Written by Mark Burt Directed by Durno Johnston

The morning after the breakup sees Marcus going over it all with Maria in whose flat he's staying. He admits he and Sean still love each other but it can't fix everything. He says it's him that wants different things but wonders if it's a pipe dream. Maria encourages him but Marcus is not encouraged facing life back as a single man again. Liam calls from the bedroom and Marcus volunteers to go to him. Maria assures him he'll always have her and Liam. Marcus says that's what's keeping him going at the moment.

In the taxi office, Karl staggers in but is given another pickup though he insists on having a bit of a sit down first. Steve wanders in as well. Eileen tells him that it's been chaos as the owner of Primo cabs, Mad Goran has had a melt down and sacked half his drivers. Not such a bad thing since Streetcars is reaping the benefits. Eileen hands Steve an airport run.

Fiz calls in sick with the flu. She's in a bad way but can't go back to bed because she's got Hope. Chesney and Katy are also similarly stricken down. The babies are in fine fettle. Chesney starts to get up to make a bottle for the baby, gets a bit dizzy but makes it to his feet. Fiz calls the clinic to see if Dr. Carter will make a house call.

Marcus lets himself into Number 11 to fetch his stuff but Sean is there.

Steve is dozing in the car parked up on a side road. Eileen is trying to call through and he seems to be ignoring her so she starts singing over the radio. That does the trick. He hollers through the mike and tells her his last fare was a nightmare. While he's moaning, a cab comes by, belching smoke and sounding like bits are falling out of the engine. Steve coughs and tells Eileen it's a muppet from Primo cabs. The engine backfires and Steve leaps out of the car, hollering at the driver and calling him a planet killing muppet. The driver pops his head round from the bonnet hood and OOH! It's Lloyd!! He's Back!!! The two men gawp at each other, surprised.

Back home, Sean has made Marcus a cuppa. Marcus had thought he could come get his stuff while Sean was at work. Sean says he'll go out to the shops. Marcus sadly says he didn't mean for it to end like this. Sean just sighs and leaves him to it.

Steve and Lloyd stare at the engine of the disabled cabs. Steve has a go at the state of the car. Lloyd hesitantly apologizes for not replying to Steve's texts and they agree to go for a brew.

Hayley arrives for lunch at the cafe. Roy has prepared her a lovely looking lunch but Hayley is too nerved up to eat. Roy offers her a cup of chamomile tea instead. Mary comes in and in the ensuing conversation we find out that Hayley has a dance exam that evening and is nervous but has a good partner. Mary and Roy both are encouraging though Mary then tears a chunk out of Hayley's confidence as per usual.

Steve and Lloyd are rehashing his disaster with Tracy. Lloyd says he went to Jamaica but didn't find what he was looking for though it was nice to see his family. He felt like more of a tourist and then got involved in a bad property deal.

Doctor Carter knocks on Number 5, and is seen by Anna who comes across to find out what's going on. When Fiz answers the door, Anna can see the problem straight away.

Back to the cabs where Lloyd describes the land he helped invest in as "reclaimed land", that is, swamp. Lloyd only lost about two grand but when he came back to England he was feeling humiliated. His fresh start turned into a mess and it's ongoing. When Steve finds out Lloyd is renting someone's spare room, he offers him his spare room in the taxi flat. Lloyd is chuffed and accepts.

The doctor has confirmed that everyone has the flu but the babies are ok. He signs them all off work for a few days though can't do much more than that for them. Anna offers to look after Joseph and Hope. Fiz feels like she's taking advantage but Anna says she can sort out a schedule. They reluctantly agree.

Marcus is nearly finished packing when Sean returns. He gives Marcus one of his shirts as it looks better and gives him a dvd of photos he made of them and Dylan. Sean thanks him quietly. Marcus says he thought he might return to London. I tearfully watch them tearfully hug each other and say good bye. Marcus gives Sean a warm kiss on the cheek and leaves. Sean opens the disc which is merely labeled "US".

Anna is juggling Joseph who's fussing when Gary and Owen come in, surprised to see the children. Anna fills them in on the situation. Owen thinks she didn't quite think it through. She hands Joseph to Granddad and Gary offers his and Izzy's services for the evening shift. How hard can it be?

Lloyd and Steve arrive back on Victoria Street. Lloyd thanks Steve who says it's not charity, Lloyd is his best mate and he needs all the back up he can get with Tracy skulking around. Kevin walks by and greets Lloyd. He asks Steve if Number 13 is still up for sale and can he have a look later. No problem! Lloyd tells Kevin about the cab that needs towing. Steve also offers Lloyd his job back. Lloyd isn't sure but Steve offers him a new start. "My and you in harness again!" Lloyd picks up on that and agrees and they shake hands on it. Steve and Lloyd creep into the office so that Lloyd can surprise Eileen. She's really happy to see him and hugs him.

Hayley comes rushing into the Kabin and tells Norris that her dance partner has had an accident and can't dance. Her exam is tonight and she needs him to fill in. There's nobody else that's capable and he'll save her life. With the added offer of a nice lunch including pudding and a beverage, Norris agrees.

Marcus is finishing his packing in Maria's flat when she comes home. She's not pleased to find out he's leaving for London. She points out that she and Liam are going to miss him like crazy since they've become so close. Marcus doesn't think it's a good idea to hang around with his ex boyfriend looking over his shoulder. Liam calls out for Marcus to come and play and the lure is irresistible. He agrees to stay and Maria says he can stay there until he finds a place of his own.

