Wedding Venue
Brad recovers himself.

BRAD: I do.

Pam and Doug smile at each other in relief.

CELEBRANT:(slightly sarcastically) Well done. Elizabeth, will you take Bradley to be your husband? To share your life with him with tenderness and affection...

Beth glances at Lauren.

CELEBRANT: ...through all the varying experiences of your life?

Beth hesitates and the congregation start to feel uncomfortable.

BETH: I, um...I can't, I'm sorry, I can't do it.

She rushes off, followed by Brad.

CELEBRANT: Ladies and gentlemen. If you'll bear with us for a few moments, I think we have a slight attack of nerves. She follows Beth and Brad.

Hospital
Michael is feeling better and is allowed home this afternoon, much to Phil's surprise.

MICHAEL: Look, Dad, if it's too hard me moving back home...
PHIL: I want you to come home, Michael.
MICHAEL: It's no big deal, I can look after myself. I can cope on my own.
PHIL: You need somewhere to take it easy for a while. You go back to the streets, chances are you'll have a relapse.
MICHAEL: I just don't want to start any more trouble between you and Julie. I've caused enough already.
PHIL: You don't have to worry about that. I'll work something out.

Wedding Venue
All the congregation are standing around awkwardly while the celebrant talks to Brad and Beth in the distance.

BUNNY: This isn't like Beth at all. What's he done now?!
PAM: I beg your pardon?
BUNNY: The knucklehead. What's he done?
PAM: As far as we know, *Brad* hasn't done anything! (To Doug) Has he?
DOUG: No, no.
BUNNY: Well, he must have pulled some stunt to upset her like this.
PAM: Now, hold on a minute. It's not Brad we're waiting for, Beth's the one causing the problem.
DOUG: Now, come on girls, there's no point arguing.
BUNNY: I'll go and see what I can do to help.
PAM: Me too.
DOUG:(holding them back) No you won't, just calm down. They've got to work it out for themselves, whatever it is.

Wayne and Gaby are chatting and wondering what's going on. Wayne jokes that Beth wants a better pre- nuptual agreement(!)

No.32
Phil arrives home. Julie is looking out of the window and wondering how the wedding is going.

JULIE: Do you remember *our* wedding day?
PHIL: Of course I do!
JULIE: Sweetheart, I'm so pleased I've got you, it must be lonely on your own.
PHIL: Yeah. Jules...
JULIE: Philip, I'm worried about Gran.
PHIL: Why?
JULIE: Hannah says she's very lonely, now that Dad's gone.
PHIL: Yeah, that stands to reason.
JULIE: Why didn't I notice?! It shouldn't take an eight year old child to pick it up.
PHIL:(sitting her down) Because, you have a lot on your plate right now.
JULIE: Oh, that's not excuse. We're all she's got left. I know there's Rosemary and the rest of the family, but they're so far away. We're right across the street and she needs us.
PHIL: We could have her over for dinner more often.
JULIE: You wouldn't mind?
PHIL: Of course not! By the way, Michael's a lot better.
JULIE: Oh, that's good.
PHIL: Yeah, this pneumonia's put a real scare into him, it's made him take a long, hard look at himself.
JULIE: About time.
PHIL: Jules, he has changed. If you'd just give him half a chance...
JULIE: Oh, Philip, I've given him lots of chances. He's lied and deceived us every time. I'm sorry, but my charity's run out. The sooner he's released from hospital and gets out of Erinsborough, the better.

Wedding Venue
The conversation between Brad and Beth is still going on, while the celebrant stands a little way away. From their body language, things are not going well. Wayne invites Gaby to go to Sydney for a few days - his brother Troy is going to the agricultural show. Gaby says she might.

Sydney
The Alessis' flat looks on to Sydney Harbour. Benito gets a phone call from his boss to say that the shopping complex is being sold. Benito only has a contract with the *current* owners - the new Japanese staff will probably not employ him. Benito despairs and says he'll just have to try to impress the Japanese owners.

Wedding Venue
Brad and Beth have finished their conversation and come up to join the rest.

CELEBRANT: Ladies and gentlemen, I'm sorry, but Brad and Beth have asked me to tell you that the wedding will not be preceding today.

Bunny comforts Beth.

No.28
Doug, Brad and Stephen get back, but Stephen heads off straight away.

DOUG: I want to talk to you before your mother comes home.
BRAD: What's to talk about?
DOUG: Plenty, I think!
BRAD: Beth wanted to know what had been going on between me and Lauren.
DOUG: And you told her.
BRAD: Yeah. Not the stuff about the pregnancy - I couldn't.
DOUG: But you told her about er...
BRAD: Yeah.
DOUG: I'm not surprised she called it off.
BRAD: I suppose you think I'm a waste of space.
DOUG: Nah, mate. Things happen. Maybe it'll be for the best in the long run. It wasn't exactly a smooth ride to the altar, was it?
BRAD: Hardly.
DOUG: Give it a bit of time, maybe you'll patch things up. Stranger things have happened.
BRAD: I doubt it. You should have seen the look in her eyes when I told her, Dad. She was so hurt. It's the one thing I didn't want to do to her. She's not going to want to have anything to do with me again - ever.

No.24
Bunny and Phoebe are trying to support Beth.

