No 28
Melanie is feeling embarrassed that she was so upset in front of Toadie, but tells him she can't convince herself she's okay, despite Eden having been apprehended. Toadie assures her it's okay to feel that way; she's been through a very traumatic experience.

MELANIE: When I was living on my own, I used to have endless nightmares about Eden coming for me. But they stopped when I moved in here with Karl and Susan. This was my safe space. And now he's invaded that, too.
TOADIE: Did he come round often?
MELANIE: Yeah. Once Paul's money had run out. It was every couple of weeks. He tortured me - fine, I could take it. But I couldn't take him hurting the people that I loved. And I thought, by letting you all go, that it would make you safe.

Melanie sobs, and a conflicted Toadie shifts closer to her.

TOADIE: You should've told me, Mel. I wasn't the one who needed protecting.

No 22
Terese is in the kitchen when she gets a call from Toadie; Karl hasn't come home yet, he explains.

TOADIE: I think I should stay.
TERESE: What, you mean, stay the night?
TOADIE: Yeah. Uh, Mel needs someone here.
TERESE: ... I'll see you in the morning.

She hangs up, looking annoyed.

No 30
Cara has waited up for Remi, who comes in from her late shift.

CARA: I thought you might need to unload. It can't have been an easy shift.

Remi shakes her head, and hugs Cara.

REMI: It was just so... sad. How are the boys?
CARA: Oh, you know, a bit rattled. Not every day you get locked down because of a siege.

Chelsea comes in, seemingly having been struggling to sleep; she claims she can't stop thinking about how Paul reacted to the news of David's death.

CHELSEA: Poor man. Who knows when he'll be able to work again. Which... sort of puts a halt to my plans.

But neither Cara nor Remi are listening, as Cara gets a notification on her phone that an alarm has gone off at the Lassiter's Complex. She says she has to go and meet the security team, as the only person besides Paul with the master keys. Remi offers to accompany her, but Cara tells her it's fine, and to go to bed. Remi does so, and Cara leaves, while Chelsea looks thoughtful.

No 28
Toadie and Melanie are camping out together with pillows and duvets in the living room, on adjacent sofas. It reminds Mel of a time they did the same while they were married, with the kids.

TOADIE: It's a bit hard to forget being attacked while you're asleep by shrieking children.
MELANIE (laughs): Snore like a wild animal, get treated like a wild animal. Them's the breaks.
TOADIE: Oh, righto.
MELANIE: I can't believe I'm about to admit this... but I actually missed your snoring after I left.
TOADIE: What? No way! For what, like, five minutes?
MELANIE: Give or take a few minutes. Everything else I missed a lot longer.
TOADIE: ...
MELANIE: You know, I kept sleeping on the right side of the bed for months. Stretching out onto your side felt completely wrong.
TOADIE: I used to force myself to sleep in the middle, just to prove that I could.
MELANIE: Did it help?
TOADIE: No. Nothing helped. Even when I was hurt and mad... I still missed you.

Realising what he's said, Toadie quickly follows it up by reasserting that he loves Terese. Melanie begins to cry quietly.

MELANIE: I know. She makes you happy.
TOADIE: I want you to be happy too, Mel. But my future is with her. Goodnight.
MELANIE (sobbing): Goodnight.

No 30
In the early hours of the morning, Chelsea is in the sunroom when Cara comes in. Chelsea claims she still hasn't been able to sleep thinking of Paul.

CHELSEA: And poor Leo - losing a sibling. I don't know what I'd do if I ever lost you.
CARA: I'm not going anywhere.
CHELSEA: I know. But things like this remind you of what really matters. And now I want to be as close to you as I possibly can. I love you so much.
CARA: Hey - I love you too.

They share a hug, and Chelsea attempts to turn the moment of closeness to her advantage.

CHELSEA: ... Can I please stay a little bit longer?
CARA: ... We'll talk about it.

No 28
Karl comes in from his night shift, and is surprised to find Melanie and Toadie sleeping on the sofas. Toadie wakes up, and Karl asks him what's going on. Toadie explains that Holly was called into work, so Mel didn't want to be alone, and was too anxious to sleep in her own room. Toadie immediately leaves, keen to get back to Terese. Karl looks concerned.

Harold's Café
Terese is working on her laptop at a table. She gets a call from Toadie on her phone, but ignores it.

No 22
Toadie's back at home, and looks concerned that Terese didn't answer his call.

Harold's Café
Terese looks a bit conflicted.

No 30
Remi and Cara get up to find Chelsea and Dex having breakfast. Cara tells Chelsea that she and Remi are okay with Chelsea staying a further few days. She gets up and pulls them both into a hug, thanking them. But Dex, who has been using Chelsea's laptop, has stumbled upon something.

