Recap
Paul asking for his money back from Lyn now she's returned but Lyn has spent it.
Rebecca giving James the receipt for the money she's transferred to him.
Neither James nor the group Rebecca paid for showing up.
Declan saying that it looks like James has done a runner.
Charlie's
The bar is a hive of activity when Kate appears wondering what is going on, so Ringo explains that James has done a runner. Rebecca and Paul finish their chat with the police while Donna is ringing around trying to see if he's been sighted, including trying the hospital in case he's been brought there (he hasn't). Paul comes over and suggests that they head home.
Number 22
Donna wants to go out and look for James but the others stop her. Meantime, the evidence against James mounts when Toadie tells Paul that the group James was supposed to be getting for the bar never even knew about the booking or James. Paul wants James caught and tells Toadie to do whatever it takes. Donna reacts badly when she hears that and she's annoyed that they all think the worst of James until Elle spells it out to her. Elle also begins to doubt that the DNA test was real too when Donna brought up that James paid for it.
DONNA: Is that what you all think?
EVERYONE: ...
DONNA: (to Ringo) Even you?
(Ringo nods)
DONNA: Then what are you doing here?
RINGO: I'm here for you.
DONNA: No. If you can't believe in my brother then I don't need you. I don't need any of you.
Number 22 (next day)
Rebecca gives plaudits to Ringo for not only staying over (in case Donna woke up and wanted to chat) but for the lovely breakfast he's cooked her too even Paul moans about Ringo using the bacon and eggs he bought!
Toadie arrives with some updated news - James still hasn't turned up and some digging has revealed that James' website was false and that his bank account was opened last week and within the past 24 hours was emptied and closed.
PAUL: A con man.
TOADIE: Professional.
Toadie confirms Elle's suspicion that the DNA testing was false too and Ringo wonders how they are going to tell Donna but they needn't have worried, she's overheard them all talking.
Chicken coop
Ringo catches up with Donna as she sits amongst the chooks. She thinks he is going to gloat but Ringo gently hugs her and empathises with her about wanting family around her. They begin to compare their backgrounds and Donna remarks that they are both 'orphans' and wonders who gets the best deal in the respective houses they now live in.
DONNA: I just wanted him to be my brother so much.
Harold's Store
As they have brekkie, Susan asks Libby for a lift to a first aid class she is doing (Karl can't as he is meeting old colleagues) but Libby can't as she's taking Ben to a birthday party. Karl suggests that she should see about getting her license back and Susan tries to change the subject quickly.
Lyn enters the store and gives Rebecca some sympathy about the money she lost after Steph told her. "Its Donna I feel sorry for" replies Rebecca. She then makes her way over to Susan to offer her a lift and immediately Lyn volunteers too. The two rivals begin to squabble over who can help Susan (and who's been her friend the longest) and eventually Susan decides she'll get a lift from someone else.
Charlie's
Elle finishes her call to tell her dad and Rebecca about a job she's been offered - in New York with the NY News! Rebecca immediately offers hugs and congratulations but Paul is a bit more reserved and brings up her responsibilities (like Donna) in Erinsborough. That hits home and Elle struggles for words, eventually saying "I guess I wasn't really thinking of her" but Rebecca solves the problem by saying that she'll look after Donna.
REBECCA: Sweetheart, you cannot pass up an opportunity like this.
Elle asks what her dad thinks and he is very non-committal in his answer, so Rebecca decides to interpret his answer instead.
REBECCA: What your darling father is trying to say is that he loves you, and he'll miss you, but you have to follow your dreams.
An excited Elle replies back "I think you're right" and decides to go check out more closely the information she's been sent. When Elle leaves the bar, Rebecca wants Paul to promise her that he won't stand in his daughter's way, which eventually he does!
Number 22
Elle prints off the NY info but quickly hides it when Donna and Ringo enter the house. Both want a word with each other and Donna begins - she's sorry for everything. Elle sympathises with her and Donna totally thanks her for taking her in and being the best big sister (and shopping buddy!) someone could have.
DONNA: Cos you are my real family aren't you?
Elle hugs Donna as if to reassure her that she is. Donna asks what Elle wanted to talk to her about and of course she can't bring herself to tell Donna about her job offer in NY, so replies "nothing" whilst hiding the printed page.
(Later)
Kate comes by to drop off some baking she's done to try and cheer Donna up and they try to distract her from James by talking about the deb ball. Apparently Amanda stacked the committee and the limo's are booked, so Donna grabs her laptop to try and Google environmentally friendly limo's. When she picks it up, she notices an email from someone (Nick) claiming to be her dad after spotting her Vlog.
DONNA: Well so called Nick, my so called brother taught me that the internet is full of creeps and weirdoes and you're obviously one of them so goodbye.
Just as she is about to hit the delete button, Kate stops her since it could be her dad. "Yes right" is Donna's reply immediately before she hits the delete button and the email is lost into cyberspace.
DONNA: Guys, if I ever start looking for my family again just shoot me.
