Number 24
Sky is grilling Joe on why he doesn't want to go home whilst he washes his underdacks in the kitchen sink. Harold joins in on the questioning (and is quite disgusted at what his sink is filled with) until Joe has had a gutful.

JOE: Alright, alright. You two gotta know the ins and outs of a cat's bum.

He tells them that he and Celia have busted up. "Again?" the other two query. He says it's for real this time because Celia turned into a madwoman. The final straw was when she put a lock on the fridge. How's a man supposed to have a beer at the end of the day with that kind of insanity?! Joe just thanks his lucky stars he's got other family to rely on in his hour of need.

Doesn't he have a baby with this woman? Odd.

Scummins'
Janae is on the phone, blasting the people at the Stupid Aussies video show, trying to get her Britney wannabe tape back. No dice. Janelle, Dylan and Bree are excited though; this must mean it's going to be on telly! They tell her that everyone is doing their bit to help out the family but Janae informs them that no one else's 'bit' has them publicly humiliated. Cue Stinger walking in wearing his pretty pink uniform. He grabs a drink from the fridge and glumly heads off to work. Bree gets her Beyoncé on behind Janae, mimicking her sister until she notices and chases her into the lounge room.

Go Go Boys
Stinger has noticed something amiss in the work schedule and goes outside to confront Go-Go about it. It turns out she's only given him one shift for next week whereas the other boys' days are full. She coldly informs him that work has taken a bit of a dive lately and that the other guys get top priority over him because they've been there longer. In other words, the other boys still let her pinch their behinds. Cheeky woman.

GO-GO: What you've got to understand, if you stay here long enough, is that loyalty is a two-way street.

Number 30
Lance glides out from the kitchen and gives Toadie the burger he lovingly made for him. Connor promptly tries to snatch it away, claiming Lance is trying to kill him. "It's got beetroot on it!" Apparently this is the reason why Toad has quite the tum-tum now. Connor feeds it to Bob.

Lance gives him a death-glare and wonders if he should be back at the bikini store but Connor says Serena has it all under control.

CONNOR: So what about you, Prance? Ah, Dance, Lance! Pfft, that's what it is. When are you heading home?
LANCE: Why Donna?

Blitzen, ah Comet, Dasher... Connor says that he thought Lance would want to follow Alanna home, but Lancey-boy says he's fine to stay on with his "best mate", besides the beetroot it's like nothing has changed. Toad and Lance do a weird high-five thing while Connor looks irritated.

Paul's Hospital Room
Paul's hobbling about giving his new leg a test run when Rosemary calls in on him. She just wants to tell him that she's glad he reneged on her offer to buy Lassiter's, hopefully now he'll think more sensibly about his business dealings. "Look at giving something back to the community," she adds, but all Paul can hear is 'blah blah blah'. Rosemary is speaking to him as "family" but Paul says Lucy is staying on for a while, that's enough family for him right now. "You have a nice trip won't you, Rosemary."

Number 24
Harry is vacuuming while Joe is trying to watch the footy, spilling his chips everywhere on the floor. He throws a pillow at Harry to get him to shut the noise off but Harold just switches off the telly in return. Joe picks this as his time to ask Harold if he could bunk down with them for a while, now that he's aware of the situation back at home. Hazza couldn't think of anything worse at the moment, especially considering the fragile state of David and Lil's marriage right now. Sky walks in just as Joe starts to feel like he's being fobbed off. Harry lets him know that the couch is there if he needs it and Sky takes her granddad's side; she thinks Joe should get a place of his own.

JOE: Ah, forget it. Forget I asked; forget I'm even alive! (He plonks his hat on)
SKY: Aw, and where are you going, huh?
JOE: Don't you worry about it, darl. I've got the ute, I've got me swag I'm a survivor. 'Joe Mangel the great survivor', that'll be on my tombstone. Oh geez, let's hope that won't be soon.

Bounce
Connor informs Serena that they're $5.60 short, which he'll have to take out of her pay because she was the one on the till all day. Serena informs him that he was in fact the last one to use it... Connor doesn't see the need to take it out of his own pay though. "Funny that," she snips.

