No. 26
Todd snaps at Jim that it's none of his business. Jim, however, retorts that he and Beverly have a right to know what's going on. Todd demands:

TODD: What about *our* right? How come it's all right for *you* to go snooping?

Beverly insists that Jim found Melissa's diary by accident. Todd snaps that he didn't have to *read* it. Jim, however, exclaims that it's a darn good thing he *did*. He then reads from the diary:

JIM: "September the 1st: Todd wants to get with me - I know he does. Mum would say I'm too young, but I don't want to be a child forever. September 4th: Got with Todd tonight. It was the best. I was scared, but he made it wonderful. I know he really loves me now."

He adds coolly:

JIM: Want me to go on?

Todd murmurs that he doesn't. Jim asks how far things have *gone*. Todd, however, retorts that it's not like it sounds. He goes to storm off, but Jim warns him that he'll have to talk to Melissa - *and* her parents.

No. 32
Joe is sitting at the kitchen table, trying to tie a bow-tie round his neck, practicing for the wedding, when Kerry comes in. She tells him that self-strangulation isn't the way to go! She sits down at the table and tells Joe that she thought she'd write her wedding vows. Looking surprised, Joe asks what's wrong with the ones they read out in church. Kerry tells him that the things they say to each other should be special, just for them. She asks Joe if he'll try and write some for himself. Joe nods:

JOE: Oh, um, well, er, OK, yeah, I'll give it a bash, but I don't know how, er, elegant it shall be!
KERRY: That doesn't matter. This is the one time when it really is the thought that counts.

No. 24
Bronwyn and Madge are listening to the tape that Henry and Clive made for Radio Erinsborough. When the madcap show finishes, Bronwyn asks Madge what she thought. Madge just muses:

MADGE: It's definitely Henry, but do Radio Erinsborough really need a resident lunatic?!

Bronwyn insists that it was great! Changing the subject, Madge hands Bronwyn a dish and asks her to put it in the oven. Bronwyn comments that she's starving: she didn't get a chance to have lunch today. She goes on:

BRONWYN: I hope Harold comes back soon.
MADGE: Yeah, well, apparently it won't be tonight. Maybe, if the water subsides, they'll get back tomorrow.

Bronwyn remarks that that reminds her: she's got some letters for Harold from the Coffee Shop. She goes to her bag and takes them out. She hands them to Madge, who has a quick look through them - and notices one in particular that has an Air Mail sticker on it...

No. 26
The next morning, Jim is sitting at the kitchen table, having breakfast. Beverly hangs up the 'phone. Helen calls to Todd to come and have breakfast, but he marches in and snaps that he's not hungry. Beverly tells him that Katie called.

TODD (snaps): So?

Beverly sighs that this attitude doesn't help: they're concerned about him and Melissa, and want to get to the truth of things. She continues that she thinks it would be best if she talked to Melissa herself, and she asks Todd to bring her to see her at lunchtime. The doorbell rings suddenly, and Todd says it'll *be* Melissa. He storms over to the front door and heads off to school. When he's gone, Beverly asks Helen what *she* thinks. Helen admits:

HELEN: I can't say I agree with Jim reading Melissa's diary.

She then goes on:

HELEN: Beverly, when you speak to both of them, try not to make accusations. Remember how it felt to be 14 and in love?!

Ramsay Street
Matt jogs up Ramsay Street, to where Mike is sitting on his motorbike outside No. 28, and tells him that he's taking the training seriously; Mike's going to be proud of him. With that, he heads off to No. 30 and Mike starts his bike and roars down the road, passing Melissa and Todd as he does so. Melissa is saying coolly:

MELISSA: That is really off. Reading somebody's diary is *low*.
TODD: Well, they did, and now we're in heaps of trouble. You've got to go and see Aunty Bev at lunchtime.
MELISSA: No way!
TODD: You *have* to. Why did you have to write that stupid junk in your diary, anyway?
MELISSA: It isn't junk, Todd, it was how I really feel about us.
TODD: Oh great. Are you going to tell you parents that when Uncle Jim shows them the diary?
MELISSA (looking worried): He wouldn't do that, would he?

Todd nods at her.

MELISSA (exclaims in horror): Oh fantastic. My parents are so strict they'd *kill* me if they saw what I wrote...

Swimming pool
Matt and some other kids are swimming a length of the pool as Mike instructs them. At the end of the length, Matt climbs out, but Mike demands straight away to know where he's going. Matt says he's going to have a shower: he's had enough. Mike snaps:

MIKE: You've had enough when I *say* you've had enough.

Matt retorts that he's done the warm-ups and he jogged 6km. Mike, however, shrugs that that's bad luck, and he orders Matt back in the pool. He goes on angrily:

MIKE: You made a promise that you'd put the team first if you got on. Now, on the first day, you want to make up your own rules. You've got no consideration for the work the others are putting in; no loyalty to the team. I've basically had *enough* of this act, all right? Now, *I'm* in charge here, so get back in the pool now, or otherwise you're out.

With that, Matt glares at Mike and then goes and dives reluctantly back into the water.