Lloyd has told Eileen all about his adventures and the land deal. The three of them are so happy to be back together! Lloyd leaves to go tell Goran he's quitting. Eileen tells Steve he's a good friend.

Lloyd is just about to get into a cab when Karl comes along and orders him to stay away from him and Stella. Lloyd tells Karl that he and Steve are going to be partners again. Lloyd offers to wipe out the past but Karl doesn't take his offered hand. Inside the office, Karl comes in and quits and says he's not working under Lloyd. Steve is horrified to find out that Lloyd assumed the job offered was the partnership. That wasn't the case, Steve says, he meant the job to be as a drive though didn't use those exact words. He doesn't know how he's going to be able to tell Lloyd he got the wrong end of the mistake. It's going to take finesse and deftness of hand. None of which he possesses, Eileen adds.

Tvor

Apologies in advance for the shortness of this update. I am packing, ready for holiday and have put myself on a tight schedule!

Karl is pestering Steve to inform Lloyd that there is no partnership. Steve irritably replies that he will do it. Kevin calls round to pick up the keys for the flat.

Tracy and Beth meanwhile are busy turning the flat into a dump. Kevin comes round and Beth overdoes the act...before Kevin reminds them that he lived in this flat for 20 years, leaving their plans foiled.

Paul is making dinner for Eileen and Sean. Sean is miserable so Eileen offers to have a night in with him in front of the television.

Gary and Izzy arrive at Anna's to babysit Hope and Joseph. Gary assures his mother it will all be fine. As soon as she leaves, both babies start crying so Izzy and Gary are forced to get to work.

Hayley is nervous in the run up to her dance exam. Norris is taking it all very seriously which adds to her worry. Roy informs Hayley that he and Mary have arranged a game of chess in their absence.

Lloyd tells Steve he has walked out on job. He is so excited about the partnership that Steve doesn't get a word in edgeways. Kevin interrupts by arriving and telling Steve that Beth and Tracy tried to put him off the flat.

Paul heads out to work. Sean wishes that he could have a job that he could be proud of. Eileen suggests that they share a bottle of wine.

Steve tells Beth and Tracy that if they want to stay in the flat so much then they should buy it. They both say that they can't afford it so Steve points out that they have no choice but to move out.

As Sean and Eileen head to the shop they bump into Marcus and Maria. Marcus tells Sean that he is staying around after all. After he goes, Sean admits to Eileen that he doesn't know if he can cope with Marcus living so close.

Marcus is feeling guilty for making Sean feel uncomfortable but Maria tells him that Sean will have to put up with it as he has every right to stay in Weatherfield.

Norris and Hayley start their dance in front of the examiners. They perform well.

Sean is moaning to Eileen that Marcus is just doing this to deliberately hurt him. Eileen tells him he will have to be strong and just put up with it.

Roy and Mary's game is underway. Roy explains that he taught himself chess while Mary confides that she was taught by a strict nun. As they chat, Mary goes on to win the back.

Gary is exhausted by looking after the babies. Izzy looks hurt when he suggests he's glad they don't have a baby. They start to bicker when the babies start crying again.

Lloyd comes round to tell Steve he's got his chequebook. Steve looks nervous about breaking the bad news to him.

Hayley and Norris return and as they excitedly recite their night and inform Roy that Hayley passed, Roy snaps and said he needs to concentrate on the game. Hayley looks hurt.

Anna arrives home and Izzy tells her that they will babysit again anytime. Gary says he isn't sure and Izzy snaps that she will come on her own.

Lloyd brings in some celebratory cans into the office but he is drained of his excitement when Steve finally breaks the news that he only invited him back as a cab driver, not a partner.

Mary and Roy have achieved a draw. After Mary leaves, Hayley asks if she is allowed to speak now and appears upset by Roy's lack of interest in her dance result.

Lloyd is shouting at Steve that he has led him on. Steve apologises and Lloyd asks if he will reconsider. Steve says that it is not possible and Lloyd says that he will be back as they have unfinished business before storming out and slamming the door

Duncan Lindsay

And as your updater struggles bleary eyed away from the grip of Olympic sports coverage, we begin a Wednesday episode for a change:

Lloyd comes out of Eileen's with her, thanking her for putting him up these last few days. He's got plans which he won't tell her about and which are behind his mysterious absence from her house all day yesterday. 'it'll take more than a knock-back from Steve McDonald to put me on the canvas,' he says.

As he walks away, Steve comes round the corner and demands to know what Lloyd wanted. Eileen admits Lloyd's been staying at hers. She didn't tell Steve because she doesn't want to get caught up in his petty quarrel, she says.

Inside her house, Sean sulks and eats cereal. Eating cereal is a well-known plot device to signal depression, though it IS morning, so maybe he's just hungry. Paul tries to talk him into going back to work. Sean's determined to keep sulking and act like Miss Haversham in Eileen's front room. Paul eventually manages to get him to agree to make an effort.

Izzy and Gary arrive at Anna's to take over baby-minding duties for the day. Faye is reluctant to go to school and says she's ill but it appears to be nothing more than non-specific schoolitis.

Eileen and Karl play a guessing game. (Q: If this person was a drink what would they be? A: A half a pint of bitter sipped very slowly) when Steve comes in to see how busy the taxis are. A: Not very. Mrs Featherstone's missed her regular Wednesday shopping trip. While he's there, Mrs Dixon from the One O'Clock Club calls to cancel her contract. It seems she's found another taxi company which uses only women drivers and which is cheaper. Fare Ladies, it's called. Karl's gone out to his car but comes back in - it's been plastered with flyers for Fare Ladies.

