Recap
Janelle and Sky being concerned for Bree; Bree wanting everyone to leave her alone. Rachel and Zeke tell Karl and Susan that they're going to live with relatives in Sydney. You know, the ones that never existed before.
Aaaaaahhhhh - Neighbours....
No.28
Karl and Susan are shocked at the news, and Susan suggests it might be a little bit of an over-reaction by the kids. Rachel insists that at least these relatives are real family, who don't sneak behind their backs and lie to them.
Well, duh. Until yesterday this real family didn't do anything much at all because they *didn't* *even* *exist.* You can betcha life we'll never hear about them again, either.
Susan wants to know - what about Katya? Zeke stumbles to find the words, but Katya can live near them. Karl interrupts - even if Susan *did* agree to it, it takes time to organise; they can't just up and leave.
ZEKE: Yeah, you'd like that wouldn't you?
KARL: Oh, Zeke it's not like that at all.
ZEKE: You promised me nothing was going on, Karl.
KARL: Yes, and at the time nothing was.
RACHEL: Why can't you just admit it? You lied to us, the both of you!
Karl thinks he should leave, and Rachel responds "you think?" Rach wants to know why Susan brought Karl home, and she says that he cares for the kids.
SUSAN: He also understands the importance of family.
RACHEL: Yeah, it's so important to him that he divorced you.
Susan looks utterly bewildered and very hurt, and Zeke announces that it's irrelevant because they're going.
SUSAN: I'm your legal guardian, I'm responsible for your welfare. If you think it's going to be as easy as packing your bags and walking out the door, think again.
RACHEL: Well, we'll just run away when you're not looking, then.
SUSAN: Oh grow up, Rachel. Running away's not going to solve anything and you know it.
Susan reiterates that she loves them both very much and that she wants them here with her where they belong.
SUSAN: We're a family now.
RACHEL: Really. And is Karl a part of that family, too?
Number 26
Dylan is playing with Oscar on the floor and they're crashing trucks. Janelle is knitting something for the baby, and insists on complimenting Dylan on his skills with little kids. Dylan's all embarrassed and goes all 'mum!' just as Bree and Stingray come in the lounge, arguing about baby names. Bree wants Isabelle.
What?!
Stinger thinks it's a boy, anyway, and thinks he deserves a more Timmins name, but Dylan doesn't want to talk about it. He strops off and Janelle comments that he'll make a wonderful father! Bree and Scott exchange looks...
The Kennedy House
Zeke comes out his room and announces that he's going to watch the guys at the skate bowl. Susan sits quietly at the table and doesn't say a word. She looks lost, as if she doesn't know how to get him back. Not unlike she used to when she and Karl broke up, actually. Suddenly:
SUSAN: I miss him too, you know.
She approaches him.
SUSAN: Zeke, I know you feel hurt and angry about losing your dad. But I'm not the enemy here.
ZEKE: If you really missed my dad, you wouldn't even look twice at Karl.
SUSAN: I wasn't trying to replace him. I loved him. I still do. And the only thing that's kept me going since he died is having the two of you to love and I don't want to lose that.
ZEKE: What about Karl?
SUSAN: Zeke... Come and sit down. I think you're old enough to understand the way things are. I've tried to protect you and all that's done is mess everything up. When Karl and I first started becoming close again I didn't know if it was the right thing to do. I really agonised over it. Now that's not an excuse; it's an explanation. You two are always my number one priority. Always. So I wanted to be absolutely sure how I felt about Karl before I said anything to you.
ZEKE: It wasn't just not saying anything. You lied to us.
SUSAN: Yeah. I'm sorry, that was wrong.
ZEKE: What else are you lying about?
SUSAN: I did do the wrong thing, I know. But I thought I was doing it for the right reason. Does that make any difference to the way you feel?
ZEKE: I don't wanna move away.
SUSAN: I didn't think you did.
ZEKE: I have to.
He gets up from the table and walks away. And Susan's eyes well up and she's left alone.
Number 26
Rachel tells Scotty that Karl is coming in and taking over again, and he has no right. Stingray thinks that Susan's no doormat, but Rach insists that she's sucked in, and even Katya likes him now. Rachel doesn't want Karl to take Alex's place.
Scott acknowledges that it's going to be tough for her tomorrow, on her first birthday without her dad. He tells her that Karl's not a bad man. But Rachel says she doesn't need him.
Scott tells her she has a great family - Susan to look after her, Zeke to make her look good, a hot sister...! Whereas if you take *his* family...and Scott does an impression of Janelle:
SCOTT: (in high voice) Scotty - have you seen my good brassiere? I need my bosies to look good for parent-teacher night.