No. 24
Madge is sitting at the kitchen table, reading the Air Mail letter, when Helen comes in through the back door and startles her. She asks Madge if she'd like to join her at the hospital, to sit with Gloria and Gail, but Madge murmurs that she doesn't think she'd be much good in the cheering-up stakes at the moment. Looking concerned, Helen asks what's happened. Madge sighs:

MADGE: Oh Helen, I've just done a very foolish thing.
HELEN: Oh? Well, I've time for a cuppa.

Madge goes to the kettle as she explains:

MADGE: I have just steamed open a letter meant for Harold. I shouldn't have done it, I know, but I couldn't resist.
HELEN: Who was it from?
MADGE: Robyn Taylor
HELEN: I see. You're obviously very upset.
MADGE: Oh Helen, it was a *love* letter.
HELEN: Surely not!
MADGE: Oh yeah, it was all very dignified - full of stuff about, you know, she had to go away because she didn't want to come between Harold and me.
HELEN: That sounds very sensible of her!
MADGE: You just listen to *this*.

Helen tries to protest that she really doesn't think she should be privy to this, but Madge insists that she's going to tell her anyway. She reads from the letter:

MADGE: "We tried to convince ourselves that we were just friends, but it was dangerously more than that. You were too honourable to express your love..."

She breaks off in tears. Helen sympathises that she knows it's hard, but Robyn's gone now and there's been no real harm done. Madge, however, cries:

MADGE: *No harm*? He's in *love* with that woman, Helen. Where does that leave our marriage?

No. 32
Joe is sitting at the kitchen table, writing his wedding vows, when Kerry comes in and asks if she can have a look. Joe, however, tells her that his brain hurts! Kerry explains that he should just say what he feels. Joe says:

JOE: I'm doing that. I mean, I've got the 'love' caper down pat, and I'm nearly finished with 'honour'; it's, um, 'obey' I'm having trouble with.
KERRY (frowns): *Obey*?
JOE: Yeah, you know: the bit where you promise to love, honour and obey me!
KERRY: Joe, I hate to tell you this, but there isn't going to be any 'obeying' in our wedding ceremony.

Joe exclaims indignantly that it's traditional! Kerry snaps that she doesn't care; if he thinks she's going to agree to bow--. She breaks off suddenly as Joe bursts out laughing that he really had her going! He chuckles:

JOE: I knew you wouldn't agree to the 'obey' bit. As long as 'love' gets a bit of a look in...
KERRY (smiles): Oh, I don't think *that's* going to be too hard!

No. 26
Beverly is sitting on the couch, waiting, when the front door opens and Todd and Melissa come in. Beverly thanks Melissa for coming and says she thinks it's time they had a little talk. Melissa asks Beverly if she's going to give her diary to her parents. Beverly, however, assures her:

BEVERLY: Not until we've had a chat.

Todd heads through to the kitchen to set the table for lunch. Melissa sits down with Beverly and pleads:

MELISSA: Dr. Marshall, *please* don't give my diary to my mum.
BEVERLY: For your own sake I may *have* to.
MELISSA: But you don't understand. I mean, she's so *strict*. I'm not even supposed to *have* a boyfriend. If she'd known I'd kissed Todd--
BEVERLY: *Kissed*? Isn't it *more* than that?
MELISSA: No, it isn't.
BEVERLY: Melissa, what does 'getting with' mean?
MELISSA (looking embarrassed): Well... kissing. I mean, first you hold his hand and then you sit with him a lot... and then, if he really likes you, you get with him. It's the most important moment of a girl's life.
BEVERLY (raising her eyebrows in surprise): I see. And I don't suppose your mother would understand that, would she?
MELISSA: No. She doesn't understand teenagers. So - are you going to tell?
BEVERLY: Nothing *to* tell - but Melissa, I want you to promise me that until you and Todd are considerably older, you won't do any more than 'get with' each other.
MELISSA (giggles): Dr. Marshall, we have Personal Development classes in school!

With that, Beverly tells Melissa that her diary's in the top drawer of the desk. As Melissa goes to get it, Beverly suggests to her that in future she might find a safer hiding place for it!

No. 24
There's a knock on the front door and Madge calls to the visitor to come in. It's Kerry, and she asks Madge if she's heard any more about Harold and Toby. Madge admits that she hasn't, although they were due back this morning. Kerry then tells Madge about how she and Joe have been writing their wedding vows, although she adds that she thinks Joe would somehow prefer to stick to the *traditional* values. Madge mutters:

MADGE: Nice to know *someone* thinks they're important.

Looking surprised, Kerry asks Madge if she's all right. Madge, however, retorts that she isn't - and quite frankly, she doesn't think it matters a damn *what* you say at your wedding: to some people they're just *words*. Looking astonished, Kerry comments that Madge can't be talking about *Harold*. Madge retorts:

MADGE: Can't I? Your father and I had a beautiful, traditional wedding. I believed every word I said. I committed myself to him for the rest of my life.
KERRY: I'm sure dad felt the same.
MADGE: Oh, no he didn't. Not only did he get himself involved with another woman, but he had the gall to issue an ultimatum before he left on this trip. Do you know what he said to me? He said that we couldn't go on the way we were going. Well, he was *right*.

