Episode 536

Extended Summary

Steven and Viv are doing homework round her place but Viv is having trouble concentrating because she’s worried about Tammy. Steven says the police will find her but Viv points out Tammy’s scared of the police. Don comes in as Steven is suggesting he and Viv deliver Bobby’s flyers so they can look out for Tammy at the same time. Viv wants to stay in in case Tammy calls but Don says he can take a message and convinces her to go. Meanwhile, Tammy is getting off a bus in Summer Bay. She sits down to eat some sandwiches but when a police car passes she hides in a bush. When she emerges, she finds her sandwiches are dirty from having been on the ground.

Pippa and Ernie are at the store; Pippa asks Alf for a paintbrush. She asks after Ailsa and Alf explains she had to go away to see an old friend. Pippa invites Alf around for dinner since he’s on his own. After she has gone, Ernie tells Alf it’s lucky for him Ailsa has gone away, since Bobby’s election campaign will flounder without her. At the Diner, Carly complains about having to do all the work while Bobby talks to Grant about her launch speech. As they argue in the kitchen, Grant points out customers are walking out and his lentil burger is inedible. Carly tries to leave since her shift is over but Bobby asks her to stay since Ailsa’s gone. Carly agrees if she doesn’t have to do any cooking and Bobby protests she needs to set up the surf club for her launch. Grant offers to help Bobby set up the surf club and decides to cook his own burger. Pippa arrives home and gives Ben the paint brush; he is in the middle of painting his and Carly’s bedroom a pale yellow. Pippa recalls her and Tom’s first bedroom and how he wanted it painted blue but she wanted a floral wallpaper. She got her way by locking him out of the bedroom but once it was up she hated it and never had the nerve to tell him. She looks suddenly sad and makes her excuses.

Grant tells Carly that he’s pinned the recipe for the lentil burger up in the kitchen. Carly says he’s the only one who ever eats it. Ernie arrives to return one of Bobby’s flyers which was left on his windscreen and complains about it, saying Bobby doesn’t have a hope. When Bobby bluntly rebuffs his remarks, he complains that youngsters are all know-alls. Steven and Viv arrive, having delivered the flyers for the meeting. Viv worries about Tammy. Meanwhile, Tammy calls the house from a call box. Don answers and, when she asks to speak to Viv, realises who she is. He tries to get her to tell him where she is but she doesn’t know. He tells her to call the police but she hangs up.

Carly arrives home and Pippa tells her there’s a letter for her on the table. Carly takes it and goes up to see Ben. Alf arrives with a bottle of wine. Pippa tells him dinner isn’t ready because she’s busy fixing a lamp. Alf fixes it for her and tells her that, even with Tom gone, there’s a lot of people to look out for her. Carly opens the letter upstairs and discovers it’s the credit card she ordered. Ben takes it off her, since she doesn’t need it anymore, but Carly thinks she should hold onto it in case of emergencies. Ben reluctantly hands it over on condition she doesn’t spend any money without telling him. Carly points out that doesn’t mean she can’t use it and Ben playfully starts tickling her until she promises.

Bobby is trying to practise her speech on Don but he is too busy with work to listen, although he does promise to attend the launch. Steven and Viv return and Don tells Viv about the phone call, saying it was a local call. Viv is upset that he didn’t manage to find out anything useful and storms out of the house to look for Tammy. Steven goes after her. Meanwhile, Ben and Carly are kissing on the bed when Ben pulls back, saying they need to finish the decorating. He admits he doesn’t want to get carried away because they agreed to wait. Carly doesn’t have a problem with it.

Tammy helps herself to some water from a tap outside the Fletcher house. She sees Steven and Viv approaching, talking about her. She is about to call out to them when Alf comes out of the house and she ducks into hiding. Alf ushers Steven and Viv inside. Pippa is annoyed that Steven didn’t let them know he’d be late. Tammy listens from outside as Viv worries about her and then starts crying. Ben and Carly make themselves scarce as Pippa reassures Viv and offers her and Steven some leftovers. Alf also offers Viv a few comforting words before heading off to the surf club to check on Bobby.

Grant is setting up the surf club while Bobby practises her speech and stops him helping himself to the buffet. Alf arrives and observes the meeting is meant to start at eight and no-one’s there yet. He wishes Bobby luck but can’t help getting in a dig about her needing it, which leaves Bobby incensed. She gives her speech to the hall, empty apart from her and Grant, in which she encourages people to vote for her if they care about their children. It’s now twenty past eight but Bobby is still optimistic; however, when it gets to ten past nine she has to admit defeat. Grant suggests there was something else on but Bobby says there was only a disco in Yabbie Creek. She hands Grant a tray of uneaten sandwiches.

Ben and Carly have finished setting up the bedroom. Ben wanted to use wallpaper but admits the paint was cheaper. Carly wants to use the money they saved to get some new curtains, suggesting she use her credit card, but Ben reminds her it’s only for emergencies. Later, the pair banter about it in the kitchen while Pippa, Steven and Viv finish their meal. Carly suggests she buys the material and makes them herself; it will only cost $100 and she can pay it back from her wages. Ben reluctantly agrees. Steven says he’ll do the dishes in the morning. Pippa offers to drive Viv home but she wants to walk. Steven goes with her. As they walk through the caravan park, Viv is resigned to the fact that Tammy must have been scared off by Don and has left town. Unknowingly, they walk past Tammy, asleep underneath one of the caravans.

Bobby rips up her speech as Grant clears away the chairs. Don arrives and apologises for not getting there, saying he fell asleep in front of the television. Bobby and Grant tell him no-one else turned up. Don is puzzled, since he thought the meeting was cancelled, showing them a sign he found outside saying just that. Bobby says she didn’t put it there but she’s a fair idea who did…