Ramsay Street
Dan drives Susan home from her course and Karl comes over to chat to them. He then mentions to Susan that one of the people he met was her neurologist and that he okayed her to drive a month ago.
KARL: Anything you want to tell me Susan?
SUSAN: Mmm, the only thing I want to tell you Karl is mind your business.
Number 28
"You know I'm not going to mind my own business" is Karl's reply to Susan when they enter the house. Susan explains her anxiety - she freezes every time she gets behind the wheel and wonders what would happen if she blacked out again and hit someone. Karl reassures her that she knows that the symptoms are and that her MS is under control too. Susan isn't convinced though doubts if she'll ever drive again because she is too scared. Lyn overheard that last bit when she came over to beg a cuppa as they haven't unpacked the kettle at #26 yet. "Your wife is an angel" Lyn tells Karl when Susan offers to fill a thermos flask so that everyone can get a cuppa and she uses that as an excuse too to avoid going with Karl to the newspaper offices.
Number 26
The troops are famished after a hard day sorting out #26, so Lyn tells Libby, Toadie and Steph to go and buy some pizza, her shout. The trio head off Susan tries to clear up what happened earlier at the store over the lift business.
LYN: I know you can't favour me in front of her.
Unfortunately that isn't quite what Susan meant and they resume unpacking. Susan goes off to get some more books and she hears a scream from the kitchen - Lyn has had a fall and thinks she may have broken something. Now it's her lucky day because Susan has just been to that first aid course so knows how to react and out comes the frozen peas wrapped in a tea towel as a substitute icepack.
Number 22
Ringo pops round and finds Donna in a spring cleaning mood - she's getting rid of anything associated with James and when she is looking for the DNA brochures she comes across the info Elle printed off about NY. Ringo wonders what she is looking at and she tells him that "Elle's got a new job... in New York".
Ramsay Street
Lyn's hand is really starting to hurt and Susan reports that it's going to be at least 30 more minutes before a taxi can be there. Susan suggests they call an ambulance and Lyn suggests, whilst holding out her keys, that Susan drives them to the hospital.
LYN: Oh come on I know you haven't got a license but this is an emergency.
Susan then confesses that she has got a license so Lyn hands her the keys and they both get into the car. Susan mutters to herself that she can do it and eventually it all comes back to her and they head off to the hospital.
Hospital
The ladies arrive at the hospital and as Susan goes round to help Lyn out of the car, a miracle has happened - Lyn's hand is all better!
SUSAN: Lyn Scully you are a shocker!
LYN: (laughing) No.
SUSAN: (also laughing) Yes.
Harold's Store
Rebecca is surprised to see Kate still in the store and thinks she's still working but Kate replies that she's a customer now as the coffee helps her think. She then asks for Rebecca's thoughts on a letter she is penning to Amanda over the limo's for the deb ball. Rebecca supports what Kate has written before leaving her to make her way over to the table with Paul and Elle at it.
Rebecca makes a comment about NY and Elle informs them that she isn't taking the job and confesses to Rebecca that she isn't sure if that is the right decision when she questioned her about it. Elle does set her right, in that the decision wasn't taken because of Lucas - she can't leave Donna just now.
Steph approaches Elle to ask about her wages - neither she nor Lucas have been paid. Elle promises to look into it and immediately gets on her mobile phone.
Charlie's
Oh no, it looks like James has emptied Elle's bank account too! Toadie confirms this after his call to the police and that all the money from James' account is gone too with no clue where it is.
ELLE: So he's taken all of my money?
Rebecca comes over to give them some tea but realises that Scotch would be more appropriate! Paul delivers her some good news though when he confirms that her assets are secure.
Donna arrives at the bar wanting to talk to Elle but she isn't in the mood to talk and instead tells Donna about James clearing her bank account.
ELLE: Unless he can be found I don't own a cent.
DONNA: Oh my god this is all my fault.
ELLE: Yes it is.
Number 22
Donna (with her bag packed) creeps downstairs and does a runner after leaving 2 notes - one for Elle and one for Ringo lying on the countertop - and telling Cat to take care of Elle for her.
Preview
(Elle and Paul on Ramsay Street)
ELLE: Where's my car?
(Paul, Elle and Rebecca inside #22)
PAUL: Your financial situation is a disaster and you need to sort it out.
(Lucas and Ringo in the store)
RINGO: Donna's run away.
(Ringo in the middle of Lucas and Elle in Lucas' Ute)
RINGO: Guys, we've got a lot of ground to cover can we please just try and get along.
ELLE: Well why don't you tell that to Lucas?
LUCAS: Why don't you tell that to Elle?
(Steph and Lyn in #26)
LYN: So it wasn't two grand he gave me alright, it was two hundred thousand.
(Ringo, Lucas and Elle in the bush)
RINGO: Abandoned. So where's Donna?
(Looking inside Elle's car)
RINGO: Look at this - it's a list of all the Rose and Thistles in Australia.