He claims he's distracted by personal matters at the moment. Serena says he can tell her what's up, and he lets her know about his Lance dilemma. "There is a natural order to these things and he's not a part of it." Serena thinks he's getting uptight about nothing but Connor thinks she doesn't know what she's talking about, claiming she wouldn't know a life-altering problem if it hit her. "How dare you say that?" she snarls. Serena informs him her life has been hell since Paul Robinson arrived on the scene. Connor apologises and says she can talk to him about it if she wants but Serena wouldn't do that even if he were the last person on earth. So there! Nyah, nyah!

Number 22
Dylan has just finished settling Paul into his new abode and tells him it's great to have him around again, before leaving.

Paul tells a pouty-faced Lou that the rest of his stuff is being delivered from Lassiter's tomorrow. He also says that they should get a few things straight from the word go though. Lou's hoping this doesn't mean he has to bow every time Paul's in the room. It's okay though, Paul just says he wants Lou to treat him like a housemate and not a landlord. "I want us to get along as friends, alright?" Lou thinks this is dandy.

I give it a week.

Scummins'
Stinger is complaining to Janelle about what Go-Go did at work while Dylan and Janae laugh at him. Dylan dives into the bowl Janelle's holding thinking it's dinner, but he soon spits it out after discovering it's dog food. Blergh.

Janae, Dylan and Janelle think Stinger should just cop it on the chin and go back to work like nothing has happened but Bree doesn't think that's fair. Janelle says it's for the good of the car, "Us Timminses stick together in a crisis." While they're all off getting ready to go out for dinner Bree tells Stinger he shouldn't have to put up with Go-Go's nonsense. "Maybe you should talk to Toadie. Sexual harassment is against the law." Stinger says that's what Suse said and Bree's all, 'And you didn't immediately take her advice? Pshaaw.'

Scarlet Bar
Sindi asks Joe if he wants another beer but it seems he is skint. Doug and Phil swing by for some drinks and hear about the trouble Harry has caused for Joe.

PHIL: So what's the problem?
JOE: Two words. Harold 'stick it up your tuba' Bishop.

Lance, Toadie and Stu are having a buck's party meeting at another table but Stu warns them to keep quiet, Sindi doesn't have bionic ears for nothing. Here's a thought, have the darn meeting elsewhere! Toad wonders where Connor has got to. "Maybe he got a better offer?" Lance replies with a smirk.

Bounce
Connor is about to lock up for the night when he realises Serena is still in the shop. He calls out for her and finds her sitting behind the counter crying her little eyes out. He crouches down beside her and puts an arm around her shoulders, asking what's wrong. "My life's a mess," she sobs. Connor cuddles Michelle... I mean that other schoolgirl. Serena. Yes, that's the one.

Scarlet Bar
The Timmins clan have seated themselves down for some grub. Janelle calls out to 'Wendy', wanting her assistance, much to Sindi's annoyance. She hands her a boatload of coupons she's collected from her shopping dockets - just enough to cover everything they ordered for the night apart from some chips and some bangers and mash. Sindi's not impressed.

Harold saunters in wanting a word with Joe but gets called over by Phil and Doug. They want to know why he won't let Lou have some time off for their fishing trip, but Harry says he doesn't know what they're talking about. Lou was the one who said he didn't want to go after Harry tried to convince him to. They all should just realise they don't need to go anywhere to fish when there's a whole sea of them swimming around on Harold's green shirt.

He walks over to Joe but can't get a word in edgeways when Joe blathers on and on about only asking to stay because he's flat broke, how much of a good kid Sky is etcetera. Harold finally gets to tell him that he and Sky had a chat and he decided that Joe is more than welcome to stay indefinitely.

JOE: What are you saying?
HAROLD: I want you to come home, Joe.

Joe is stoked and grabs him in a bear hug. "Aw geez, I'm gonna cry."

Bounce
You know who else is crying? Serena-bean. She's telling Connor that she's still worried about her parents. She thought that everything would go back to normal once Lil moved in again but now that Paul's moved in next door she's not sure anymore.