Julie checks the coast is clear before Sean's willing to leave the factory. She can't see round corners, though, and he comes face to face with Marcus. Marcus tries to make conversation but Sean is seriously weird and then blurts out that Julie's found him a date.

The babies are very noisy and Garry and Izzy disagree about how much trouble they are. Izzy's sure all the trouble must be worth it but Garry is more cynical. He can't wait to give the babies back to their parents and get back to normal.

In the cafe, Owen chats to Faye. She's taken to coming to the cafe for her lunch. She reckons she's doing her homework but Anna wants her to help out. When she tries to tidy away Faye's mess she finds a letter in her bag. It's about sports day, which is this week. Faye says it doesn't matter because she's not going in for anything.

The scene shifts to a dilapidated building with Primo Cabs in huge letters. A smaller sign advertises it as the premises of Fare Ladies. Steve goes inside, only to discover Lloyd in charge.

Steve accuses Lloyd of being childish if he's bought a cab company just to get at Steve. 'Mad Goran saw you coming a mile off.' Lloyd says he actually got the firm for a very reasonable price. And he's not been poaching customers - just reclaiming those who were his finds originally. He says Steve's been taking these clients for granted. Steve thinks Lloyd can't afford to carry on offering such cheap fares. Lloyd points out that he's got the women-drivers advantage. 'I've got a woman driver,' Steve says defensively. Er...no. 'Gaynor works for me now,' says Lloyd. This makes Steve even angrier. 'If it's a war you want . . .!'

The babies have gone to visit their sick parents. While Garry takes Joseph upstairs to see bed-ridden Chesney, Izzy confesses to Fizz that she's pregnant. She's scared to tell Gary, though, because of his attitude to babies. he'll be angry.

Tracy goes to see Steve and says she's looking for a job. Steve tells her about Lloyd and says if business continues to fall he'll have to sell the house to keep the firm afloat.

Fiz advises Izzy to tell Garry about the baby. No matter how he reacts, he has a right to know.

Beth comes home from work and flops down on the sofa. Tracy's going through the job ads in the Gazette. She finds one for someone to work the switch at Fare Ladies. Beth reckons she should go for it despite her loyalty to Steve.

He's in the Rovers, building up a good head of indignation. He tells Eileen she shouldn't be harbouring Lloyd when he's trying to put her out of work. She gets a phone call from Lloyd. He wants to take her to the bistro to thank her for putting him up.

The babies are back at Anna's and so are Faye and Owen. Owen talks to Faye about sports day and Anna offers to buy her some new trainers for it.

In the bistro, Lloyd admits the meal is not just to thank Eileen for the accommodation. He wants her to come and work for him. Eileen's not had time to give him an answer when Steve comes in. He and Karl had a chat in the pub and Steve realised he didn't trust Lloyd's motives. Eileen admits she's been offered 50p more an hour to go to Fare Ladies. Steve offers 60p. Lloyd raises that to 75p. Steve offers an extra pound an hour. Lloyd counters with three extra days of paid leave per year. Steve tops that with the position of office manager . . . Eileen tells them both she can't leave Steve in the lurch after all he's done for her recently, so she'll be staying with Street Cars - and, of course, taking the extra pound an hour, three days' extra paid leave and the job of office manager!

In the pub, Julie and Sean see Marcus come in with Adrian. Sean suddenly realises that his lie about having a date has given Marcus permission to move on himself.

Tracy goes to see Steve. He's still depressed about Lloyd but she has an idea. He needs to find someone devious who can apply for the job on the Fare Ladies' switch and bring Lloyd to his knees. Now, who do we know who is looking for work and who is that devious?

The end
Margaret Carr

We start outside in the Street, where Karl is shocked to find Kirsty getting into a 'Fare Ladies' cab. Steve comes along and tells him he has a plan.

In Anna's house, Faye's phone is bleeping with a message, but she's in no hurry to look at him. Anna says she must be really popular, that thing is always going off. Owen teases her about a boyfriend, but Faye assures him she hasn't got one. She asks Anna if she's still going to get her a new pair of trainers, and Anna says she'll go into town later and get some. Faye shows her pictures of trainers that everyone at school has got, she's hoping for a pair of those.

Sean and Julie are arriving at work. Julie is upset because Sean sloped off last night, leaving her feeling very awkward with Marcus and Aiden. Sean says Marcus is flaunting his new fella in his local. Julie thinks he only brought Aiden because Sean told him he was going on a 'hot date'. She tells Sean to talk to Marcus and tell him he's hurt, but Sean refuses, saying he must face facts, Marcus has moved on.

Steve goes to see Tracy, and tells her he's had second thoughts about her going to Lloyd for a job, Lloyd hates her and she hates him. Tracy says she won't have any trouble convincing him she's changed. Just then Eileen walks past so they pretend to be arguing. After a lot of shouting, Tracy slaps Steve across the face. Eileen is disgusted by their behaviour and walks on. Steve rubs his face, and wonders why she hit him. Tracy grins. “Do you still think I'll have trouble convincing Lloyd I'm genuine?” she asks.

Izzy and Gary are looking after the babies when Anna comes back, she's exhausted, looking after babies is hard work. She remembers how much work it was with Gary when he was little. Izzy is sure it gets easier as they get older. Anna remarks that even Faye is hard work too.

