Recap
- Lucas telling Steph he's there for whatever she needs.
- Steph asks Lucas and Summer not to come into court.
- Susan confronting Sam about her motives behind prosecuting Steph.
- Sam provoking Libby in court.
- The jury finding Steph guilty.
Number 26
Steph enters the house still reeling from the verdict. Sonya brings Charlie in - he's painted a picture for his mum. Summer asks about what happens next. Toadie says he needs to start on some research, there's still a chance Steph could get a suspended sentence. Steph tries to keep cheerful for Charlie and goes to make tea for everyone.
Harold's
Susan tries to get in touch with Libby , but she can't get through. Lou asks Karl for any news, Karl tells him that Steph was found guilty. Sam walks in and Lou comments that she had no small part to play in it all. Sam wants to shout the Kennedys a coffee and cupcake for helping her out - she knew something dodgy was going on. They suggest she should leave. She thinks they should thank her for not letting Libby perjur herself. Lucas comes in leaving a voicemail for Steph to call him back. He sees the look on everyone's faces though and guesses what happened.
Number 26
Toadie says they need to go through Steph's plea, they need to make it clear what sort of impact it would have if Steph didn't come home. He's really stressed out. Sonya suggests he pace himself. Steph says he's been amazing. Susan knocks on the door and wonders if there's anything she can do.
TOADIE: You could have stopped your daughter.
Steph says it wasn't Libby's fault, but Toadie argues that it was. She should never have lied, Steph's whole case was based on her testimony. It just undermined everthing.
SUSAN: Well Toadie sometimes people feel compelled to lie to protect the people they love, you know that.
TOADIE: Oh don't throw that back at me.
Susan decides she should just go. Toadie tells her to tell Libby to stay away. Steph shouts at them to stop, there's no point in arguing and panicking until they know what's going on. And they won't know anything until tomorrow. She goes to get Susan a cup of tea. Her mobile rings. It's Lucas, she ignores it.
There's another knock at the door. It's Lucas, but Lyn tells him that Steph doesn't want to see anyone. Lucas interprets that as she doesn't want to see him. He wants Steph to tell him herself. Lyn and Summer convince him to go, but he's not happy.
Number 28
Zeke thinks Libby was stupid to lie in court. Kate thinks he's maybe being a little bit harsh, but Donna agrees with him, she turned the whole trial into a joke. Kate points out that Steph was still found guilty, but Donna says that the point is that what Ringo did and how he died - he deserved the truth. Libby overhears what they are all saying. She comes into the kitchen and apologises to Donna, she never meant for any of this to happen.
DONNA: Steph should never have got on that bike, but at least she was honest about her mistakes. You tried to cover it up and lie about it as if what happened to Ringo didn't even matter.
LIBBY: No, no Donna, I just wanted to help Steph. I didn't want this.
DONNA: And I didn't want my husband to be dead, but I can't lie about it and hope it makes a difference. I'm sorry, I can't be here right now.
Gym
Lucas is pulling a fairly constipated looking face while taking out some of his frustration with a boxing ball. Declan checks up on him, but Lucas isn't in the mood for chitchat. He just keeps his methodical punching going. It's flashback time. He remembers the beginning of the whole sorry saga when Steph was trying to convince him that she loved Toadie and he was trying to persuade her otherwise when they got locked in the garage. He also flashes back to when he told her that she should have told him about Dan.
FLASHBACK STEPH: I didn't think you'd understand...
LUCAS' HEAD: Yeah well, we'll never know will we.
He takes one final swing at the bag and leaves.
Number 26
Summer and Charlie are playing with a car track - but Summer is cheating! Charlie asks if they can go to the zoo again tomorrow. Steph tells him they'll have to see if it's a nice day. Charlie and Summer go to look at his new zoo book. Steph looks at a photo of her, Charlie, Lyn, Summer, Toadie, Callum, Lucas and Libby. When on earth was that taken considering the number of disputes between that group over the last year?! Anyway, the moment is shattered by Lucas bursting in and telling her he won't take no for an answer, she's got to stop pushing him away, she doesn't have to keep it together for him.
LUCAS: Steph, drop the act.
STEPH: No, it's not fair.
LUCAS: You're not going to scare me off this time. I'm not going anywhere. Steph I love you.
STEPH: Lucas, it's too late.
LUCAS: No it's not. There's another way out. You, me and Charlie, we leave Erinsborough together tonight.
Steph is flabbergasted by the suggestion.
25th Anniversary Photo Insert - 1993 two people I don't know standing in number 26
Number 26
Steph ushers Lucas into her room and tells him that he's being crazy. He wants her to break the law again! Lucas tells her that it could be a whole new life for the three of them - they could make it work.
STEPH: I can't just turn my back on what I've done!
LUCAS: But does Charlie have to live with it too? You and Charlie could stay together Steph, after everything you've been through. This could be a new start.
STEPH: Oh, what? As criminals on the run?
Lucas tells her that when she told him and about her and Toadie he knew in his gut that it wasn;t the end of them, perhaps this is what's supposed to happen. He loves her and he's not letting her go like this. He can organise it and they can leave tonight. He urges her to think about it. He'll be waiting. He kisses her.
Way to go Lucas. Make an awkward situation even more agonising.
Gym
Kate and Donna are doing some very rigid step ups. It looks weird. Declan tells Zeke that Lucas was around earlier, he's taking things pretty hard. Zeke tells him that Donna had a go at Libby earlier. Declan seems surprised. Kate asks Donna how long she's going to avoid going home. Donna says she's just working out with her best friend.
KATE: Well I'll have to go to work soon, which means you'll have to see Libby sooner or later. You know that Ringo was a part of her family too.
DONNA: She still shouldn't have lied.