Rachel smiles and Scott laughs, and he tells her that the one thing he's learnt is that everyone needs everyone; she needs Suse just as much as Suse needs her. Scott encourages her to head home for tonight - things will look different tomorrow morning. For three reasons:
1. It's her birthday and it'll be solid giftage.
2. Scott will be there and he loves her.
3. Scott will be there and he loves her.
The Kennedy House
Scott brings Rachel home, hand in hand. Susan's in the kitchen, and sounds delighted to see her home, as if she'd never return. She tells her step-daughter that it's a full house for the party tomorrow. Rachel says she'll only stay for the party, then she's going. Susan nods and looks down quietly.
Rather cruelly, Rachel turns to Scott and thanks him for being the only person she can rely on. (Apparently so much so that she's leaving him to go to Sydney...) Guilty, Scott looks over at Susan, who thanks him for bringing her home; Scott says she wanted to come, but Susan looks away.
Scott approaches Susan.
SCOTT: Listen, Suse, I'm sorry if I've made things worse, I...I didn't mean to, I...I just care about Rach, you know? I just want her to be happy.
SUSAN: I know.
SCOTT: She's lucky to have scored you as a mum.
Susan makes a 'yeah, whatever' noise and turns away again. Scott says he'll do whatever he can to try and keep her here. Close to tears, Susan takes a deep breath and tells him that it's good to hear. He tells her that the birthday stuff is probably half of it, and Susan says she's sure he's right - but that she hasn't helped.
Scott goes to leave, and Susan calls after him, approaching him in the lounge.
SUSAN: Stingray... I know that you and I have had our moments, lately, but... Thank you.
She kisses him on the cheek.
Erinsborough Hospital where Sky can't Think Of Food
Sky can't believe the morning sickness and the fact that she can't even smell food - surely it can't be this bad?! Karl says it's very normal - she could try flat lemonade and dry biscuits...? Ugh. He asks how everything else is going - how is she coping being the star of the Timmins' circus?! Sky says Janelle keeps talking about the Timmins heir...!
Karl tells her to come back in a week's time if things haven't improved.
Sky leaves, and literally runs into Dylan who opens a door into her! He's doing breakfast for the Board Meeting here, but wants to know why Sky's here. She says she had a check up, and he's worried about how she feels - she doesn't look too good.
Sky is feeling sick, and Dylan offers to run her home or sit her down, but she's fine, and runs off.
The Kennedy House
Rachel is thrilled with Zeke's present - a DVD of Mean Girls.
RACHEL: Oh, did it make it too obvious that I wanted it?
ZEKE: You mean when you said "Zeke, you gotta get me Mean Girls?"
Rachel loves the present, and Katya's necklace, too. And Susan has one more - it's a present from her and Alex; they picked it out a while ago. Yeah, 7 months at least! She opens it, and it's a silver bracelet with charms on it, one for every year of her life, and each one has a meaning. He wants her to pick one each year until she's 21. The first year is a bear for her Rupert Bear that she loved. The second was for when she raided her mum's chocolate's on Valentine's Day. There's a horse charm, and Zeke remembers when she fell off her horse and broke her arm.
SUSAN: He wanted you to know that he's always with you.
Rachel goes to put it on, and Susan goes to help, then immediately takes her hands away, in case she shouldn't. She asks if Rachel will let her help...and Rachel slowly holds her arm out and Susan does the bracelet up.
Rachel says she loves it.
SUSAN: Happy birthday, sweetheart.
Rachel dissolves into tears, just as she reaches out for Susan and they hug.
Number 24 where Sky is Ill
Stingray is massaging Sky's feet as she lies on the sofa looking ill. Janelle is rabbiting on about the baby. Harold watches from outside the house and creeps away, picking up some gardening stuff as he goes. He runs into Dylan, who can't believe that Harry's leaving Sky alone in there with Janelle and Scotty.
HAROLD: I just don't have the strength.
Dylan dares to enter the house, and demands that his mother and brother leave so he can speak to Sky alone...so Janelle legs it.
DYLAN: There is no excuse for them.
SKY: They're just excited, that's all.
Dylan announces that he wants a lot more involvement with the baby now, if that's alright, but Sky wants to know why. He begs her for more involvement, and she says she's going to lie down, ignoring his request. She looks very unwell.
Lassiters Lake
Susan waits for Karl, who arrives and leans to kiss her. She barely responds, and thanks him for coming. She wraps her arms around herself as they walk, and tells him that what the kids need now more than anything else is safety and security. Karl thinks she's giving them that, but Susan disagrees - they're too upset by her seeing Karl.