Tracy goes to Lloyd's cab office. He's dismayed to see her, but she assures him that if Steve knew she was there he would be furious. She says she's ashamed of what she did, and is there for a fresh start, but, like him, Steve MacDonald is standing in her way. She tells him that Steve is threatening to take Amy off her and is threatening to chuck her out on the street, and what with the way he's treated Lloyd, his closest friend, he's turned into a monster. She's come for the job on the switch that he advertised, and she's desperate.

Sean and Julie are walking down the Street, when they meet Marcus coming the other way. Julie hisses that this is his chance to make things better, but Sean notices that Marcus is wearing his best shirt and accuses him of being off out with Aiden to celebrate their being a couple. Marcus points out that Sean was supposed to have had a hot date the night before. After a few more angry words, Sean sticks his nose in the air and struts off.

Fiz arrives to take Hope from Izzy. She asks if she's told Gary about being pregnant yet, but Izzy says she's waiting for the right time.

After checking that Tracy can work the switch in the Fare Ladies' taxi office ok, silly Lloyd leaves her on her own while he goes off to chase contracts. A customer rings in asking for a cab at Springwood Road. Tracy then deliberately tells the driver to go to Springburn Road.

Gary and Izzy are in the cafe. He thinks she looks pale and tired and wonders if she's going down with the flu too. She tells him she's fine, but wants to go back to his mum's, she wants to tell him something. He wants her to tell him there and then, so in the end she blurts out that she's pregnant!

They're back at Anna's house, and Gary is stunned. She tells him she was dreading telling him, but then he smiles and tells her it's the best news – he's going to be a dad. They're having a baby! She frowns, and reckons he's just saying what he thinks she wants to hear. He assures her he's not, he's delighted. “Do you know what?” he says, “we are going to be brilliant!” and he hugs her.

Lloyd comes back to the Fare Ladies taxi office, very pleased with himself. He's set up a meeting next week with Steve's biggest client, someone who has several pubs and restaurants. Just then a call comes in. Taxis are needed to pick up a hockey team from the airport. Leaving Lloyd to ring his drivers about it, Tracy goes outside and rings Steve and tells him to get taxis to the airport as quickly as possible to pick up the hockey team.

Izzy is worried about whether Gary is really over the problem that broke them up before. If it should happen again, when they've got a baby..... He tells her he's over all that now, and she should stop looking for problems. She then starts wondering if they can afford all the expense, especially if she has to give up work. He points out that Fiz hasn't given up work. “But Fiz is on her own,” says Izzy. “Exactly,” says Gary, “and you've got me!” That silences her, and she smiles. He says if the baby looks like her and has her personality, he'll be perfect!

Lloyd is on the phone to his driver, Linda, who apparently managed to lose the hockey players to Street Cars, and to get herself barred from the airport. Tracy smirks in the background, then Lloyd turns to her and says he can't understand how they got there first. He thinks Steve must be listening in to their radio. Just then Kirsty walks in, accompanied by Karl. She'd waited an hour for a Fare Ladies taxi that was promised, and then called Street Cars. Lloyd is really apologetic and Tracy blames the driver. Kirsty says her ankles have really swollen up, and she storms out.

Faye arrives back at the cafe after school, and Anna gives her the shoebox with new trainers inside. As she opens the box, Anna says she knows they're not the ones Faye really wanted, but..... Faye cuts her short and says they're brilliant and gives her hug and thanks her, but the look on her face shows that she's less than thrilled. Owen remarks that she should be breaking world records in them, but Anna says it's now how you do, it's how you look. “Isn't that right, sweetheart?” she says. “Yes,” says Faye, “exactly.”

A very smug Tracy is in the Street Cars office with Steve. She tells him Lloyd is after his contracts, as well as some new ones of his own. Then she hands over the piece of paper she wrote all her notes on. “Tracy, I could kiss you,” says Steve. She says that when they do get it together they make a pretty good team. He agrees and they open beers to celebrate.

A dejected Lloyd goes to the cafe, saying he's had the day from hell. He sits with Eileen and tells her that sticking with Steve was probably the best thing she could have done, and Tracy is probably wondering what she let herself in for. Eileen is aghast to hear that he has employed Tracy. “You hate that woman,” she says. He says that if, united, they can bring Steve MacDonald to his knees, he would forgive her anything.

Marcus calls on Sean to try and sort things out, explaining that Aiden is not his new boyfriend, they were just in the pub because Aiden has a problem with his father. Sean is very offhand, so in the end Marcus suggests they make a pact and agree not to flaunt new boyfriends in front of each other.

Eileen walks into the taxi office to pick up something she forgot and finds Tracy there with Steve. Although Tracy says she's just there to invite Steve to Amy's sports day, Eileen starts to put two and two together. Steve has been getting secret phone calls and Lloyd has had the day from hell. In the end Steve admits it, but says Lloyd started the cab wars by stealing his clients and undercutting his fares. He says that for her job, for his firm and for everyone, he needs to win any way he can, and tells her not to say a word to Lloyd.

Anne Logan

Tracy's taking Amy to school and Amy stops her dad to check he's coming to the sports day. He is. He's turned down Olympics tickets to be there. Tracy tells him she's worked out another way to make Lloyd miserable but before she can tell him what it is, Lloyd and Eileen emerge on to the street and Tracy starts shouting at Steve about solicitors. Lloyd makes a sarcastic comment to Eileen, who is appalled that he thinks Steve's domestic strife is funny.