DEX: Hey, why were you looking up the Robinson family tree?
CHELSEA (lying): ... Paul's got such an interesting family. I just looked it up this morning.
CARA: The way you said that tells me it's not true.
REMI: Did you look it up as soon as you found out Cara worked for him?
CHELSEA: ...
REMI: You've been scheming since before you even met him!
CARA: You're hustling. That's the real reason you want to stay.
CHELSEA: That's not true. Paul does factor into it, but it's not some evil plan. I like him.
REMI (mischievous): You like his money. Which is a real shame, because he doesn't have that much of it.
CARA: How many ex- wives are on that family tree?
CHELSEA: A few.
CARA: Well, after all those divorces, do you think there's gonna be much left for the next?

Chelsea looks worried!

Harold's Lakeside
Mackenzie is working when Haz brings her a cooked breakfast - a marked deviation from his usual toasties- only policy! Holly, who has just come off her night shift, eyes up the brekkie from afar and tells Haz she wouldn't mind one, too, but Haz says it's a one- time special thing to spoil Mackenzie.

HOLLY: Wait, are those hash browns?
HAZ: Yeah. No stealing.
HOLLY: No, no, no. You can't serve those to Mackenzie.
HAZ: What, she doesn't like them?
HOLLY: No - Hendrix was all about hash browns. He had, like, a secret recipe or something. She told me that they served them at his memorial.

Mackenzie, who's been too engrossed in her work even to notice what's on the breakfast plate, is surprised when Haz snatches it away from her again.

MACKENZIE: But I hadn't touched that!
HAZ (hiding the plate): Yeah, which is why you need fresh bacon. Slowpoke!

Mackenzie looks confused, but gets on with her work...

No 28
Karl, Holly and Melanie are at the table, discussing what happened last night. Karl and Holly both feel bad for not having stayed at home, given what Melanie went through yesterday, but Mel reminds them that they both offered to stay with her, but that she told them to go to work as she thought she'd be okay.

MELANIE: I didn't freak out until after you'd left. And it's done now, and it all worked out in the end.
KARL: Well, it might have worked out for you. You put Toadie in a very tough spot.
MELANIE: It's just the same as me asking either of you two for help. Toadie and I are friends.
KARL: Toadie is your ex- husband, who you parted from on extraordinary terms! It's not fair to lean on him like this.
MELANIE: He didn't seem to mind.
KARL: And what about Terese? I know a bit about this, Melanie, and I have to say, I can't see it ending well.
MELANIE: I'm sorry, Karl, but if you are comparing my situation to one of yours, you are way off- base. Toadie is married and I am not gonna do anything to get in the way of that. It's not who I am.

As Mel gets up, Karl and Holly exchange a look.

Lassiter's Complex
Chelsea accosts Terese outside Harold's, and somewhat superficially extends her condolences.

CHELSEA: I know how much you loved David. How could you not? He was... so lovely.
TERESE: (strained smile)
CHELSEA: Like, people in your position - grieving but having to stay strong for others - I guess I just want to say, I see you.
TERESE (briskly): Thank you. That's very kind.

Terese walks away and sits at a table, but Chelsea follows and sits down next to her.

CHELSEA: Then there's the added layer of Paul being your ex. Times like these bring up the old closeness, but the new distance is still there, right?
TERESE: ... Yes, that's exactly what it's like.
CHELSEA: I've been there, to a lesser extent. I'm divorced too. But we barely speak, unless it's about the kids. I'm guessing your split was more amicable than mine?
TERESE: Uh... certainly not at all junctures, but I guess it kind of was, by the time we settled. Paul was very generous.
CHELSEA: Sounds like you had a better lawyer than me.
TERESE (laughs): The best. And I'm not just saying that because he's my husband!

Having gleaned what she needed to know, Chelsea thanks Terese for the chat and leaves, smiling to herself as she looks towards the Rebecchi Law office and an idea develops...

Harold's Lakeside
Mackenzie is still working as Haz tells her he's shortly about to clock off. Mack says she could be persuaded to finish up too, and Haz has the idea of a zombie movie marathon to persuade her, evidently knowing she's a fan.

MACKENZIE: Ah, now we're talking!
HAZ: Yeah, we are. Just out of interest, where did the zombie obsession come from?
MACKENZIE: ... Hendrix. We used to play these zombie video games, and it just became a bit of a thing.
HAZ: You know what? Let's go for a walk instead. Movies, on an afternoon like this, you know... let's save that for a rainy day, huh?

Mackenzie agrees to the plan, but looks a bit puzzled as Haz goes inside to finish up.

Rebecchi Law
Toadie grabs Terese as she's passing and asks for a chat, mentioning he's been trying to call her; she claims her phone has been on silent, but it's clear she's still frustrated with him for spending the night at Melanie's.

