Previously on Neighbours
- Kyle unimpressed at getting a birthday card from his dad.
- Lyn trying (and failing) to persuade Steph not to go into business with Paul.
- Steph being the only person to turn up to Paul's motivational seminar.
- Steph liking what Paul heard and agreeing to invest in the motel... but with a warning too!
The Waterhole
Karl spots Lyn arriving in the bar and she explains that she's making a flying visit to check up on Steph (Charlie is at the farm with Joe) and he points her in Steph's direction and remarks that she looks happy. Steph just about chokes on her OJ when Lyn comes over to talk and Paul explains that they are celebrating going into business together.
Cue titles!
The Waterhole
Steph tries to reassure her mum/Karl that she knows what she is going and explains again why she is going into business with Paul. He backs her up by but Lyn sarcastically comments that there is only one person he is interested in helping! Steph asks her mum to trust her and much to Terese's surprise, Paul declares he's got the investment so the project can begin.
Number 26
Xanthe seems the one that is most excited about Gary making contact with the family and wonders if he got parole, would he live at #26. "I'm not sure," is Sheila's tactful reply and Kyle makes it clear he doesn't want to go see his dad and while Xanthe goes to get changed into something appropriate (and in orange!), Sheila calls the prison to see if Xanthe can see her dad.
While she is making the call, Amy tries to persuade Kyle to go but his response is he's now got Xanthe. She thinks Gary might be trying to build bridges, commenting that he did remember Kyle's birthday.
The Waterhole
Lyn returns to plead with Paul not to go into business with her daughter but her pleas fall on deaf ears and he counteracts by saying the motel is a good deal and that he will make Steph a rich woman. When Lyn asks how much it will cost to keep him away from Steph, he scoffs and says she "doesn't have that sort of money".
PAUL: Now this deal is going through, get used to it.
Warrinor Prison
Xanthe is shocked at the level of security they had to undergo while waiting to see Gary but that's all forgotten when she sees her dad and greets him with a big hug. Gary thanks Sheila (and Xanthe) for coming to see him, he thought they'd be angry at him and Xanthe comments that he "kept a lot from us!" Gary reassures his daughter that he still loves her/never stopped loving her before apologising to Sheila for not telling her about Xanthe. He explains why he didn't tell her - that he was still with Sharon when seeing Xanthe's mum and didn't think she'd approve. Gary was right about that but she adds that Xanthe is her granddaughter and wants her in her life and wouldn't turn her away when Gary thanked her for not turning Xanthe away.
The trio make small talk (about how Xanthe is getting on at school) before talk turns to Gary getting parole. He explains all going well it should happen in a few weeks and he's looking forward to starting over... and sleeping in a decent bed again! Sheila agrees to let him stay at #26 when he's paroled and Gary asks that he wants to see Kyle (Sheila explained he'd stuff on hence couldn't visit). "I'll let him know," she replies non-committedly.
Number 26
Sheila/Xanthe are back from the prison but from the look on Kyle's face, he couldn't give a hoot and same goes for seeing Gary before his parole, telling his Gran that its "too late." "It's not too late," she pleads and Xanthe interjects to say it's a fresh chance for them all to be the "super weird, dysfunctional bogan family... except me of course!" That raises a smile from Kyle but the smile quickly goes when Xanthe lets it be known that Gary will be moving in. "He's got nowhere else to go love," Sheila pleads but it's not washing with Kyle so she tries a different tact by pointing out to him that if she turns Gary away in his hour of need, she'll become the type of parent that he won't forgive Gary for being. Amy urges him to go see Gary too.
Lassiters Complex
Just as she is leaving the office, Imogen is asked to let someone in to do some measurements for something the Quill Group are doing. She wants to check with Toadie first, but when her call goes straight to voicemail, decides to let Amanda in to do what she needs.
Terese runs into Paul as he's cutting through the complex and after commenting about his esteem, asks if it's good going into business with Steph given her history. "It's all about business and the numbers are good," is his response but does concede it won't be easy initially however knows how to turn something average into something outstanding and reassures her there is nothing to be worried about... until he steals her clientele!
Number 28
Steph decides to forego the offer of a cuppa from Karl because she's got a meeting to get to. Lyn stops her on the way out to apologise for earlier, explaining that she was just looking out for her but gets that she needs to trust Steph and has one question - why Paul? Steph's explanation is that for different reasons both of them are desperate for a break so neither of them can afford to lose. "And if it doesn't work?" Lyn asks but Steph doesn't have a specific answer, just replies that it's a risk she is willing to take because of the bigger plan in not losing Charlie. Lyn gets that but then Steph adds that she is doing it for herself too.
STEPH: Like before I got sick, I was... I had so much going for me. I owned a bar, and I worked in the garage and I was even on the council at one point. I felt so useful and full of potential.
LYN: Your career has taken a step back, that's okay.
STEPH: And time for me to resurrect it now, the motel can do that, and feel good about myself again.
LYN: (softening up) Oh Steph.