Simon's also on his way to school and stops for a birthday hug from Peter, who's with Carla. Peter promises him loads of treats at his party later and Simon asks if Nick can come. He whines until everyone agrees, then also gets Nick to agree to come to the sports day. In fact, everyone should come to both of his parties, he says.

Eva tells Stella all about her spa treatments. "I feel like I need stuff like that to make me feel special," she says. Spoilt? You betcha! She suggests she and Stella go to a spa together and Stella agrees. Eva gets annoyed when she sees that Stella has a card for Simon. She insists that Stella post it, otherwise she'll assumed Stella's just making any excuse to see Leanne. Stella seems to cave in and asks her to fetch a stamp.

Tracy arrives at work and meets Lloyd outside. He seems to have been doing the coffee run. She moans about Steve refusing to take Amy to school and how angry he makes her. Lloyd goes in to answer the phone and Tracy moves quickly to one of the cars, though we don't see what she does.

Anna tries to talk to Roy but he's practicing chess tactics using the salt and pepper shakers. Gary and Izzy are breakfasting in the cafe. Izzy feels a bit sick and wonders if it's morning sickness. Gary's so excited he wants to make an announcement in the Rovers to tell everyone they're having a baby but Izzy thinks they should talk to the doctor first. She assures him she doesn't think there's a problem but she wants reassurance. He says he'll try to make an appointment today.

Stella's in the bistro talking to Leanne. Leanne invites her to Simon's second birthday party tomorrow, if only to see the balloon animals. Stella agrees.

Carla meets Peter smoking outside the betting shop and teases him about his athletic fitness for the dads' race. Peter's annoyed that Nick's going to be at the sports day but tells Carla she's got nothing to worry about except the jelly and ice-cream for the party. Carla assures him she's going to produce something far better than jelly and ice-cream. She says he told her to make a fuss and that's just what she's doing.

Eva spots Stella coming from the bistro and is very annoyed. Stella assures her she's nothing to be jealous about.

Tracy's in the taxi office and Lloyd's telling her about the Fare Ladies charge card and loyalty scheme he's introducing. Steve wasn't interested in doing something like that at Streetcars. Lloyd hears the sound of a car not starting.

At Streetcars, Steve talks to Eileen about how stupid Lloyd is. Why, he even wanted to introduce loyalty cards. She tells him she doesn't think he's fighting fair.

All three of the cars at Fare Ladies won't start. Lloyd gives Tracy a bit of a fright by opening a petrol cap and sniffing. But he's just checking the cars weren't all filled with diesel by mistake when they were filled last night. He tells Tracy to check the bookings and cancel those she can. He's going to ring Kevin and Tyrone. If they don't get these cars back on the road pronto it could be the end of Fare Ladies.

At the sports day, as Brian lectures Steve on the importance of pre-race stretching, he has a megaphone in one hand and a cupcake in the other.

Tyrone thinks the problem with the Fare Ladies cars is a contaminant in the fuel. He details the work that will have to be done - fuel tanks removed, lines cleaned, catalytic converters replaced . . . Tracy, conveniently outside bringing them a cuppa, says she saw some kids in hoodies hanging around. [Plot hole alert!] Lloyd says the petrol caps were locked so it must have been somebody with keys. Which is very strange because Tracy presumably didn't have keys with her when she arrived at work and later Lloyd opened the cap to check the fuel without using any keys. Anyway, Lloyd just wants to know how much it'll cost to get the cars back on the road and he doesn't want Tyrone to do that teeth-sucking thing that mechanics do before they deliver really bad news. Tyrone sucks his teeth and says it'll be a minimum of two grand.

Doctor Carter has done a bit of research and spoken to Izzy's EDS consultant before her appointment. He assures her there is no danger in her having a baby. The only problems are that the baby might arrive early and because pregnancy makes women's joints a bit looser and so does EDS, it might take Izzy longer to get back to where she is now once she's had the baby. "The bottom line is, if you want a baby you can have a baby." Gary tells Izzy this is the best thing that's ever happened to him and he can't wait to tell everybody.

Peter's having fun with Simon at the sports day and Leanne's annoyed that he's "taking over." Peter brags about his athletic prowess and Simon tells him he can prove it in the dads' race. Dev arrives and brags that he won a podium position in last year's race, though Simon points out to him that there were only four dads in that race and one of them had asthma. Dev's still optimistic. He's heard that Bradley Watkins' dad has done his cruciate ligament - and he points to his neck! Simon wants to know if Nick can be in the race. Peter says Nick isn't a dad but Simon runs and asks Mr Packham. Brian, of course, says yes because they're short of dads again. "You can pick up your sacks from Mr Jenkins." Yes, this year the dads' race is a sack race.

Anna annoys Eileen by being overly attentive in the cafe. She mentions school sports to Roy and under his questioning reveals that the Bessie Street Junior Sports Day is on right this minute. Roy can't understand why she isn't there and shoos her off the premises.

Dev's fancy running shoes are no good for this race but he gets in the zone anyway. Peter complains about having a damp sack and Nick roars ahead to win the gold medal.

Tyrone mentions to Roy that he and Kirsty are going on a three-day mini-break to the Lakes. He spots Lloyd and tells him that if he does want the cars fixed, Kevin says they can pick them up later but they could be off the road for a week or more. Lloyd says he can't afford it and might have to sell them as scrap. Eileen overhears and questions Lloyd. When she hears he's put so much of his money into the new business that he can't fix the cars and might lose everything, she tells him about Tracy being the enemy within.