TOADIE: I asked a lot of you last night.
TERESE: ... Look, I trust you. Of course. But wanting to spend the night with your ex- wife?
TOADIE: No, no, no - I didn't *want* to.
TERESE: No, you felt you needed to. Either way, I'm still just trying to process it.
TOADIE: Well, Melanie was alone and vulnerable. I just can't turn a blind eye to that. A bit like you and Paul.
TERESE (defensive): Paul's different. We've established that.
TOADIE: Either way, we both have a lot of history with our exes. But that's actually the key word, isn't it? It's history. And it's you that I love, and it's you that I want. And I made that perfectly clear to Melanie last night.
TERESE (worried): Why did you need to do that?
TOADIE: ... Well, I mean, we were just discussing, you know, our time together. And it felt a bit borderline.
TERESE: What do you mean, borderline?!
TOADIE: Intimate. But it's nothing to worry about. I drew a line in the sand, just to make it clear. And Melanie knows where she stands. She is a friend. You are my wife, for life.

But Terese doesn't look very happy!

Ramsay Street
Terese is still scowling when she encounters a chirpy Melanie in the street.

MELANIE: Thank you so much for sharing Toadie with me last night. It was a godsend. And I'm so happy that we've all arrived in this place where he and I can still be friends.
TERESE: Okay, I don't know what place you think we've arrived at - but you've arrived alone! I am not sharing Toadie with you. You're not friends. He is my husband, and you should not be talking to him about your time together.
MELANIE: He told you about that?
TERESE: Yeah, of course he did! I'm his wife. Look, Melanie, I know you've had it rough, but I've been compassionate and very understanding. But after last night, I am done (...) I am Toadie's present, future, everything. And you're his past. And I won't let you steal him away from me.
MELANIE: I would never! I have accepted the way things are, and that they're not gonna change! I have honestly let Toadie go.
TERESE: You know, if you can't be honest with me, then I hope you can at least be honest with yourself.

Terese walks away, leaving Melanie upset.

No 30
Remi, Cara and Dex are playing Jenga when Chelsea comes in. She's about to sit down to join in, but knocks the table, destroying the Jenga tower.

REMI (annoyed): Well, that's game over, then.
CARA: No, we can rebuild it!
CHELSEA: No, no - leave the cleanup to me. It's the burden of the loser.
DEX: Sounds like a poem about JJ.

As Chelsea rebuilds the tower, everyone else clears out of the sunroom - giving Chelsea an opportunity to swipe Cara's master keys for the Lassiter's Complex, which are sitting on the table...

Lassiter's Lake
Haz and Mackenzie are having their walk. Haz notes how beautiful the lake is, despite harbouring 'the world's ugliest creature'.

MACKENZIE: The Lassiter's Lake Ness Monster?
HAZ: The yabbie. Have you ever looked up close at their little faces? Not cute.

Mackenzie's thoughts turn to Leo and Aaron, and wondering how they're coping, planning David's funeral. Haz looks sad and sits on a bench, admitting that he's been trying to keep Mackenzie's mind off all that.

HAZ: That's why I brought you here.
MACKENZIE: Oh, that's sweet. But being here is actually what reminded me of it. This is where the Melbourne crew came together to say goodbye to Hendrix.
HAZ: Are you serious? First the hash browns, then the zombie thing. Now this. It's like I'm celebrating 'Trigger Mackenzie Day'.
MACKENZIE: I can assure you, I haven't been triggered once today. Certainly not by hash browns.
HAZ: I took them away, because Holly gave me the heads up.
MACKENZIE: Right... Things to do with Hendrix don't trigger me. They trigger memories. And some of them make me sad, sure. But mostly, they make me happy.
HAZ: Even when I'm the one that reminds you? That's not weird for you?
MACKENZIE: No, of course not.
HAZ: So, what I'm hearing is that I don't need to dance around the subject anymore?
MACKENZIE (laughs): You know, Hendrix loved to dance. Haz, please don't feel like you have to hold anything back from me. I want to share everything with you. About my past, present, and future. And I'd be happy to smash hash browns and watch zombie movies all day, as long as you're there with me.
HAZ: I wouldn't be anywhere else.

She kisses him on the cheek.

Rebecchi Law
Night has fallen, and Toadie is locking up the office. Once he's gone, Chelsea comes to the door and uses the stolen key to gain entry. Inside she makes a beeline for the filing cabinet, and begins rifling through the 'family law' section, before retrieving what she's looking for - the 'Willis/Robinson' file.

But at this point, Chelsea hears Toadie's voice outside again; he's on the phone to a supplier, and he comes back into the office to look for something. Chelsea looks tense as she conceals herself behind a door...

Coming up on Neighbours
- Paul yells at Leo, reminding him they're organising David's funeral, while he's dating his killer's ex
- Krista looking upset at No 24
- Toadie looks concerned as Terese is supportive towards Paul
- Later, Toadie tells Terese that he feels like she's getting in too deep with Paul
- Terese responds by reminding Toadie of him spending the night at Melanie's house