KATE: Donna, she thought she was doing the right thing. Try and see it from Libby's point of view. No- one can change what happened. Sometimes you do things to protect people, things you wouldn't even usually consider. And you do it because they're good people and sometimes telling the truth is even worse.
Declan listens carefully to all of this. Donna thinks Kate is too nice for her own good sometimes. Kate just knows that she'd say anything to protect Donna and she knows that Donna would do the same for her.
Harold's
Susan tells Karl that Donna had a go at Libby. Karl says that for Donna it's all about Ringo and she has every right t o be angry. Susan says that Zeke is just as mad and Toadie is out for blood. She thinks that when the sentence comes, Libby should go up and stay with Ben for a while longer, just get away from it all. Lou brings over some meals and asks if they could drop them off at the Scullys for him.
Toadie comes in for a takeaway latte and explains to Lou that he needs to make sure he's got everything covered for when sentencing begins. Sam comes in and everyone grows rather tense. Lou tells her to get her drinks elsewhere.
SAM: My money's good.
LOU: Your money is, but you're not.
TOADIE: You heard him, get out.
SAM: You people are ridiculous, Steph just killed one of your friends.
TOADIE: We're not in court now so save your speech.
[Donna walks in]
SAM: She breaks the law and you have a go at me for upholding it. I was just doing my job. Ensuring poor Ringo got some justice.
DONNA: Don't. You dare say his name. This was never about your job this was about you. You wanted to get back at Libby and at Steph and you did. So don't say it was about the law and definitely don't say it had anything to do with Ringo. You have put everyone around here through hell. Now you've done your job, so get out.
She does.
The Garage
Lucas takes money out of the till and shoves it into a bag. He gets out his phone to text Steph.
Number 26
Charlie is asleep on Steph's bed. Steph lies next to him and strokes his hair. The text from Lucas comes through. "Have you decided? Call me."
The Garage
Lucas leaves the garage. He checks his phone, but Steph hasn't replied.
Number 26
Steph gently wakes Charlie up. He tells her he was dreaming they were at the beach. She suggests he goes to see what Nan is doing. He asks if she's coming. She'll be there in a minute. He gives her a big hug.
CHARLIE: Love you, Mum.
STEPH: Oh, I love you my boy.
With Charlie out of the room, Steph pulls a case from under the bed and starts to pack things in it.
When Steph hears Lyn approaching, she quickly hides the suitcase back under the bed. Lyn sees the clothes on the bed and says that if it's washing, she shouldn't worry about it! She says it's not, it's just that Charlie is too big for most of the clothes now. Lyn says she'll take care of it. Steph should go to the park and spend some time with him. Lyn tells her daughter she's really proud of the way she's handling everything.
STEPH: Oh, no, mum don't. Look at what I've done!
LYN: Hey, sure. You have made mistakes, no- one's saying you haven't. But you're facing up to them. And you know that's what Charlie's going to learn from this.
Charlie bounces in and asks if they can do to the park now. Steph agrees.
CHARLIE: Nan and Sum too?
STEPH: Of course, we can all go together!
As they leave the room, Steph looks back, clearly changing her mind again.
Harold's
Lou brings cupcakes on the house for Donna, because she got rid of Sam earlier. Donna knows she was harsh with Libby. Zeke doesn't think she was, he doesn't really get how Libby can protect Steph. Declan suggests that that's just because he's not in her position of having to protect someone he loves from going to jail.
ZEKE: So what you're an expert now?
KATE: Oh guys don't start!
Donna knows Libby loved Ringo, she just wishes she'd told the truth, that's what it all should have been about. But Kate is right, had it been her on trial, she'd have probably done the same thing.
Toadie comes in and Donna asks after Steph. She really doesn't want her to go to jail and if there's anything she can do to help, she'll do it. Toadie says that if Donna can write a victim impact statement in support of Steph, that would really help. They go to Toadie's office to get started.
Charlie's
Lucas takes a colouring book out of a brown paper bag. He seems pretty chuffed with it. Susan wonders if he's taken up a new hobby, but he says it's for Charlie. Yeah, right. She asks if he's seen Steph, but he clams up and says he has to go. He asks her to send Libby his love. Susan seems a bit puzzled.
Number 26
Lyn brushes down Steph's suit and talks about how much Charlie loves the park, while Steph stares into space. She gets up and hugs her mum and thanks her. She's sure it's all going to work out. Lyn goes to check on Charlie and Steph calls Lucas to arrange to see him in ten minutes.
The Blokes' Shed
Lucas is loading up the Ute when Steph arrives. He wonders where her stuff is and where Charlie is. She tells him that she loves him and when he asked her to go away with him, for a while she could really imagine it, like the last year never happened. But it did.
STEPH : And I can't run away from that any more than I can run away from...from how much I love you. I couldn't live with myself. I couldn't look at Charlie every day knowing that I was this person who ran away instead of dealing with what I did.
LUCAS: But you should be together. If we don't go there's a chance you won't be.
STEPH: Yeah, but if we do go then Charlie's never going to see his family again. I'll never see my family again. This is the right thing to do. Oh, I'm so sorry, Lucas.
LUCAS: (Crying) Me too.
STEPH: We still don't know what'll happen tomorrow. Maybe we will get the chance to be together, the three of us.
LUCAS: Maybe.
STEPH: But right now I just want to forget all that. I want tonight to be about us, to hell with everything else.
LUCAS: (Grinning) You said you loved me.
STEPH: I do.
They kiss. A lot.
Preview
- Lyn warns Andrew away from Summer.
- Steph prepares to say goodbye to Charlie.
- Donna needs to change her victim impact statement.
- Toadie loses it.
- Donna says her piece in court.