Amy wins her race. Dev moans about being third for the third year in a row. Anna arrives but can't find Faye. Brian asks her if Faye's feeling better. When Faye didn't come to school today he assumed she was sick. She rings Owen to check whether he's seen Faye.

Fare Ladies' last working cab arrives at the depot and Tracy tells the driver there's an eclair for her inside. Tracy'll lock up. As she opens the petrol cap, Lloyd steps out from a hiding place to confront her. Tracy tries to say she was just going to check the fuel hadn't been tampered with but she doesn't fool Lloyd. He tells her he knows exactly what's been going on. He tells her she's a fool. Steve despises her and has been using her to do his dirty work. "He knows you're too blind and too stupid to see the truth!" A distressed Tracy tries to defend Steve and protests that it wasn't Steve's idea, but Lloyd has his dander up. He's going to the sports day. He's going to find Steve McDonald. "And then I'm going to wring his big, fat neck!"

You'll have to wait for the next episode, though, to find out whether he does.
The End.
Margaret Carr

Written by:John Kerr
Directed by: Terry Dyddgen-Jones

Couldn't keep you waiting for this one, as I am sure you are dying to know if Lloyd manages to catch up with Steve, so here we go:

We open in the middle of the bustle of Bessie Street sports day, with Steve and Dev doing a bit of one-upmanship along the lines of "My kid is better than yours", and they end up with a financial wager.

Well at least they are sticking around for the kiddies' races, which is more than can be said for Peter, who has hightailed it home to Carla following his embarrassing loss. She asks how it went, and he carefully tells her that Simon did fine. Not letting him get off that lightly, she asks if he took part in the Father's race, and he admitted he had taken part in the sack race. On being asked if he won, he muttered "I did alright", and quickly changes the subject by asking her if he can help her with the birthday party preparations. She tells him he can put out the hummus and olives, while she blows up the balloons. Peter is amused and repeats "Hummus and olives?", she affirms, and with a smile he does it, not wanting to ask her if she was ever a kid herself.

Back to the sports day, and little Amy is doing as her father bade her before the race (actually he promised her a big bag of sweets if she beats Aadi), and is running her little legs off. It pays off, and she comes in first, a crowing Steve collects his money from Dev. Just then Steve sees someone else running his little legs off towards him, only this person is yelling his name at the same time, and telling him to stay there because he is he is going to kill him. Steve decides this might be a good time to make a quick exit, and runs in the opposite direction.

Izzy and Gary are leaving the Medical Centre, and Gary is beside himself with excitement. He is feeling very positive after listening to Dr. Carter, and can't wait to tell the whole family. Izzy is more subdued, and tells him she is really tired and would like to leave telling them for a while. Gary can't understand it, and questions why she isn't more excited, but she snaps for him to get off her back. and wheels away.

Back at the school our two heroes are belting around the track, with Lloyd on the heels of Steve, actually neither of them look as if they are running very fast, in fact they are not even too much out of breath to shout at each other. Steve asks him what he has done, and Lloyd shouts back that he will tell him after he has knocked seven bells out of him. Brian, on the sidelines is horrified that parents would act that way, but Dev on the other hand is thoroughly enjoying the unexpected half-time entertainment. Brian moves to put a stop to it, and asks Dev for help, which is declined with the excuse that he twisted his knee in the sack race, but I suspect it is more that he wants to watch the fun from a distance. Tracy appears at his elbow and asks where Steve is, on having the dynamic duo pointed out, she decides it would be expedient to take Amy home before she finds herself in the middle of it all.

Steve suddenly trips, and Lloyd lunges on top of him, they are wrestling on the ground with Lloyd accusing Steve of nobbling his cabs, and Steve denying any knowledge when Brian catches up to them and speaks to them like naughty school children. Pointing towards the school he shouts "Go to my office and wait for me there! C'mon, on your feet!!" Both guys do as they are told, hanging their heads in shame. Ha ha!!

Anna walks into the house and finds Faye relaxing on the sofa munching on a bag of crisps. She demands to know why she wasn't at school, and Faye tells her she had a stomach ache so came home. Anna grabs the crisps from her, and asks if she made a miraculous recovery then? She also demands to know why she lied to both her and Mr. Packham. Her excuse is that it's only sports day, so it doesn't really matter, and besides Gary used to bunk off all the time. Anna asks her what is really going on, but gets nowhere, so sends her to her room. However, when Anna's back is turned, instead of going upstairs, she sneaks off out the front door.

Simon, Leanne and Nick have arrived for the party, and Leanne looks at the spread on the table with amazement. She tells Carla sarcastically that she can see she has been busy, as she has smoked salmon and everything. Simon makes a gagging noise at that, and Carla reassures him that she has pizza for him. When he asks what kind, she tells him it's goats cheese. He responds vehemently that he wouldn't eat anything that came out of a goat. Peter reprimands him for being rude, telling him that Carla has worked very hard to prepare this party for him, and that she has cake and everything. He asks Carla if it is chocolate, and when she replies that no, it is carrot, Leanne rolls her eyes.

The reaction has not gone unnoticed by Carla, who is now feeling bad, and asks Peter if she should pop to the shop and get some proper party food, but Peter tells her she doesn't have to do that, as what they have is fine. Nick tries to ease the situation by telling Simon he should try some carrot cake, because not only does it taste good, but it's good for his eyes. He makes the old joke about never seeing a rabbit wearing glasses, which Simon finds funny and calms down, which makes Peter hate Nick just that little bit more.

