Previously
- Fay turning up in Erinsborough.
- David telling the Brennan family that Fay's Huntington's has significantly deteriorated.
- Pierce pointing out to Mark that Chloe taking care of her mum will be like her watching daily what she is going to go through in the future.
- Mark suggesting to his siblings they all head to Adelaide and come up with a plan for Fay.
- Mackenzie inviting her dad to the ball for the father/daughter dance.
- Grant getting cold feet and deciding he can't go to the ball.
- Shane having the dance with Mackenzie instead.
- Harlow having a go at Hendrix... only for him to kiss her and to receive a smack across the chops in return!
- It being spelt out to Hendrix that his behaviour towards Harlow was unacceptable.
- A drunk Hendrix showing up his dad at the ball by telling everyone what a bad dad he is.
Ball venue
Pierce is trying to lay down the law to his son but he's paying no attention to his dad other than to reveal that he's 'double crossed' his dad and not just has (another) phone but a credit card too! Susan can see that Pierce is getting nowhere with the lad and suggests he takes him home instead.
Harold's Café
Over a milkshake, Harlow and Mackenzie are having a post-dance digest. Mackenzie now wishes she'd listened to her friend given what happened with Hendrix and the fact he spoilt their night, unlike Shane who "was sweet" for dancing with Mackenzie. "You are not to blame," Harlow strongly points out to Mackenzie.
In the kitchen, Shane must be turning soft after he stops Dipi from complaining over Hendrix and the hotel room (reminding her what they did in Colac) and about how late Yashvi might be after going out clubbing following the dance. Both though are not happy at what Grant did, although Dipi feels that on the outside, Mackenzie seems to be handing things okay. "Doesn't mean she's not suffering," Shane points out and blames himself for letting Grant come back into her life, conceding that he should have known "he'd hurt her."
Number 28
Elly sees that Shaun is still up when she comes through to the kitchen to get a glass of water. He explains he's working on the buddy club idea, which she thinks is fantastic, but wonders how he is going to cope on his own. While he's sure he can cope alone, he still wishes that he was working with his brother, and much to Elly's surprise, within his reply, Shaun added that he hoped their child would have a sibling! Shaun quickly backtracks and makes it clear he wasn't assuming they'd have another child together but thankfully Elly knew what he meant and hopes that their child has what she has with Bea. With the mood quite pleasant between them, Elly asks if he can help tomorrow with the ball clean up and he readily offers his services.
Number 32
Despite the late hour, David has patiently waited up for Aaron to arrive home from Adelaide. Aaron admits it was hard to leave his mum after spending the time with her, although it has also opened his eyes to his mum's day-to-day struggle. "I think you're doing a great job," David reassures his husband with. They then get around to talking about what has been decided about Fay, but as an audience we are not told what it is.
Number 28 (next day)
Even though its early, Pierce has arrived to ask Susan for help on how to deal with Hendrix, admitting that he doesn't know what to do! Susan admits she does know what it is like feeling you've lost control of your kids, although things "come good in the end." Pierce wonders if Susan is going to expel Hendrix, which she is considering, and Pierce admits that he can't even promise the lad won't do it again as chances are he will! "How do I fix it?" he pleads, and she thinks he's got to look outside the box and thinks she might have an idea he could try, if he can get Terese on board.
Ramsay Street
Roxy spots Mark outside his house and suggests going out for a drink to help take his mind off things, but he isn't in the mood for that, so turns her offer down.
Lassiters hotel, room 209
Pierce leads his son into the trashed room he used prior to the ball last night. The lad is complaining about the standards of the Lassiters housekeeping staff... when Pierce breaks the news that this is day one of his new job! "Great prank old man," Hendrix replies and goes to head out of the room but is bluntly told that he's responsible for cleaning this room... and every other one on this floor!
PIERCE: This is how you pay back your debt to the hotel.