They reach the rotunda, and Karl realises: she wants to end things.
SUSAN: I want to...I want to ask you to wait. If that's something you think you could do. I know it's a lot to ask.
KARL: I can live with that arrangement.
SUSAN: Thank you.
KARL: Whatever it takes. The kids are what's important right now.
Susan gazes at him in that way she does when she's about to kiss him, but she doesn't kiss him, and instead:
SUSAN: (whispering) I'm gonna miss you.
He gazes back at her and they don't break eye contact.
Number 26 where Bree tells a Lie
Bree's reading a book on the sofa, and Janelle and Scott return home. Janelle is complaining about Harry's taste in music, and wonders if he's maybe a bit, you know, light on the loafers?? A little theatrical??!
Bree opens the post - there's some money in an envelope. A lot of money, but she tells her mum there's nothing interesting, just the book club mail out and bills. Janelle seems disappointed, but cheers herself up when Bree agrees to get the tweezers and help her pluck her eyebrows.
Cut to later where Bree has finished with her mum's eyebrows, and Scott asks her to write something nice to go in Rachel's diary. Janelle suggests that her daughter write a poem.
SCOTT: Oh, yeah, cos poetry's easy.
JANELLE: It's a cinch.
"Roses are red, violets are blue,
You're my girl and I'm hot for you."
JANELLE: Well what's wrong with that? Your dad gave me something like that when we were kids.
SCOTT: I rest my case.
Janelle is 'baking' - putting bought food into a picnic basket for the party. She's my kind of woman. Dyl runs in and demands to speak to Scott. Dylan doesn't like the way he's helping Sky out at the moment. He reminds his brother that it's his kid.
It's like there's a storyline running at you, and there's nothing you can do to stop it.
Dylan confesses that Sky doesn't want him hanging around and he doesn't get it. His brother reminds him that he's been walking around with a new suit on and Elle hanging off his arm for the past two weeks - of course Sky was going to react...
The Kennedy House
The extras show off their exaggerated dance skills. Bree refuses to join in. Scott and Rachel chat on the sofa, and Janelle talks to Susan in the kitchen, trying to reassure her that Rachel will return home when she's ready.
Susan admits that Rachel is completely in love with Stingray. Janelle tells her it's mutual, and it makes one remember being young and in love. Susan sighs: yeah. Bree looks as stroppy and as miserable as ever, and she strops off out the house, grabbing Zeke on the way.
Number 26
Bree shows Zeke the money.
She tells him it's from dad with a note - he's sorry for bailing on them, and he'll keep sending as much money as he can to help them out. Janelle knows nothing about it. So Bree's going to keep it a secret and start up a Timmins family emergency fund. She tells him it's a secret.
The Kennedy House
Rachel and Scott are clearing up when Susan arrives home, and she asks to have a word with the kids. Scott goes to kiss Rachel goodbye, then realises Susie's there, so stops himself. He walks off, and Susan looks a bit upset.
SUSAN: I, er, I wanna talk about Karl.
RACHEL: Yeah, and we don't, we -
SUSAN: We've decided not to see each other anymore.
RACHEL: Um... Did he break up with you because of us?
SUSAN: Ah, no. I did it. It's not the right time for me to be seeing someone right now.
ZEKE: Does that mean you'll get back together later?
SUSAN: It means that I want what's best for this family. The truth is if that Karl and I hadn't been married for such a long time, there's no way I'd even be looking at another man, now. I loved your father very much, and I think we all need more time to get used to losing him.
RACHEL: But do you still like Karl?
SUSAN: Yes. Yes, I do, I can't just turn my feelings on and off like a tap.
RACHEL: I don't think I could give up Stingray like that.
SUSAN: Well, this is a bit different. You two and Katya are very important to me and I don't want anything else to come between us right now. So what do you say? No more talk about packing your bags and going to live with strangers?
ZEKE: No!
SUSAN: Good.
RACHEL: Thank you.
Susan approaches them with her arms open and they hug.
And I'll bet you $100 that we never hear of Francesca's relatives again.
The Scarlet Bar
HAROLD: You gonna finish that?
Sky shakes her head. So Harold suggests they go for that walk. Dylan approaches her at the table, and offers to service her car for her, but she refuses, and Harry takes over - they can handle things, thanks. Dylan asks if he can help with anything at uni, and she shakes her head, standing up, and looking simply dreadful.
Sky collapses to the floor, Dylan shouting over her.