Rachel drops a bombshell on Kim when she announces she wants to adopt Baby Joe. The bond between Sam and Jack continues to grow; Could there be a new romance in the air? Everyone is shocked when Colleen abandons ship, leaving them all to finish the Christmas Pageant preparations without her.
Extended Summary
It’s morning and Rachel has been sleep deprived from Baby Joe but she’s loving every minute of playing ‘mum’. Kim clocks it and reminds her they agreed to take care of the baby for one night only. Rachel is called off to the hospital and Kim is once again left holding the baby. Baby Joe’s lungs get another good workout but this time Kim manages to settle him on his own. Even he’s starting to become more attached! At the hospital, Rachel meets the DOCS officer who brings the news that they have not yet found foster parents for Baby Joe and asks if Rachel would consider keeping him for a couple more days. This is the last things Rachel was expecting but what will she decide?
Later, Kim adamantly says no to Rachel’s request to keep Baby Joe. He reiterates his concerns, despite Rachel’s plea for it being the best thing for the baby. Kim insists she doesn’t want her to go through what he went through with Noah and remains adamant. Rachel reluctantly agrees. Kim gets ready to head off to work. He says his last goodbyes to Baby Joe as Rachel watches on. Her heart is breaking – she so desperately wants to be a Mum.
Meanwhile, Jack is at the hospital preparing himself to finally head home. He admits to being a bit nervous but Sam reassures him that everything will be ok. They share a smile – these two clearly like each other. Sam introduces Jack to her son, Rory and straight away the two boys hit it off. Sam watches on smiling, the bond between her and Jack is growing by the day.
Colleen is in full swing as she races around giving orders to everyone who have reluctantly showed up for the Christmas Pageant meeting. As the boxes of dusty decorations and trimmings are sorted through, Alf appears in his moth eaten and tightly fitted Santa suit. Alf grumpily wonders how he got roped in to this but Colleen continues to bark her orders. As everyone continues with their chores, Colleen disappears and later returns with the news her Lancie needs her to look after Maggie because Debbie’s fallen ill. There’s stunned looks from everyone who assume the Pageant is over but they couldn’t be so lucky – Colleen announces she written a list of instructions and chores and will co-ordinate from a distance. With that, she chooffs off leaving everyone looking at each other stunned!
Back at home, Rachel gathers up Baby Joe’s belongings. The DOCS officer arrives and mentions that Joe will still be passed on from carer to carer for a little while. Rachel hates this idea and just as the officer is walking out, she stops her.
Later, Kim arrives home and is thrown to find Rachel cradling Baby Joe. After everything they spoke about, Kim is concerned why Baby Joe is still with them but nothing prepares him for the bombshell Rachel is about to drop when she announces she wants them to adopt the baby!