Steve and Lloyd are still sitting outside the Headmaster's office, much to the amusement of children walking by. This does however give them a chance to talk things through, and Steve owns up to putting Tracy in there as a plant, and to stealing a couple of his customers, but assures Lloyd he had no idea she would stoop to putting something into his petrol tanks. Lloyd believes him, but tells him that won't get his cars running, and that it will cost him over £2,000 to get mobile again. Steve is very sympathetic.

However, just then Brian appears, and both of them jump to attention, Steve clasps his hands behind his back, he has obviously had the cane in his dim and distant past, and is now bricking it! LOL!! They get a good dressing down, and both hang their heads in shame, looking up from under their eyelids and apologise, promising it will never happen again. Brian goes into his office, and the two start bickering all over again, Steve blaming Lloyd for the trouble they are in, Lloyd blaming Tracy, and Brian reappears tut-tutting at them, and they immediately stop and hang their heads again. Then as Brian turns on his heel again, Lloyd gets in a crafty swat at Steve, just like an 8 year old would have done. This was so silly, but very funny!

After the break Ken is shouting up the stairs to Deirdre to hurry up as they are late for Simon's party. There is a knock on the door and Ken opens it to an irate Steve, who tells him that Tracy has been sabotaging Lloyd's cabs. He then turns his anger onto the guilty party, and informs her that her stupidity has probably cost Lloyd his business. She is taken aback, and points out that she understood from him that putting Lloyd out of business was the whole object of the exercise. Steve, nearly blowing a gasket, tells her that although he and Lloyd have had their differences, he would never have done that to him. Tracy conceded for a split second that she might have crossed the line a little bit, but then back tracks and tells him she was only trying to help him, and that she won't bother next time. "Good!" yells Steve. He then goes on to scream at her that from now on, she is to stay out of his face, stay out of his business and stay out of his life!

Faye is sitting on a bench outside the chippy, and she definitely should have gone to her room as instructed, because the two girls who are bullying her emerge from the chippy, and immediately start picking on her. They give her a hard time about having a pretend Mum, and tell her they are leaving because it stinks around there. As they leave, Kevin comes out of the chippy, don't see him carrying anything, but anyway, he asks Faye if she is OK, and she answers that she is fine. He suggests getting her Mum for her, and she gets up to leave telling him again that she is fine.

Steve arrives back at the cab office, and asks Karl if they have been busy, on being told that it has really picked up, Steve tells him it is because Lloyd is out of action. He goes on to sing Lloyd's praises about not being a bad bloke, in fact he is one of the best, just as the subject of the conversation comes in and listens in to what Steve is saying. He tells Steve he wants a word, so Karl gets sent home, Lloyd produces a six pack, and tells him he wants to talk.

We are now back at the birthday party, if you can call it that with six adults and one birthday boy. Carla offers Ken a drink from a bottle she is carrying, which causes another eye roll from Leanne. Ken asks if that is wise under the circumstances. Carla tells him it is non-alcoholic, so Ken decides to have one. Peter announces it is present time, which goes down well with Simon.

After opening a gift card from Ken & Deirdre, and Ken of course tries to brainwash him into spending it on a book, he opens the gift from Peter & Carla, which is a very welcome computer game. Simon is thrilled and immediately asks Nick to set it up for him. Peter tells him he can do it, but Simon tells him not to be daft, as he is rubbish with computers. Goes down like a lead balloon with Peter I can tell you!

In the Rovers, Gary is tackling Izzy as to why she seems unhappy about the pregnancy. She assures him it's not the pregnancy, she is more worried about her Dad's reaction. She knows he will get upset about her being pregnant with her condition. Gary reminds her that the doctor had said that everything should be alright, but Izzy is still concerned that something might go wrong. Gary asks her outright if she wants the baby, and she assures him that she really does. He tells her that he does too, and that he intends to look after both of them, and to make sure she stays happy and healthy and safe. She cheers up then, and tells him OK.

Lloyd and Steve are now holed up in the cab office with cans in hand and are having a heart to heart. Steve tells him he has missed his friendship, as it's just not the same with Karl. Lloyd apologises, and Steve asks if he is apologising for chasing him round a field, or for selling out to Becky. He tells him it's both, but mainly for selling to Becky. After a long conversation, Steve suggests that they combine businesses, and have a joint partnership. Lloyd jumps at this, and is even more delighted when Steve also offers to share his flat with him. Steve and Lloyd living and working together - this should be good! :-) Just as they are having a bit of a hug to seal the deal, Kevin comes in and apologises if he is interrupting something.

Everyone is making their leave from the party, and Carla thanks Deirdre for her stuffed marrow recipe. LOL!! (Yes, Carla looks just the type to make a stuffed marrow doesn't she?) LOL!! They leave, reminding Peter and Carla that there will be another party for Simon tomorrow at the Bistro. Carla assures them they will be there. Simon hugs his Dad goodbye. After everyone has gone, by the look on Peter's face, he is about to have a self pity party once again.

Owen comes into the house with Faye, much to Anna's relief, who had noticed she was not in her room and had been worrying. She mildly rebukes her for leaving the house without telling her, but at the same time hugs her and tells her she can go on the computer for ten minutes until tea is ready. Out of earshot, Anna asks Owen where he found her, she is blaming herself for getting angry with her earlier. She tells him she knows something is wrong, and Owen asks if she thinks it could be because the two of them got back together. Anna tells him she doesn't know, but she knows something is going on. Meantime, Faye is on what looks very much like Facebook, and she sees a message underneath her photo of herself with Anna from one of her bullies which says "HAHAHA!!" Now, one has to wonder why she would have someone she hates on her friends' list, or are we not supposed to know that our enemies cannot post to our page unless we let them?