STEPH: Do you understand why it's so important to me?
LYN: Yes, yes of course I do.
"Good," quietly Steph replies before hugging her mum and leaving the house.
Lyn admits her fears to Karl that Steph's got too much riding on it and he praises her for letting Steph talk.
LYN: Challenging her never worked!
Karl thinks she has thought it through but Lyn's biggest fear is she's working with Paul "and believe me, there's always something more in it for him." He asks short of rifling through his dirty laundry, how can she prove that, and thinks she's just got to accept Steph's decision.
Warrinor Prison
Kyle has gone to see his dad and things are very terse between them as they chat. Kyle doesn't seem willing to forgive him for having a second family. "I don't expect you to understand," Gary begins and Kyle is quick to say he doesn't and wants to know how "he can be interested in one of his kids but not the other?" Gary's reply is that it's complicated and that he knows what Sharon is like, however Kyle is quick to counter by saying that Xanthe's mum sounds high maintenance too. "At least she gave me my space," Gary explains, adding that he hopes to make things up with him when he gets out, but Kyle doesn't believe that will have any impact on him and makes it clear he is only there because of Xanthe.
KYLE: I know she acts like she's got it all worked out but she's pretty fragile.
Kyle can't resist having a dig at his dad by saying Xanthe is now in a stable home with folk that are "consistently there for her." "Are you saying I wouldn't be?" Gary asks and Kyle doesn't waste time by pushing the knife in further by reminding Gary that he's never stuck at anything when life's got tough and will do the same to Xanthe too.
KYLE: I want you to know that if you're going to come live with us, this is your last chance, don't stuff it up! Be there like you weren't for me.
Number 22
Josh lets Lyn in and invites her to wait until Paul gets home as he's not back yet.
Number 26
"Fine," is how Kyle describes the visit when Sheila spots him sneaking back into the house and Xanthe asks if they can build Gary a new bed (since they used to build them together) for when he comes home.
Lassiters hotel foyer
Daniel finishes signing for things that Amanda has had shipped to the hotel and informs him that the room the stuff is going into is now off limits, instructions from Mrs Quill herself!
Number 22
With Josh upstairs, Lyn can't resist looking through Paul's files and she is so engrossed in them that she fails to hear him coming downstairs! "What are you doing?" he asks and Lyn decides to go for the honesty approach and explains that she thinks Paul is trying to swindle her daughter. From Josh's reaction (none) she can sense he's not surprised and Lyn begs him to help her find the evidence among his stuff.
Warrinor Prison
They seem to be getting the most out of this set today as Sheila is back for another visit. She is shocked when Gary enters the room to find him with a bandage on his hand and bruising on his face. Gary explains he got into a blue and asked her back to say his parole has been revoked. He tries to say it's probably best he's inside as there are still some folk after him but it dawns on Sheila that he's the one who started the fight. Gary doesn't deny this, his main concern is that Xanthe will be looked after.
GARY: I'm not a good influence on anyone.
SHEILA: What will I tell her, she'll be crushed?
GARY: Tell her I love her. It's for the best.
Sheila urges him to turn things around but almost tearfully he replies that he can't and signals to the guard that he wants taken back to his cell.
Number 26
Kyle/Xanthe are working on the design for Gary's bed when Sheila arrives home and Xanthe rushes to tell her about the bed. Sheila tries to say that he might not get parole and doesn't want her getting her hopes up but she interprets what is being said as Sheila having a go at Gary and stomps off to her room moaning that she's the only one that cares for him.
Kyle wants to know where Sheila has been and when she explains seeing his father before asking him what he said to Gary. "Just the truth," Kyle replies back so Sheila tells him about Gary getting into a fight just after he left and screwed up his chance of parole.
SHEILA: Something made him do that Kyle.
KYLE: Look all I said is he better not let anyone down.
SHEILA: Well this is not just about you, Xanthe's doing to be devastated when she finds out and how am I supposed to tell her he's not coming home?!
The Waterhole
Paul seems impressed that Steph wants to be hands on in their venture as she shows him designs for the rooms and that she's on the ball about seeking out a painting contract.
As they are chatting, Josh/Lyn enter the bar and approach the table that they are sitting on.
LYN: Ah, just when I thought you couldn't stoop any lower.
(Josh puts the cheque down on the table)
LYN: You want to explain this?
"What is this?" Steph asks and Josh explains it's a cheque for $20,000 that Doug wrote. "He wants to invest in my motel," Paul innocently pleads. "Doug is not in the right frame of mind to be making financial decisions," Lyn says as Steph sits gobsmacked at what she's heard before finding her voice.
STEPH: You've cheated an old man with Alzheimer's out of his money?!
PAUL: ...
Unmissable drama
- Brad ripping up the cheque much to Paul's disdain.
- Xanthe wanting answers about Gary.
- Xanthe still planning on doing a bolt once she gets enough cash.
- Terese seeking confirmation from Julie Quill about what happened with Paul.