BUNNY: If I get my hands on him, I'll wring his neck!
BETH: It's not all Brad's fault, mum.
BUNNY: Of course it is! I've crutched sheep with more brains than that boy! Come to think of it, crutching's what he deserves.
BETH: He just wasn't ready to make a commitment. I guess I knew that all along, I just didn't want to admit it to myself. When it came to the crunch, I couldn't force him to marry me.
BUNNY: For you to do what you did, Brad had to do something.
BETH: Or someone.
BUNNY: That's it. I should have known. Who is she?
BETH: It's not important.

Phoebe excuses herself to go and pick up Hope. Bunny wonders where Lauren is, and then the penny drops.

BUNNY: I see. It was Lauren, wasn't it?!

Beth nods.

BUNNY: Your own friend! By God, Beth, you live under the same roof! Haven't these people got any shame?!
BETH: Mum, stop it! it's not going to do any good, I already feel bad enough.
BUNNY: What are you going to do?!
BETH: I don't know.
BUNNY: You can't stay here. Come back with me.
BETH: I still love him, Mum.

They hug.

Lassiter's Complex
Helen pops into the Coffee Shop for a cup of tea while Pam, Wayne and Gaby tells Phil (who is sitting at a table) about the non- wedding. He is shocked.

Phil's mobile phone rings and it's Benito. He's trying to get hold of Gaby, so Phil calls her back. Benito asks her to come up to Sydney and give him a crash course on Japanese customs, and he'll pay. She turns and asks Wayne if he is going to Sydney available, then asks Phil if she can have some time off. He agrees. Benito is very pleased!

Coffee Shop
Helen and Annalise are discussing the non- wedding. Also, Helen has spoken to Paul about renting No.22, but he wants to do short- term leasing. Annalise says she needs to find somewhere soon as she hates where she is. Helen suggests that Annalise moves in with her - she'd enjoy the company. Annalise is very surprised and says she's not sure. Helen points out that she'd be close to work and her friends, and Wayne lives there, so it's not all old people. Annalise agrees.

No.28
DOUG: I don't think you can blame Beth entirely!
PAM: Can't I?! It was her decision. Poor Brad.
DOUG: Yes, well, these things are never simple.
PAM: What's that mean?
DOUG: Well, they're never black and white.
PAM: What do you know that I don't, Doug?
DOUG: Brad had a bit of a fling with Lauren and Beth found out.
PAM: 'A bit of a fling' - what's that mean?
DOUG: It's nothing, he swears to me it didn't mean anything, it was just a one- off thing.
PAM: One- off?! You mean he slept with her?!
DOUG: Well, when you say it like that it sounds...
PAM: Well how else do you say it, Doug?! He was engaged to Beth, for Pete's sake!
DOUG: Look, Pam, the poor kid's been going through agony the last few days.
PAM: Why, if it didn't mean anything?! Oh my God, chlamydia.
DOUG: You know about that?
PAM: Of course, I saw Lauren at the hospital. Oh, poor Beth. She found out all this on her wedding day! I wouldn't have just cancelled the wedding, I'd have killed him!
DOUG: I don't think he told her about the last bit.
PAM: Oh, great! That's great, Doug. Not only does he destroy one of the most important days of her life, he's probably passed on the infection to her and she doesn't even know about it! And you've know all this and didn't say anything!

Lassiter's Complex
Gaby has lined Annalise up to fill in for her while she's away. Wayne doesn't think Phil will approve!

Phoebe comes up and says she's decided to come in to work - she's so uncomfortable with Russell in the house. Gaby sympathises, and says Russell tried to hit on her the other day, it was almost like he was trying to hypnotise her.

No.24
Bunny has called a taxi for her and Neth. Just then, Lauren arrives home.

LAUREN: Hi.
BETH: Hi.
BUNNY: You've got a nerve, turning up here, you little tramp. If I had my way, you'd be horse- whipped.
BETH: Mum.
BUNNY: This is how you treat your friends, is it?! Well, now you've ruined Beth's chance of happiness, you can have Knucklehead, and you're welcome to him.

Beth sends her mum out to the taxi.

LAUREN: I'm sorry.
BETH: Lauren, don't apologise. Say what you have to, but don't insult me.
LAUREN: You must hate me.
BETH: To tell you the truth, I don't know what I feel.
LAUREN: I didn't want to hurt you. Brad didn't either.
BETH: Gee, that makes me feel better. Look, I don't care what you *meant* to do. It happened. I'm just glad I found out before I made an even bigger fool of myself. I have to go.
LAUREN: What happens now?
BETH: I don't know. Life goes on I guess. I hate to say it, but I wish I'd never met you.

No.32
Phil has brought Michael home and sits him in the lounge.

JULIE: What's he doing here?!
PHIL: Michael needs somewhere to recuperate.
JULIE: You know how I feel, Philip, and so does Michael.
PHIL: Look, he's had pneumonia for Pete's sake!
JULIE: Look, I am sorry about that. But you are not staying in this house!
PHIL: Jules, there's nowhere else, and it's not as if he's moving in.
MICHAEL: I'll go, I knew this was a mistake.
PHIL: No mate, you stay. (To Julie) He's staying. And that's final.
JULIE: Alright, then. You choose Philip. If he stays, Hannah and I move out tonight. Take your pick.