Outside No. 32/Ramsay Street
Henry and Scott are unloading gardening equipment by the side of the road outside No. 32, Henry saying they'll get Mrs. Mangel started after lunch, then the girls can take over from them and they'll move onto the next one. Scott smiles that it's great how everyone's clubbed in - although it makes him feel kind of guilty. Henry starts wheeling a wheelbarrow of equipment up the garden path, but Scott warns him quickly to remember his back. Henry suggests that they have a quick dip in the pool before they start, as Beverly said it might be good for his back. He adds:

HENRY: I feel lousy I still can't pull my full weight, mate.
SCOTT (patting Henry on the back and making him wince): Don't worry, you've done your best. Oh - sorry!

With that the two of them head across the road to No. 24, to take a dip. Neither of them notices as Bouncer leaps across the front lawn and goes to start digging in the flower beds! Meanwhile, Jim pulls up his car in the driveway of No. 26 and he and Todd climb out. Scott calls across to ask how things went, but Jim just replies curtly that it's all done. He then orders Todd inside. Henry remarks to Scott that Jim seems pretty uptight.

No. 26
Jim and Todd head inside the house, where Beverly asks if the gardening went all right. Jim just retorts that it did. Mrs. Mangel is sitting on the couch. Jim says good afternoon to her but asks if she'd mind if he had a word with his wife in private. Mrs. Mangel stands up and says coolly:

MRS. MANGEL: Well, as I'm apparently in the way...

Beverly says she's sorry: she's not sure what's happened. Mrs. Mangel looks at Todd and tells him that she hopes he's been behaving himself. Beverly sees her to the door and she leaves. Jim emerges from the bedroom area, followed by Katie. He's holding a box full of various items, and he says to Beverly:

JIM: Take a look at this.

He puts the box down on the coffee table and Beverly looks in it. She finds the bottle of orange juice that was missing, a cake, biscuits, cheese, sausage rolls... She then exclaims that she *thought* the wedding leftovers disappeared pretty quickly. Jim looks at Todd and says tersely:

JIM: After your little effort this afternoon, it occurred to me you might have *other* food stashed away. [To Beverly, indicating the box] I found this under his bed.

Beverly asks Jim what he means by Todd's 'little effort this afternoon'. Jim explains about how he ordered sandwiches from the Coffee Shop, they went missing and how, while he was talking to Harold and Mike, Todd stole a couple of doughnuts. Todd cries:

TODD: I didn't steal them. Some customers had left them on a plate.
JIM (raising his voice): Todd *stole* some doughnuts and when I checked his bag, I also found the missing sandwiches.

Beverly looks at Todd and asks why on earth he'd want to steal food; surely they've been feeding him enough? Todd doesn't answer. Beverly looks at Katie, who's standing next to Todd, and asks if *she* knows about this. She nods her head, warily. Jim says tersely to Katie:

JIM: I'd like to know what's going on.
TODD: Don't start on *her*.
JIM (snaps): I'm going to get to the bottom of this, Todd, no matter how long it takes me.

Todd stares at Jim defiantly.

Outside No. 32
Mrs. Mangel walks up the driveway of No. 32 and notices the gardening tools left lying around. She mutters to herself that Henry Ramsay is so untidy. She then notices that one of her plants has been dug up, and she bends down to it, sighing sadly:

MRS. MANGEL: No... Oh no...

No. 26
Jim and Beverly are sitting in the lounge room with Todd and Katie. Beverly is telling Katie that no one's going to punish her; they just want to know why she did this. Todd stands up and snaps:

TODD: It's not her fault; it's *mine*. Just leave her out of it and I'll tell you.

