Previously on Neighbours
Karl saying how much Ringo will be missed.
Ruby reassuring Tash that she and her dad are just having fun.
Tash wondering what happens when they stop having fun.
Ruby telling Michael she's heading back to London.
Michael telling Tash and her lamenting that she doesn't what her dad to get hurt.
Rebecca reacting badly when Paul tried to kiss her then making it clear she doesn't want to be near him.
Paul collapsing and Andrew calling for an ambulance.
Hospital
Rebecca arrives to find out about Paul but Andrew says that nobody is getting into the room. He's still miffed at her for the stress between them and her leaving.
ANDREW: I don't understand it; you're supposed to be giving him a second chance.
REBECCA: We're trying.
ANDREW: He's trying, you're just watching.
Jodie comes out of Paul's room to tell her to go in, Paul has been asking for her. When she enters, she asks what the doctor said and he replies the usual - he's to take it easy and watch his blood pressure. "Are you going to listen to him?" she asks and he apologises for upsetting her. She then wants to know why he's back working, buying beds and writing obituaries and he replies that he needs "to do something good".
REBECCA: So it's got nothing to do with trying to impress me?
PAUL: Uh, yes it has! But I'm not stupid; I know that you are not going to fall for a few stupid cheap tricks. No, if I'm going to win you back I want to do it properly.
REBECCA: And you think blackmailing is the way to do that?
PAUL: (quietly) No.
He then admits that he doesn't know what else to do and this admission catches her by surprise. She decides its time to leave in case he has another attack, citing that Andrew would never forgive her!
REBECCA: Poor kid's so confused as it is.
PAUL: Look, I know it's not an ideal situation. Can't we just stop fighting and start over?
Rebecca doesn't reply to that, instead she walks out of the room.
Number 32
Tash updates her dad on Paul after she finishes her call to Andrew and then subtly drops into the conversation that she met Ruby earlier... adding that the two of them should meet given its her last day in town. "I thought you didn't like Ruby?" Michael enquires but she's prepared to put that aside given Ruby is due to leave and doesn't want to see him moping around once she's gone. Michael signals that he doesn't want to talk about it any more and to his relief there is a knock at the door which he is only too eager to go and answer! It's Summer after some schoolbooks she left but before Tash hands them over, she wants Sum to vote on whether her dad and Ruby should spend one last day together... and ooh Sum's hand is raised in the air! This still isn't winning Michael over and he indicates the conversation is closed!
During the Tash/Michael conversation, it would cut away to Tash meeting up with Poppy and Ruby where the two younger ladies were trying to persuade Ruby to meet Michael for a final time even though like him, she is reluctant to do so.
Number 28 (next day)
Libby likes the smell of Susan's full English brekkie when she enters the kitchen and hears of Susan's plans for them all to have a sit down breakfast but Karl puts a spanner in the works when he comes through from the bedroom ready to head to work. "You might want to stay dad," Libby tries to subtly tell her dad but he's not won over and departs the house.
Charlie's
Lucas is happily tucking into his breakfast when whirlwind Tash (and sidekick Summer) arrive and promptly tell him to find another table - she is claiming the one he's at for her dad and Ruby. She then hands back his phone, after "borrowing it" when he left it lying around, to set Ruby and her dad up (both think they are meeting Lucas). Both realise what they've walked into when they arrive at the bar and Tash quickly disappears to the bar to order them coffee's before either think to kill her!
Number 28
"I hope you've brought your appetite," Susan remarks to Rebecca when she enters the house and spots the mountain of cooked breakfast food on the table. She asks after Paul and Rebecca confirms he's okay and will be home today. Rebecca then asks how she is and how the funeral was. "It was awful," Susan replies before going onto say that she was unable to look his parents in the eye, feeling that she let them down by not looking after their baby. She then goes onto explain that the breakfast is her way of coping (wanting family around her) but that isn't working given Donna is with Nick, Zeke sleeps until lunchtime and Karl wants to be working. "Wow you have an amazing marriage," Rebecca gushes after hearing Susan tell her that she won't phone Karl and demand he comes home, given he doesn't want to be at home just now.
REBECCA: (penny dropping) I suppose people do whatever it takes.
Hospital
Karl finishes Paul's pre- departure checks when he asks him how the funeral went. "It was pretty rough," Karl replies back and that he and Susan are dealing with things, when Paul asks how they are going. Paul then tells him not to blame themselves, they aren't the ones to blame.
Rebecca arrives with food from Susan's and Paul sends Andrew out to get some real coffee. Alone, she admits that she now sees that he still loves her. "I never stopped," he adds.
PAUL: I might have done some pretty stupid things but I never stopped loving you. Please, I will do anything to make it up to you.
REBECCA: Do you really mean that?
PAUL: We can make this marriage work, I just know we can.
REBECCA: Well it's not a marriage any more Paul is it, it's a prison. You can't be a good guy and blackmail me and threaten my son at the same time.
PAUL: Yeah well just look at it as me buying some time to show you what I really can do.
REBECCA: I know you can change Paul, and who knows what might happen one day but if you ever want that day to come, you have to let me go.
And today's trip down memory lane is back to 1989 and a picture of Toby Mangle (mark 1) and Bouncer.
Hospital
Paul is now fully dressed as well as being plaster cast free and is being issued with some leaving instructions from Karl prior to his discharge - he has to take his blood pressure twice a day and it ain't negotiable! Jodie interrupts their chat to say Susan called and that she wants him to call her back, which Karl doesn't exactly look as if he is going to rush off and do! "Ignore Susan Kennedy at your pearl," Paul warns him then wonders why he isn't taking a couple of 'personal days' to be at home. "I'm busy" is Karl's curt reply and Paul dishes out more advice - he hopes Karl isn't too busy to forget what is important.