CONNOR: You know sometimes they just get to an age where you just have to let them go.
(Serena makes a 'Huh?' face)
CONNOR: Parents. Yes they'll keep making mistakes but you can't keep mollycoddling them their whole lives.
(Serena can't help smiling)
SERENA: You think you're pretty funny, don't you?
CONNOR: At least I made you smile.

He stands up and says they should get going, taking her hands to help her up. Wouldn't you know it; he's pulled her up so fast that they slam into one another and their lips almost mush together in a smooch! Hello. They don't seem too eager to move away either. Connor asks where the keys are in a flustered manner and Serena says she doesn't know where they are, her hand still holding on to Connor's arm. They eventually move apart though as embarrassment takes over. He offers to walk her home but then realises that doesn't make sense since he's going to the Scarlet Bar. They hastily say their goodbyes and haul butt in opposite directions.

Scarlet Bar
Lou is telling Phil and Doug that the real reason he didn't want to come along is because he's feeling old, and it hurts to admit that he's not a sprightly young chook anymore. They bid him adieu and say it was great to see him again. Lance is on his mobile in the background and Phil didn't even say howdy to him before he left! Where's the love I ask you? Where's the love?

Connor walks in and promptly sits in Lance's seat, still looking a little flushed with what just happened at work. He starts to loudly ask if they've booked any strippers or whatnot yet but Stu claps a hand over his mouth to shut him up.

Lance walks back and tells them he's just been speaking to Alanna. There's been some Klingon emergency and he's needed back home straight away. There's nothing worse than a Klingon emergency, let me tell you. Almost as bad as a Code 3 emergency: A chinchilla invasion. He says it was great to meet Stu, gives Toad a hug goodbye and casts one last scowl in Connor's direction before he leaves.

Sindi informs Janelle she's read the fine print and she can't use more than one token at once, she'll have to pay. Janelle informs her she doesn't have any money so they'll just have to regurgitate everything, grossing Sindi out. The Timmins clan bolt out of there before Sindi gets reinforcements. Bree holds Stinger back though; telling him now's an opportune time to talk to Toadie. Stinger goes up to his cousin for a chat.

Number 30 - Next Morning
Stu and Toadie are deeply engrossed in the footy on the TV while Connor looks deep in thought. Sindi swans in after her walk with Bob and asks what they thought of for the buck's night. They try to tell her it'll be a quiet affair but this backfires on them, Sindi thinks they should combine their nights because she was thinking of doing the same thing. How splendid! She goes off to have a shower not listening to their protests, so Stu chases after her to change her mind.

Toad throws a pillow at Connor's head (must have taken hints from Joe), asking if he's still with them.

CONNOR: Toadie?
TOADIE: Yeah?
CONNOR: I've been thinking about Serena.
TOADIE: What's the problem now?
CONNOR: That's the problem. I've been thinking about Serena.
TOADIE: Do you mean 'thinking' thinking, or thinking thinking?
CONNOR: Thinking thinking.
TOADIE: (looks disturbed) Aww.

Number 24
Sky hangs up the phone from her little chat with Celia, which Harold had been listening in on as well. Joe walks out clad in his Saints AFL jersey.

JOE: G'day, youse! Lovely day! Look, I've just dropped the kids off at the pool so if you need the dunny I wouldn't go in there for a while. Fan the door!
(Harold and Sky give him a look)
JOE: Aw no, you can't smell it out here can you?

Charming! Sky informs him she's just been talking to Celia and it seems she's not quite as mad as Joe's made her out to be. In fact, she seems perfectly reasonable to both her and Harry.

SKY: Isn't it about time you told us the truth?
JOE: Sky... it's like a soap opera.

Go-Go Boys
Bree has come along with Stinger for moral support, waiting outside for him while he faces Go-Go. He sternly informs his boss that what she's been doing to him is sexual harassment. He asks for his regular shifts back, if not, he'll be forced to take action. Go-Go laughs heartily in his face.

GO-GO: You little twerp! Try that on with me, I'll squash you like a bug. Got it?

Bug. Squash. Check. Stinger really thought that plan was going to work dang nabbit.