"But I gave them my credit card when I booked the room," the lad pleads and his face drops when Pierce informs him that he has cancelled the payment and if he wants to spend money he's got to earn it first. The lad whines its going to take ages to pay the bill off and pleads with his dad to pay someone else to clean up his mess. Pierce stands firm and dangles a carrot to the lad - if he can hold down the job and pay off what he owes, he will look into getting something better for the lad.
The Waterhole
After cleaning up the mess the kids made at the venue (the place was trashed apparently), Elly and Shaun enter the bar for a well-earned drink. They are also safe in the knowledge that their kid won't be turning into "a feral teen," for quite a while! The pair begin thinking of suitable names for bubs and Shaun isn't keen on Elly's suggestions (Tom or Ava) but she likes his suggestion of Aster so much that is going to be the name!
As they were talking, with Aster being the name of a flower too that he's seen on his travels in Europe, she asks if he is ready to give up the travelling to stay in Erinsborough. Shaun quickly confirms he is because he wants to help raise his child.
Harold's Café
Toadie raises his concerns over how protective Shane is being towards Mackenzie with Dipi. "He's got his reasons," she tries to explain but Toadie wants to know what they are.
Harlow can't wait to tell Mackenzie her news when she spots her friend when she enters the café. "Roxy's moving out?" Mackenzie replies but Harlow replies that this is better, then goes onto explain how and where Hendrix is working beginning with the room he trashed!
Lassiters hotel, room 209
Hendrix doesn't look so happy at someone interrupting his work - Mackenzie. She explains that Harlow filled her in.
HENDRIX: Of course, everyone in Erinsborough must know I'm a house wench by now.
He wants her to leave but she is after answers, beginning by wanting to know why he ditched her for Liv last night?
HENDRIX: Aren't all bets off once you hit the D-floor?
MACKENZIE: You hurt me. Why give me all that attention if you were just going to hook up with someone else?
He points out that she ditched him first because she was more interested in spending time with her friends, than with him. "We were taking photos," she tries to explain but it still doesn't excuse his "awful" behaviour.
HENDRIX: What did you expect? I'm not a nice guy... not that Liv seemed to mind.
"What was I thinking," Mackenzie replies while shaking her head and before walking out the door, in case he needed reminding, tells him that they are done!
The Waterhole
We hear snippets from David and Aaron about 'the plan' but not enough to actually know what it is, other than they plan to keep it quiet for the moment.
Meanwhile, Elly and Shaun are continuing 'getting to know each other' when he spots something in her hair. Thankfully it's not a bug as Elly thought, but a bit of greenery, which he holds on his finger and tells her to make a wish. Taking a big breath, she blows the greenery off his finger while making the wish... just as Mark arrives at the bar and heads to where Aaron and David are sitting.
Number 28
While Susan is happy to hear that Pierce has got Hendrix sorted out for now, she subtly points out that he can't keep running over for help every time something goes wrong. She confirms to him that while the lad won't be expelled, he will be suspended, the consequences for what he did at the dance. "I understand," he acknowledges as Susan adds she isn't giving up on the lad, and he shouldn't either, however suggests that he ups Hendrix's tutoring.
The Waterhole
As David, Aaron and Mark finish their meal, we hear a bit more about 'the plan' in that involves a move!
When Mark is at the bar paying for the meal, Elly comes over to check that her "moment" with Shaun hasn't upset Mark given all that is currently happening with Fay. The guys are a bit bemused over the "moment" comment, so she explains more - they had an intimate moment and Aaron asks if she wants to start something with Shaun? "I don't know, it's complicated," she replies given Shaun is the father of her child but admits that she is still processing everything - what happened with Mark and Chloe, and wonders then if things will "fall into place with Shaun?"
ELLY: I just hope that Mark's okay.
Number 30
Despite being hungover, Yashvi has listened to Mackenzie rant off about Hendrix and her advice is she should have gone "way harder" because he "deserves to hurt" for betraying her. Mackenzie isn't sure if she is referring to Hendrix or Ned and Yashvi's response is to put her head back down on the table!