He goes on:

TODD: You know... mum and dad fight a lot. It's not really anyone's fault - I mean, dad gets aggro, but he's got reasons. He had work in Western Australia, but that ran out, and when he came back o Adelaide, he couldn't find anything. Mum got a job, but there wasn't much money to spare.
BEVERLY (sympathetically): Oh, I wish I'd known they were having such a bad time of it.
TODD: Thing is, dad started to get mad about mum earning the money. Guess he sort of felt guilty about living off her. He'd get really angry and they'd fight.
JIM: Sounds pretty rough.
BEVERLY: You poor kids...
TODD: Mum did her best. She tried not to fight with dad, but he was always picking on her; always starting something. I suppose she just gave up trying to be nice. Soon she was yelling back at him just as much as he was at her. If *we* said anything, we'd get slapped. I got scared. I thought one day they might get so mad at each other that they'd take it out on Katie.
JIM: Must've been a bit of a relief to you when Hilary came and took you away from there.
TODD: Yeah - and I realised if we were gonna get away for good, this was our chance.
BEVERLY: You mean you were going to run away *again*?
TODD: To Queensland.
JIM: Queensland? Last time, you said you were trying to go and see a mate of yours who lives in Windsor.
TODD: That was only to get provisions - then I was going to head up- north. I reckoned I'd be able to get a job fruit- picking and then get a room for the two of us; even send Katie to school.
BEVERLY: So the food was being saved up for the trip?
TODD: Yeah. Well, we would've had to hitchhike most of the way. I thought it might take us a couple of days.
BEVERLY: Weren't you happy living here with *us*?
TODD: It's OK - but you're going to send us home soon, aren't you?
BEVERLY: Well, if you'd talked to us, we could've arranged for you to stay on longer.
TODD (tersely): You've just got married. You don't want *us* hanging around - *do you*?

Todd looks at Jim pointedly.

No. 24
Henry and Scott leap into No. 24 through the back door, towels wrapped round their waists, laughing as they do so! Scott asks Henry how his back is now and Henry grins that Beverly was right: a bit of exercise in the pool's done it the world of good; he can feel it loosening up. He adds that maybe he'll be able to dance with Sally tonight! There's suddenly a knock on the front door and Scott runs to get it. Mrs. Mangel bursts in and, pointing a finger at Henry, says curtly:

MRS. MANGEL: There you are, you young vandal.
HENRY (grins): Ah, Mrs. Mangel, looking for *me*, eh?
MRS. MANGEL (tersely): I assume you're responsible for that mess on my lawn? I've been waiting for you to come back.

Henry explains quickly that he and Scott are just taking a lunch break. Mrs. Mangel tells the two of them to get their clothes on immediately and come over. Henry glances at Scott and then says to Mrs. Mangel:

HENRY: Well, we were just about to have a skinny dip in the pool!
MRS. MANGEL (aghast): What?

With that, Henry and Scott both pull back their towels to reveal their lower regions! Mrs. Mangel turns away in horror and exclaims:

MRS. MANGEL: Have you no decency?!

When she turns back, she realises that both guys have trunks on, but she snaps at Henry that she does not appreciate his warped sense of humour - and she'd like to hear his explanation for the wanton destruction of her prize rose bush. Henry looks at her blankly. Mrs. Mangel goes on:

MRS. MANGEL: What did you think you were doing, digging it up like that?
SCOTT: We only left the tools there, Mrs. Mangel; we hadn't even started gardening yet.
MRS. MANGEL (taken aback): Well if you didn't, who *did*?
HENRY: Who knows? Perhaps Mrs. Daniels' ghost is on a rampage of Ramsay Street?!

No. 26
Jim is standing in the kitchen with Beverly, asking her what on earth he says to the kids. He adds that Todd hit the nail on the head: they *are* just married; they *do* want to spend time on their own. Beverly tells him that Todd and Katie aren't the sort of kids you can lie to; she thinks they should try and be as honest as possible. Jim sighs, picks up two cups of tea and heads through to the lounge room. He puts the cups down in front of the kids and then says:

JIM: Todd, what you said earlier about us wanting to be alone... well, you were quite right. It's quite natural for a newly- married couple to want to spend time by themselves. On the other hand, we have the rest of our lives to spend together; plenty of time to be alone - so there's no great hassle, is there?
BEVERLY: And we feel we've got enough love and happiness to be able to share it with you two.
TODD: But you're going to send us home in the end, aren't you?
BEVERLY: Well, eventually. You'd miss your mum and dad too much if we didn't, wouldn't you? Only this afternoon, Katie wanted me to 'phone her mum.

