron and Rhett rejoin it. Not surprisingly, Sadie turns down taking Taye on at foosball if he were to go and get the table.
Aaron spots Toadie and the pair share a hug before Toadie reveals his special t- shirt of the occasion - one featuring a very toned muscular body. Karl spots that Nell isn't exactly in the party mood, more like she's at a wet weekend in Blackpool, but Toadie reassures him she is okay.
Number 24
Cara (and briefly Remi too) are in getting more food for the party from Jane when Nicolette comes out of her room - with the mood she is in, she could quite easily be in Blackpool with Nell too! Jane picks up on her daughter's mood and asks why she is sniping at Cara. Nicolette denies Jane's thinking that they've fought and instead asks what the third degree is about. Jane's rationale is she'll need support [when Aaron goes] but when Nicolette replies that with Cara getting close to Remi again, she won't have time to be with her. It dawns on Jane that her daughter is jealous, although Nicolette emphatically denies that is the case!
Number 32 (garden)
Leo has arranged to meet Aaron in the garden of #32, a place which meant so much to David and Aaron. The pair have both thought a lot about David today and Aaron admits that its going to be "really different being based away." As a reassurance to Aaron, Leo promises to be there for Isla should she need it.
Their conversation is interrupted when Nicolette arrives - she is in need of their support to keep her away from Jane because she is being nosy! The boys laugh at her predicament, and she isn't pleased that her buffer [from Jane] will be going although Aaron reminds her she still has Sam.
NICOLETTE: No, I need a whole wall of people!
Once he's finished laughing, Aaron admits he will miss the place, but this statement has set the tears off in Nicolette.
Ramsay Street
The party is in full swing and the farewell pressies are mounting up along with the farewell hugs. Thankfully it is only Aaron who is noticing the looks still going on between Holly/Andrew.
Number 28 (garden)
Karl has nipped home to get more herbs from his garden when Aaron comes calling. He is after a word with Karl about his daughter as he has concerns she is "addicted to drama." Karl literally scoffs at this, commenting back to Aaron that things are going well for Holly, but Aaron feels she will "throw a spanner in the works" - Aaron can't exactly spill as to why he's saying this, so instead puts it down to his "gut feelings" and wants Karl to "keep an extra eye on her."
Ramsay Street
It's time for the farewell speeches and Paul gets everyone's attention to begin, knowing he "couldn't let this occasion pass without saying a few words."
PAUL: I'm a guy who tends to see the good in people.
This has the RSRs gathered today in hilarity, but Paul carries on.
PAUL: But with this guy, all I saw was an oiled up meathead who was belly dancing nearly naked on my bar! You know, even though he sullied that establishment, he did right by a much more important one... my family. You see, what he brought to that...
Paul begins to choke up at this point before carrying on
PAUL: Aaron made David the happiest man in the world because he's a good, kind, honest bloke and a wonderful father as well. And that's why I have nothing but love and respect for him. You know, you might have married into this clan, but I actually see you as a son and I always will.
Once Paul composes himself again, he raises a toast to "Aaron and Rhett" which the RSRs repeat back before it is Aaron's turn to speak.
AARON: What can I say? My time on Ramsay Street... look, I have had some of the happiest memories of my life here. And yeah, some of the most painful. But you know what, with every smile and every laugh and every tear, I have had the most amazing people just smiling and laughing and crying with me.
Aaron takes a pause there too look around the RSRs gathered before continuing.
AARON: Yeah, this will always be my home, no matter what.
Aaron then has "the most brilliant idea" and suggests that the suburb should be renamed as "Aaronsborough"! which causes great hilarity for the RSR... except for Nell who is crying full on.
AARON: To Aaronsborough.
RSRs: To Aaronsborough!
The crying Nell decides to leave the gathering, and JJ follows suit while Isla takes advantage to run towards Aaron where she is enveloped in a hug from her dad along with an "I love you" too.
Number 22
Nell is tyring to compose herself when JJ enters the house and puts her sadness down to Aaron leaving and he offers to keep her company in the house rather than going back out to the farewell party. Nell thinks he is "so sweet" for his offer and adds that she likes him "for so many reasons" as well as caring about him so much.
The lass is really fighting back the tears and tells him that while in Colac, she realised something had been building inside her for a while but can't say exactly when it started.
NELL: You are my best friend JJ, and I love you so very much, but my feelings for you, they're not romantic.
JJ: Have I... have I done something wrong?
NELL: No, no. I just realised that we're not meant to be, not in that sense. I really, really hope that we can stay friends, but I can't be with you.
JJ is shocked at what Nell as said to him and trying to control himself from crying, silently walks out of the house.
Ramsay Street
With help from Isla, Aaron finishes loading up his car for the journey to Adelaide. He then shares a hug with her before inviting Jane in for one too. He thinks she will miss him tyring to protect her from Nicolette!
JANE: I won't deny that!
Nicolette turns down the public farewell hug, but she's given no choice in the matter as Aaron comes to her since she is stationary! Her rationale for not hugging is that it means he won't go but Isla intervenes to tell her mum she has to hug! Caving in, Nicolette hugs it out and Aaron tells Isla to be nice to her mum and for Nicolette to look after Sam and "hug Isla 80 times a day for me!"
Aaron returns Isla to her mum's arms before hugging Leo and waving farewell to the RSR and with the pair safely in the car, drives out of Ramsay Street.
Just as the street is getting used to life without Aaron, it looks like the street will have a ready- made replacement as Paul gets a text from his daughter Elle saying that she's quit her job, rented out her apartment and is on a flight from New York that will arrive in the morning! A very happy end to the day for Paul!
Coming up on Neighbours
- Paul telling Terese about Elle's arrival.
- Toadie warning Terese about Elle!
- Maddy asking if Cara knows she is with Nicolette?
- Dex having it out with Nell.