KARL: Paul Robinson lecturing me on priorities, this will be good!
PAUL: You know what, do what you want... I just hope you don't wake up one day wondering what the hell happened and how on earth you are going to fix it. You've lost Ringo Karl; don't lose your wife too.
Number 28
Susan is now in spring cleaning mode, giving the fridge freezer a thorough going over when Karl comes home. She begins to lose it when she finds Ringo's bait in the freezer and Karl rushes over to comfort her.
KARL: It's alright, I'm here now, I'm here.
SUSAN: (teary) I can't do this by myself.
KARL: You don't have to, you don't have to. I am so, so sorry. Oh my darling when we lost Zeke it almost tore us apart. I don't want that to happen again.
SUSAN: (still very teary) It won't, it won't
KARL: I'll swap shifts; I'll take time off, whatever we need to do to get through it. It's going to be alright, it will be alright.
Charlie's
With their coffee over, Michael and Ruby come to the bar to thank the co- conspirator's, Poppy and Summer, despite both pleading their innocence. Lucas joins then too (to find out how his date with Ruby is going!) but makes it clear he didn't know what was going on. Poppy tries to resurrect their plan when they want to end things now (since Ruby is leaving) to tell them to make the most of their remaining time. Lucas joins in the campaign too as Poppy comes up with an idea - have a whole relationship in 1 day!
MICHAEL: How do you have an entire relationship in one day?
POPPY: This is brilliant - you meet, you kiss, you fall in love.
TASH: (joining in) You fight.
POPPY: You kiss and make up.
RUBY: Well I like the kissing part.
The two of them agree to try Poppy's idea so head off back to the best table in the house.
Number 22
Andrew is taking Paul's blood pressure (Karl entrusted him to do it because he couldn't trust Paul) and with a bit of help from Paul he writes down 150/100 into the diary they have to keep.
Rebecca arrives home and asks Declan to give them a minute (Andrew has already bailed). He confirms that he's thought about what she said at the hospital,
PAUL: It's hard to imagine life without you. You see, you've been the best thing that has ever happened to me... he best.
REBECCA: I really appreciate this Paul, you letting me go will be the best thing you can do.
PAUL: I'm sorry Rebecca.
REBECCA: Yes and I'm sorry too.
PAUL: I can't let you go. (Rebecca is stunned) I can't be the man that I want to be without you in my life.
REBECCA: (shaking her head, tearing up) Please Paul, I'm begging you.
PAUL: No, no, no, no, no, no. Things are going to stay the way they are, I can't lose you.
REBECCA: You already have.
(Later)
Commercial break later and Rebecca comes home from #28 and plays the part of a devoted wife extremely well but Declan can see it's false. Andrew invites her to stay and help with making supper but she announces that she needs to head into work however confirms that she will be back for supper.
Lassiters Complex
"Have fun" is Lucas' parting comment to Michael after they meet briefly so he can hand over a bag to Michael. He returns to the table where the conspirators are sitting with Ruby and they move onto the next "stage" of the relationship - arguing and the pretend throwing of a drink over him. "I think we can take it from here," Ruby announces to the girls and they disappear after Tash "borrows" some money from Michael to cover their cup cake costs!
Alone, Michael admits that the girls' plan was a good idea and hands her over the bag he got from Lucas - inside is a box containing a posh eye shade mask for using on the plane. "See after all this time I can still surprise you," he remarks which returned with a pash from her.
Charlie's
"You guys must be at the settling down with kid's stage now," remarks Poppy as we now head into Charlie's to find them with all the conspirators.
MICHAEL: I've already got the daughter... good luck settling her down though!
Michael heads to the bar to get some drinks from Rebecca and she is happy to hear he is having fun. "That's a shame" Rebecca remarks after he tells her Ruby is leaving tomorrow.
REBECCA: Relationships are never easy and just when you think you've found a good one.
MICHAEL: (looking at Ruby) Yes.
REBECCA: You don't get many shots at happiness do you?
Michael ponders on those words as we head into the last commercial break.
Charlie's
Lucas spots Libby and asks if she has seen Steph and she replies that she thinks Steph is laying low what with the funeral. He then tells her about a text from Steph saying she is planning on going back to work tomorrow, which somewhat surprises Libby as both agree they don't think Steph is ready for it yet. Lib promises to check in on her on the way home once she's had supper with her parents although she pretends she didn't say that when Karl comes over and half- hears what she said to Lucas.
The two of them head over to a table to await Susan (and Zeke) and he reaffirms that they need to be together when Libby asked if things are okay.
Meanwhile, over at the pool table, Michael offers a toast to his merciless daughter for encouraging him to seize the moment.
MICHAEL: And um, to Poppy for her crazy ideas and to my girlfriend Ruby.
TASH: Girlfriend for a day.
MICHAEL: Yes, I don't know about that. I know today was supposed to be a one day affair and the idea was we'd say goodbye without regrets.
POPPY: (to Tash) What's he talking about?
TASH: I don't know.
MICHAEL: I don't think we should let this go. (Ruby/Tash puzzled) Today was fun, I wouldn't mind seeing if its more than that. Please don't go, I want you to stay.
RUBY: ...
Tomorrow on Neighbours
- Tash demanding to know where her dad and Ruby have been all night.
- Lucas under orders from Elle to fire Steph and being prepared to fight it.
- Callum after advice from Steph on girls.
- Sophie and Callum both volunteering to be a rep.