Todd looks at Katie for confirmation, and she nods. Beverly admits:

BEVERLY: She was pretty busy at the time.
TODD (mutters): Busy fighting with dad. I *knew* it. Goes on all the time: if mum's not at work, they're fighting. We love them both, but we don't want to go back to that - ever.

Jim insists that once Bob and Annette know how the kids feel, it might make a difference. Todd, however, says he doesn't think *anything* will. Jim asks them to at least let him and Beverly give it a try - and to promise not to try to run away again until they try and sort things out. Todd murmurs:

TODD: OK - but I don't reckon *anything* will change mum and dad. Not now.

Coffee Shop
Helen is sitting at the counter in the Coffee Shop, telling Harold that everything's very quiet since Hilary left: no strange wailings in the middle of the night and not a sign of a ghost! Harold smiles that it's amazing the utter rot some people believe in! He then muses thoughtfully that that might make a very interesting article for the Erinsborough News: he could do an exposé on all the mumbo jumbo that people accept as truth! Helen asks curiously:

HELEN: Why are you so suddenly interested in the Erinsborough News?
HAROLD: Oh, well, I thought it would be a good way to make some extra money - but I'd like to do a story that people could identify with; one that could even do some good in the community.
HELEN: Writing isn't as easy as all that, you know! You have to have a talent for it.
HAROLD (chuckles): If Scott can do it, *anyone* can do it.

Helen gives Harold a look, and he adds quickly that he was joking. Helen heads out.

Front garden of No. 32
Henry is examining the area where Mrs. Mangel's rose has been dug up. He spots paw prints and remarks that it's been done by an animal. Mrs. Mangel exclaims:

MRS. MANGEL: You mean some stray creature has been in my garden?

At that moment, Bouncer trots across and Scott muses:

SCOTT: Speak of the devil!

Mrs. Mangel sighs and asks what Bouncer is doing out of the Clarke yard again. She then says to Henry that if *he'll* kindly deal with the rose bush, *she'll* deal with the culprit. She leads Bouncer off into the house, leaving Scott to laugh:

SCOTT: Poor Bouncer, eh?
HENRY (chuckles): I'd hate to be in his *paws* right now!

No. 32
Mrs. Mangel leads Bouncer into the lounge room, where she says to him sternly:

MRS. MANGEL: Now, Bouncer, we have to have words. You are not to keep on coming over here - remember what happened to you *last* time: you got run over; and I will not put up with you destroying my garden.

Bouncer sits down and lifts his paws up, begging. Mrs. Mangel tells him:

MRS. MANGEL: You can just stop that. I don't intend to feed you - not after what *you've* done.

Bouncer keeps begging, though, and Mrs. Mangel sighs and gives in, telling him that he doesn't deserve it, but she hasn't seen him for a very long time so she'll make an exception. She hands him a biscuit from a basket on the coffee table and, as he eats it, says:

MRS. MANGEL: Now, I hope you realise you've been severely reprimanded, so go home, Bouncer, and *stay* there.

With that, Bouncer trots off towards the door - but he then turns back to Mrs. Mangel, lifts up one paw and waves to her! Mrs. Mangel waves back before rolling her eyes and saying in bemusement:

MRS. MANGEL: Oh, for heaven's sake, don't start *that* again!

