Recap
- Lyn taking the batteries out of the smoke alarm
- Paul screaming out for Andrew stuck in the fire
- Paul telling Lyn he'll find out how the fire started
- Jade meeting Toadie & Callum
- Sonya being revealed as Callum's mum
Charlie's Bar
Sonya and Jade look on as Callum teases Toadie by keeping one of his crutches out of reach. Toadie invites Jade to stay with them since she's one of the family now, but Jade doesn't say yes until she gets Sonya's blessing too. While the boys are preoccupied, Jade asks her sister when she's going to tell Callum the truth, but Sonya replies that she needs more time.
Number 30
Jade finds Sonya on the couch, unable to sleep. Sounding genuine, Jade assures Sonya she didn't come to Erinsborough to cause her sister trouble. Sonya sadly wonders how she got herself into this mess, but Jade just says, "You tell me".
SONYA: The last time I saw Callum he didn't even know who I was. I'd spent so much time in and out of his life, but it didn't make it any easier walking away. He was only six but I had to force myself to move on, get cleaned up, start again. So I got myself a job. It was a good job doing great things. I heard that Callum had gone to someone outside the family and then I saw his name on a list of puppy raisers. I had to know if it was him.
JADE: So why didn't you just tell him?
SONYA: He had a whole new life. A much better life than I could have given him. (Crying) I just wanted to see his little face, make sure he was alright, and then I'd leave him alone. I swore to myself I wouldn't get involved and that was hard enough, then there was Toadie.
JADE: You don't think that maybe you fell for Toadie because he had Callum?
SONYA: Oh no, no. I fought it for ages. He just kept chasing me, he was so nice. I kept saying no but eventually I just ran out of excuses.
JADE: Why didn't you just tell him then?
SONYA: I wanted to and then it all went pear- shaped. There was some stuff with someone else and I thought it was over. I even went out with someone else but I never stopped loving him. I love them both, Jade.
JADE: And if I hadn't come along were you ever going to tell them?
SONYA: I had to draw a line. That's the old me, that's someone else. Someone I want to forget. I don't deserve to be his mother. I just want to be in his life.
Feeling overwhelmed, Jade says she can't think straight right now and she'll see Sonya in the morning. Sonya nods and wipes away her tears.
Number 28 - Next Morning
Lyn gets off the phone with the insurance company and tells Karl, Susan and Summer that they won't be paying out on the policy. Summer and the Ks are appalled, but it's obvious Lyn's not telling them the whole story for fear of incriminating herself. When Lyn brings up the faulty Christmas lights, Summer gets upset and starts to blame herself for the blaze, but Lyn says it was just an accident. Karl offers to ring the insurance company again for Lyn, but she says she just wants to move on. Summer doesn't get how they're supposed to "move on" without a house, but Lyn says they'll find a way.
Number 30
Callum teases Toadie again by keeping his bowl of cereal out of reach until Sonya intervenes. Sonya catches Jade before she goes for a jog and thanks her for listening last night, "it felt good to get it out". Jade is pleased but reminds her that she's telling the wrong person. Sonya insists again that she needs more time, but Jade's all, "so you keep saying". When Toadie and Sonya get a moment alone, Sonya starts to say that she needs to tell him something, but Toadie has news for her too. He gets his wallet and shows her the Essendon memberships he bought for the three of them, "because we're a family now!". Losing momentum to blurt out the truth, Sonya decides instead to chase after her sister outside.
Ramsay Street
Sonya tells her sister that she's not about to turn Callum's world upside down because she's threatening her. Jade says that Callum deserves to know who is mother is, but Sonya retorts that his mother was a selfish, irresponsible girl, "and I'm not that person anymore".
JADE: Son, if you really have changed you'll tell them the truth. Isn't this one of your steps?
SONYA: Please, I love Callum and I love Toadie. They're my family now, and you can be part of that too. This is our chance to start over, to be together like you wanted.
JADE: You just don't get it. You've done this before, all the lies, but you're hurting the people you love just like you hurt us. And you know what? You'll never be a proper family, Son. Not while you're still hiding the truth. And I think you know that.
First Commercial Break
Harold's Store
Callum sees Jade sitting by herself and joins her for a chat while Sophie gets them milkshakes. Jade starts to ask Callum about his family life before he lived with Toadie, but Cal doesn't have many fond memories of that time. According to him his dad was some "random moron" and his mum was "a loser".
CALLUM: Gran looked after me because mum left when I was a little kid.
JADE: You must miss her.
CALLUM: Nah, Gran said last time she came over she stole money from my piggy bank.
JADE: That sucks.
CALLUM: (shrugging) Care factor. I got a birthday card the year after but I tore it up and flushed it down the toilet.
Cal adds that everything sucked before he lived in Erinsborough but that life's awesome now and he's glad Jade came to visit. Jade smiles and says she is too.
Number 32
Lyn shows Summer and Charlie a small box of belongings that were salvaged from the house (and there are a few more in the garage). Summer finds her charred DVD boxset she got for Christmas and Lyn says they can get her another one. But Summer exasperatedly says they'll need a TV to watch it on first - not to mention a lounge room sit in. Lyn calms her down and reminds her that they've still got one another and that's all that counts. They're just going to have to put this horrible accident behind them and move on.
Number 30
Toadie and Callum are showing Sophie some photos of their holiday on the laptop.
SOPHIE: I thought flying foxes were really high up?
TOADIE: Yeah it is. It's just the perspective is a bit off.
CALLUM: Yeah it's about a metre off the ground.