Kerry looks at Madge in concern.

Park
Todd and Melissa are walking through a park, Melissa commenting that Dr. Marshall's OK! The two of them stop walking and start kissing. When they pull apart, Todd teases:

TODD: How you gonna write *that* one up, hey?!

Swimming pool
Matt climbs out of the pool and walks over to pick up his towel. Mike is just sitting on a bench, staring angrily into space.

No. 26
Todd is cutting himself a slice of cake as Beverly pours some coffee. She tells him that he could have asked Melissa round if he wanted, but Todd explains that she went shopping with some of her friends. Jim and Helen come in and sit down at the kitchen table. Beverly asks if there's any change with Rob, but Jim tells her that he hasn't regained consciousness. Beverly remarks that that's a worry. Helen adds that Gloria seems be to managing extremely well, but Gail's in a dreadful state. Beverly says she doesn't like the sound of that: she's under enough physical strain with the babies. She adds that she wishes there was something they could do to reassure her.

HELEN: Perhaps *you* could talk to her?
BEVERLY: Well, I'm willing to try, but I'm not sure there's anything I can say that would be honestly helpful.

Jim sighs that it seems like a *day* for unpleasant tasks: he's got to deal with Melissa's parents. Beverly, however, tells him that he doesn't: she spoke to Melissa and it seems that she and Todd haven't overstepped the mark after all; it was just a few kisses and a slight language barrier! Jim looks at Todd and asks him why he didn't *tell* them that.

TODD (shrugs): I felt dumb! The stuff that Melissa wrote in her diary was pretty wet!

Ramsay Street
Matt is standing outside No. 30 when Mike pulls up to him on his motorbike. He asks Matt for a word. Matt sighs that if it's about the training session, he's sorry. Mike, however, tells him:

MIKE: Matt, forget the apologies, all right? *I'm* the one who should be apologising. Look, you were being a little over-enthusiastic with the jogging and stuff today, but you weren't being slack, so I shouldn't have made such a big scene. I'm sorry.

He goes on that things have been getting to him lately, with work and personal stuff, and Matt isn't the only one he's been giving a hard time to - so he's decided to give them all a break. Matt asks:

MATT: What do you mean?
MIKE: Well, I had a word with Muir this afternoon and he's agreed to give me some time off - so I might just buzz off for a couple of days. But that doesn't mean I want you dropping out of the swimming team, all right? When I get back, I expect to see you making record times.

Matt shakes Mike's hand and wishes him luck.

No. 32
Kerry is sitting at the kitchen table, looking worried. Joe walks in brightly and tells her that he's got his vows done. He suggests they swap notes, but Kerry murmurs that she's not in the mood. Joe, however, insists that he's spent the whole day on his. Kerry gives in and goes and gets a notepad out of the drawer. She sits back down and reads:

KERRY: I promise to bring the sunshine of serenity to our union; to allow the winds of self-expression to flow through our lives; to bind that which is willing to be bound; to free that which longs for freedom...

She breaks off suddenly and declares:

KERRY: You know what? It's a load of rubbish.

Joe assures her that it sounded pretty - even if he didn't have much of a clue what it was on about! He then stands up and reads *his* vows:

JOE: I, Joe Mangel, promise you, Kerry Bishop, that I love you and will do everything in my power to look after you and Sky and make you happy. I know we don't always see eye-to-eye about things, but I wouldn't change that for the world; I guess that's one of the reasons I picked ya - *you*! I'm truly honoured that someone as beautiful as you would be my wife and share your life with me. I'll always be there when you need me, and me and Toby thank you and will always love you, so help me God.

Kerry smiles at Joe lovingly. She asks him tenderly if he means all that. Joe assures her that he wouldn't have said it if he didn't mean it. Kerry beams:

KERRY: It's beautiful.

No. 24
Madge is sitting watching a TV news report about the bad weather. Bronwyn comes in and exclaims that today must have been the Coffee Shop's biggest day for weeks! She sits down with Madge and asks where Henry is. Madge says she thinks he's over at Clive's, looking for records. Bronwyn asks if there's no word from Radio Erinsborough, but Madge says she suspects it's too soon. Bronwyn remarks:

BRONWYN: I guess you're right. Would have been good for Harold, though, when he got back.
MADGE (grimly): Yeah, well, I've already got a surprise planned for *him*...

There's suddenly a knock on the front door and Madge gets up and goes and answers it. She finds two police officers standing there, and one of them asks her if she's Mrs. Harold Bishop. Madge nods that she is. The officer then asks her if she's in the house alone, or if there's anyone who could keep her company for a while. Bronwyn comes to the door. Madge then asks the officer:

MADGE: What is it? What's happened?
POLICEMAN: Your husband's cub pack has been cut off by floods.
MADGE: Yeah, I *know* that.
POLICEMAN (gently): Well, it seems they tried to get back across the river. They would've been all right, but one of the boys - a Toby Mangel - he panicked. He went into the water and your husband tried to rescue him. I'm terribly sorry to have to tell you, but both were swept away by the current. At the moment, they're listed as missing, feared drowned. Sorry.

Madge looks at Bronwyn in horror.