Helen's flat
Beverly is visiting Helen, telling her that at least the kids have promised not to run away again. Helen remarks that it sounds like she's had her hands full. Beverly admits that she needed Helen to talk to! She then adds:

BEVERLY: I've been expecting you to drop in. Haven't you been feeling lonely at all?
HELEN: Lonely?! I haven't had *time*! I've finally found a major gallery who's agreed to give a Frank Darcy exhibition. I've been run off my feet trying to arrange it. It's going to open next month and I'm hoping that Frank will come down for it.
BEVERLY (remarks): So we're finally going to meet the mysterious Mr. Darcy!
HELEN: Yes, well, if you do, for goodness' sake don't give him any ideas about *me*. He'd probably run twenty miles if he thought I had romantic notions about him!

Beverly sighs that she and Jim have been a bit short on the romance lately, too, considering it's their honeymoon. She adds that, frankly, she doesn't know how much she can expect him to put up with: she'd like to ask him to go to Adelaide with her and the kids, because she knows she could talk to Annette and Jim's a Vietnam veteran like Bob and might be able to get through to him. Helen remarks that it sounds like a good idea. Beverly, however, asks if she's being *fair* to Jim: they're just married and she's hitting him with all these problems concerning *her family*. Helen assures her that what they're going through now will only *strengthen* their relationship. She adds that she's sure Jim will be *happy* to go to Adelaide with her. Beverly muses:

BEVERLY: Oh, I hope so. I just get worried that he'll end up wishing he'd never married me...

No. 26
Jim is dusting the desk in the lounge room. Katie lifts up the telephone for him and Jim asks her if she'd like to *help* with the dusting: there hasn't been much done round there lately. Todd comments that having him and Katie there has really messed him and Beverly around. Jim, however, assures him that it can't be helped. Todd then says:

TODD: I want to apologise for taking that food.
JIM: Well, the one you should be apologising to is *Harold* - and I saw them arrive home a little while ago. Perhaps we should go over there?
TODD (warily): If you want...

Beverly comes in through the front door and Jim tells her that Katie's doing some dusting - he could almost write his name in the dust on the top of their dressing table! Beverly smiles and points out that she always told him she wasn't the world's greatest housekeeper! He then explains that he and Todd are going across to see Harold, as Todd wants to apologise. Beverly asks warily if that's necessary: he knows what Harold can be like. Jim replies firmly:

JIM: Yes, I think it's *very* necessary.

He and Todd head out and Beverly turns to Katie and comments that she looks as if she's good at the dusting. Katie explains that she used to help her mum a lot with the housework at home. Beverly smiles:

BEVERLY: I think you'll have to teach *me* because I think I need to learn - very quickly...

No. 32
Harold is sitting on the couch with Mrs. Mangel, saying tersely:

HAROLD: It seems to me that if Mike can't control his own dog then he should get rid of him.
MRS. MANGEL (softly): He didn't cause any *real* harm. Oh, I shouldn't have mentioned it.
HAROLD: No, no, no, no, dogs that roam the street cause a great deal of trouble. They really are a menace to the community.

Harold then exclaims that that can be the topic for his article in the Erinsborough News! He heads over to the writing desk to start work straight away. The doorbell rings suddenly and Mrs. Mangel goes to answer it. She finds Jim and Todd standing on the step and Jim tells her that they'd like to have a word with Harold. Mrs. Mangel invites them to go through. They head into the lounge room, where Jim tells Harold that Todd has something he wants to say to him. Harold looks at Todd intently. Todd says:

TODD: I'm sorry - I shouldn't've taken those doughnuts.
HAROLD: Well, now, I am very pleased that you realise that. It's far too easy for young people to slide into a life of crime if their transgressions go unchecked.
TODD (indignantly): I wasn't stealing. The doughnuts had already been paid for by the customer. You would've just thrown them out anyway.
HAROLD (retorts): That is really not the point. The point is that they were not paid for by *you*.

Harold then turns to Jim and asks him what form of punishment he's chosen. Jim, however, replies that, under the circumstances, he doesn't feel any is necessary. Harold, looking aghast, exclaims:

HAROLD: Jim, juvenile delinquency can't go unchecked. I mean, how else are the young to realise the error of their ways?
TODD (snaps): I'm *not* a juvenile delinquent!
HAROLD: You're a minor, so you're a juvenile, you stole, so you're delinquent.