Callum calls Sonya over to have a look at the photos too while Jade looks on at how happy they are interacting with one another. Toadie says next time they're going to have a proper family holiday that Sonya's a part of. Callum tells Jade that she's invited too. Jade's touched by the gesture but Sonya can't help looking worried.
Harold's Store
Lyn spies Paul and says someone else will take his order, but Paul retorts he's not there for her "burnt coffee". He's there to chat about her insurance company denying her claim. Paul wants to know exactly what happened, but Lyn's sticking to her "electrical fault" story. Lyn says that if Paul doesn't believe her then why doesn't he call the insurance company himself. Paul smirks and says he might just do that.
Second Commercial Break
Ramsay Street
Paul's on the phone to one of his contacts, bribing them with advertising space in the newspaper so he can delve into Lyn's insurance claim. He sees Natasha and Michael walking home and calls out to Tash, asking her to pass on the message to Andrew that he'll be late visiting him today (and you can't text him because...?). Paul asks how her injuries are and she claims they're fine, but when she walks off Paul asks Michael how she really is. Michael says his daughter's putting on a brave face. Paul points to #26 and says, "This should have never happened to our kids". The men have a moment of agreeance before they remember they kind of don't like one another and go their separate ways.
Jade finds Sonya at the mailbox and gives her the good news that she's keeping her secret safe. She can see how happy Callum is and she doesn't want to jeopardise that. Plus, she really wants to be part of Sonya's family again - even if it means doing things she doesn't like. Sonya's stoked and gives Jade a hug.
JADE: I hope it means I've got my sister back?
SONYA: Of course you do!
JADE: I asked him what he remembered about his mum.
SONYA: What did he say?
JADE: He doesn't remember much. But what happens when he gets older and decides to do some digging?
SONYA: He won't.
JADE: Look, just because I won't tell them doesn't mean your secret's safe forever.
Sonya doesn't say anything but she knows Jade is right.
Harold's Store
Susan tells Paul that she wants to do a story on the unfairness of Lyn's insurance claim. Paul's eyes light up and he asks for Lyn's opinion on the matter. Looking uncomfortable, Lyn stammers that she just wants to forget about the whole ordeal. When Susan's out of earshot, Lyn asks Paul what it's going to take for him to leave her alone. Paul just sneers at her and says he's been to her insurance broker and he knows exactly why they're not paying out. "So, do you want to have this conversation here or in private?"
They go into the kitchen and Lyn tells Paul that the faulty Christmas lights ended up at her place by mistake. But Paul says the real reason she's not getting paid out is because there weren't any batteries in the smoke alarm. Lyn finally cracks and blurts out the truth.
LYN: I wanted the money for Steph's appeal but I never went through with it.
PAUL: Oh really? Well there's a house in Ramsay Street, a burnt out one, that states otherwise. And then of course there's my son who's critically ill in hospital, there's Michael Williams who nearly died trying to save him, there's his badly burnt daughter...
LYN: (crying) Stop, please! Please, I'll explain. I took the lights off the tree but Summer found them and she put them back up. I meant to put the battery back in the alarm and I forgot.
PAUL: Yeah how very convenient.
LYN: No I wouldn't hurt my own granddaughter.
PAUL: Oh you were desperate, Lyn. Goodness knows what risks you were prepared to take.
LYN: This wasn't meant to happen.
PAUL: (snapping) Well it did! And my son is in hospital, and you're going to pay.
LYN: Please, Paul, listen. I have lost my daughter, I have lost my home. If it gets out that I'm responsible for the fire I will lose my family, my friends, I'll have nothing.
PAUL: Nothing is exactly what you deserve.
Lyn keeps begging him to listen but he just walks out.
Third Commercial Break
Harold's Store
Natasha and Michael are picking up some cupcakes to take into Andrew. Lyn tells them she threw a few extra ones in, but they're all on the house anyway (they're sprinkled with frosting and guilt). They leave just as Paul saunters back in to torture Lyn some more. Lyn wearily asks if she should be expecting an expose across the Pirate Net airwaves any time soon, but Paul says he's had a change of heart.
PAUL: I thought about what you said, Lyn, and I believe you. As stupid as you are I don't believe you would intentionally put people's lives at risk. But the fact remains that you did cause that fire, and if you want me to keep quiet - there's a price. You'll work for me. You'll do whatever I want, whenever I want without question.
LYN: Oh no I won't. I have been there and there's no way I'm...
PAUL: You will or else you'll find yourself on the front of tomorrow's paper. So what's it to be, Lyn?
As much as it kills her, Lyn has to go along with his blackmail. Paul smirks and says he'll be in touch.
Preview
(Tomorrow on Neighbours)
(Lyn and Rebecca chat to one another)
PAUL: It's really strange seeing you two so friendly these days.
(Paul gets a little touchy- feely with Rebecca)
REBECCA: If we weren't in public you'd lose that hand.
(Paul recruits Lyn to get Rebecca onside with him)
LYN: He's, uh, he's really turned a corner.
REBECCA: What's he got over you? Is he threatening you?
(Andrew asks his dad for a favour)
ANDREW: Could you chase some people up for me? It's just that no one's really answering my calls.
(Summer ignores all contact from Andrew)
(The girls visit the hospital)
PAUL: Not a problem is there?
SUMMER: No, of course not.
NATASHA: You've been acting weird since you got here. I get it.
ANDREW: Tash...
NATASHA: It was a mistake. Everyone makes mistakes.
(Summer's confused but Andrew nods at her to go along with it)