Yashvi suddenly makes a bolt for the toilet after smelling Shane's secret hangover cure (she should have stuck to Irn Bru!) but it allows Shane to have a chat with Mackenzie. "I'm glad I don't feel like that," Mackenzie replies (referring to hungover Yashvi) after Shane asks how she is doing! Shane apologises for the crap night she had, but the lass is resolute that if her dad can't handle the fact she is trans, then "that's on him." He is still feeling guilty over his role in their broken relationship, but she is quick to reassure him that its all down to her dad, not Shane.
MACKENZIE: Even though I came here to look for him, and even though he ended up being a massive disappointment, I still feel like I found family in Erinsborough.
"You'd think after a chat like that he'd be happier," Toadie says to Dipi in the kitchen, the pair having overheard the whole conversation between Shane and Mackenzie.
Ramsay Street
Pierce makes it known to Mark that he isn't happy that Chloe has stayed on in Adelaide while the boys returned home, especially after he hears that she isn't doing too great. "It was her choice," Mark explains but that isn't doing it for Pierce, and he has a real go at Mark for making Chloe take on this burden of her mum.
PIERCE: It affects her differently than it affects you and the others.
"I get it," Mark quickly acknowledges and asks that when Chloe returns, he "make her happy every single moment of every single day." Pierce immediately replies "of course" before walking off.
"Mark's being really weird with me," Roxy says to Harlow as they walk up the street and see Mark quickly head up the driveway of #24. "So, that's his problem not yours," Harlow replies and advises her to "forget about him" as they head up their driveway.
Number 28
Elly seems impressed when she arrives home to hear that Shaun has been listening to a pregnancy podcast while making an orange cake. Shaun explains that the more he knows, the more he can help because the baby means so much to him. Resting his hands on her swollen belly, he praises her for the work she's done so far during her pregnancy, he wants to help her now any way he can.
As Shaun was saying those words to Elly, they had another 'moment' and she acts on it after he initially stepped back (after realising that something was happening) by kissing him. He looks rather stunned at her kissing him, but when they pull apart, it is Shaun who then goes back to kiss her, and the pair then start pashing.
Number 30
Toadie decides it's time for a chat with his brother about his feelings over Grant leaving town. Shane is blaming himself for the "false hope" he gave Mackenzie, despite the brave face the lass is putting on. Toad tries to tell him that the lass isn't blaming him, instead she "thinks the world of you." He then reveals that Dipi has filled him in on what he said to Grant years ago.
TOADIE: Yes, it wasn't your finest hour, but you know what, we all do and say stupid things when we're younger.
SHANE: I ruined her chance of having a relationship with her dad.
Toadie tries another tactic, suggesting to him that Mackenzie thinks of him "as her family."
TOADIE: So how much more proof do you need that she's actually forgiven you? So, forgive yourself. You're just not that person anymore.
Number 32
We now actually find out what the snippets of information we have heard throughout the episode actually mean - Mark is moving permanently to Adelaide and is renting out his house! He denies, when Aaron asks, that its anything to do with Shaun and Elly getting closer, it is because Fay needs him.
MARK: I've got to do this.
DAVID: Its really selfless of you.
Mark concedes that lately he has been so caught up in his own stuff that he hasn't "been a good friend or partner or brother" lately. "I couldn't ask for a better brother," Aaron is quick to say to him and to remind Mark about so many folks he has helped.
MARK: I'm in a slump and I know it, but I know what I've got to do about it and hopefully I can work the rest of my life out from there.
"I'm going to miss you bro," Aaron says before going to hug his brother.
AARON: We're all going to miss you.
MARK: I'll miss you all too.
Coming up on Neighbours
- Hendrix not in the mood for what his dad has got.
- Harlow quizzing Hendrix.
- Someone stalking a Ramsay Street house.
- Bea commenting on Ned coming to Scarlett's rescue.