Jim suggests that they not start putting labels on Todd. Todd, however, snaps at Harold:

TODD: You're just an old windbag!
HAROLD: Huh! Well, so much for the apology. Yes, well, obviously this young reprobate only came here to abuse me - and quite honestly, Jim, I'm not surprised if he only has *your* attitude as an example.

Jim tells Harold coolly that he didn't come over to start an argument; they're both sorry. With that, he leads Todd out. When they've gone, Mrs. Mangel comments to Harold that she would have expected *better* of Jim Robinson - and that child is a criminal in the making, if ever she saw one.

Outside No. 32
As Jim and Todd head down the driveway, Jim asks Todd angrily why he couldn't have just apologised and left it at that. Todd retorts:

TODD: Because he *is* an old windbag.
JIM (snaps): I am not interested in your opinion of Harold. I brought you here to apologise, not to make matters worse.
TODD: But it wasn't-
JIM (yells): That's enough - I don't want to hear any more about it.

No. 26
Beverly is polishing and wiping the coffee table in the lounge room as Katie sits next to her and says one of her new dresses is too long. She asks Beverly if she can take it up. Beverly replies that she'll try, but she's not the handiest person with a needle and thread! The front door open suddenly and Jim pushes Todd in. Beverly sighs:

BEVERLY: Oh dear... what happened?
JIM: Todd called Harold a windbag.
BEVERLY (smiles): Oh well, he *can* be at times!

Jim asks Todd and Katie tersely to go to their rooms. When they've gone, Beverly tells him that she was just getting Katie to relax again. Jim replies curtly:

JIM: I am not very happy with you undermining my authority.
BEVERLY: What do you mean?
JIM: Well, first you suggest that Todd doesn't *need* to apologise to Harold, then you agree that the man's a windbag.
BEVERLY: Well, he *is*!
JIM: Look, one thing I've learned from being a parent is that you have to present children with a united front, otherwise you never get *anywhere*.
BEVERLY (flatly): I'm sorry if you feel I wasn't giving you proper support. I certainly didn't mean to undercut your authority.
JIM (sighs): Oh, that's all right. I think the whole thing's just getting on top of me, that's all.

Beverly says she knows this has been a strain for him - especially as this was supposed to be their honeymoon. She then adds that she's got something else to suggest, which he may not want to do. Jim asks what it is. Beverly tells him:

BEVERLY: I was hoping we could all go to Adelaide. I thought you might be able to get through to Bob better than I could.
JIM (frowns): Yeah, but I'm due to start back at work again tomorrow. So are *you*.
BEVERLY: I can arrange for my locum to stay on for a few more days.
JIM: It's not that simple for *me*.
BEVERLY: Darling, you're the partner in a business. Surely you can arrange for some more time off.

Jim just shrugs. Beverly insists:

BEVERLY: Look, I'm a doctor and *I* can arrange it, so why can't *you*?
JIM (curtly): Oh, I see: your job's more important than mine now, is it?
BEVERLY: I didn't *say* that.
JIM (snaps): In fact, you're so enraptured with being a doctor, you didn't even want to change your name when we got married.
BEVERLY (growls): I always *knew* you were a chauvinist, Jim.
JIM (yells): Well why did you *marry* me, then?
BEVERLY (retorts): Because I thought it was something we could eventually overcome. Now I'm not so sure.
JIM: Oh, terrific. What a wonderful way to start a marriage: one problem after another and then your wife tells you she's not sure she should've married you in the *first* place.
BEVERLY (shouts): Don't start putting words in my mouth.

Katie and Todd emerge from the bedroom area suddenly, Katie crying:

KATIE: Please. Please, stop it.
TODD: You sound just like our parents. You're no better than *they* are.

Beverly and Jim stand there looking guilty.