I was right. Back in Peter's flat he is filling Carla's ear on how much Simon likes Nick better than him etc. etc. Carla sits him down and assures him that he will always be Simon's father, and all the time he is around, he will always be a big part of his life. Peter calms down, and tells her he was just feeling sorry for himself. She cuddles up to him and tells him she has something that will take his mind off it, Peter is definitely up for that, so she points him to the sink, and tells him there is a stack of washing up to do. I have to wonder why they decided to live together in Peter's flat instead of Carla's. Hers is not that far away, and it is bigger, nicer and has a dishwasher! No brainer in my book just for the dishwasher alone.

Steve arrives at No. 13, and tells Tracy he has patched things up with Lloyd and they are going into partnership together. Tracy explains that she only did what she did for him, and in a roundabout way, if it wasn't for her, he wouldn't now have a mate and partner. She is very optimistic that they can put things on the right track again and start getting back to normal. Steve tells her that there is only one problem with that, she is moving out - immediately, and she is to tell Beth that they are both out as of now because he has sold the flat to Kevin Webster. She shrieks at him that she has nowhere to go, and what about his daughter? He tells her that Amy is more than welcome to come and live with him, and that he really doesn't care where she goes. As far as he is concerned, this is the last time she will get a chance to ruin any of his friendships, relationships or businesses, and she is to start packing her bags right now!

I have to say that I am so pleased to see Lloyd back, I love his character, and I love him and Steve together. I watched an interview with Craig Charles on daytime TV, and he said that while he was away, he filmed six new episodes of Red Dwarf, which hadn't had any new episodes since 1999. He said it is all the same cast, but with today's technology, the special effects are amazing, and the series is very funny. He expects it to air in the UK in September. He said it takes 45 minutes just to attach Lister's dreadlocks for the role!

Christine

Written by: Susan Oudot
Directed by: Terry Dyddgen-Jones

In Roy's Rolls, Nick is on his mobile ordering lots of fun things for Simon's party, while Leanne listens with a look of amusement on her face. He is in for a real treat, because he is ordering things like balloon animals, a candy floss machine and pop things that have streamers coming out. On top of that, he has booked a conjurer and magician - Wow! Business must be good. Leanne points out that Simon would have been happy with some cake and a game of pass the parcel, but Nick tells her that his reputation as a professional organiser is at stake. Leanne asks if he is sure it doesn't have more to do with getting one over on Peter, but he denies that, and says that Simon hasn't had too many great days lately, and deserves one.

In the flat, Carla is suggesting they give Simon's party a miss, as he has already had one, albeit it wasn't much of one, but Peter is not having that, he doesn't want anybody (meaning Nick) thinking he would not show up at his own son's party.

Steve and Lloyd are discussing the phenomenal cost of £2,000 to fix the cars that Tracy wrecked. Steve doesn't feel it is his responsibility, but Lloyd points out that Tracy isn't likely to put it right, and as they are partners now, they need those cars as they are losing business. Steve finally agrees to go 50/50 with him to get them back on the road.

Kevin comes in asking when he and Jack can move into the house, because he is very anxious to get away from where they are. Steve tries to explain the problem he has with getting Tracy and Beth to move out. Kevin is not happy to hear this, and tells Steve that he will pay the full asking price if he will get them out by tomorrow night. Steve's ears prick up at this, and decides it just might be worth his while to have another go at extricating the two women.

Eva is all excited, she has just taken a call from the Spa, who have had a cancellation this afternoon, and can fit in her and Stella. However, when she gives her mother the good news, Stella tells her she can't make it, as she has promised to attend Simon's party at the Bistro. This does not go down well with Eva, not only is her mother turning down spending some quality time with her, but is opting to spend that time with the daughter who, in her opinion, did the dirty on her.

Out front, Gary and Izzy are discussing the merits, or not, of telling the family their good news. Izzy is very reluctant, but Gary can't wait, he is so sure that her Dad will be as chuffed as they are. Izzy doesn't look convinced, she knows her Dad a little better than Gary does.

Steve comes into the bar and find Beth & Tracy having a drink together. He starts by telling them they need to settle on a date for them to move out, and finishes with telling them their stuff has to be out by tomorrow. They are both in total shock at this, and point out that it isn't legal to get them out without a month's notice, and should they go to the citizens' advice, it wouldn't look good for him to be harassing two single mothers like this. Steve pulls a face in frustration, and leaves to have another think on the situation, and the girls toast each other with a celebratory drink.

Anna is telling Faye to hurry up and get ready, or they will be late for Simon's party. She announces she is not going, as it's all little kids, and besides, she doesn't want to go. Anna reminds her that she had told her earlier that her mate Lindsay and another of her friends would be there, but Faye still digs her heels in. Just then her phone announces an incoming text. We don't see who it's from, but it reads "Everyone says you smell".

In the Bistro, the party is in full swing, with a clown making balloon animals for the kids. Faye's 'mate' Lindsay appears to be more interested in sending texts however. Stella arrives and chats to Ken & Deirdre, and the latter tells her how impressed she is with the amount Nick has spent on the party. Everyone agrees that Simon is a very lucky lad. Unfortunately someone has just arrived who won't agree with that, Peter and Carla come in, and immediately Peter loudly decries everything he sees. Carla hushes him, and tells him to put on his party face for Simon's sake. But this is Peter we are talking about, how he feels always comes first.

They go to pick up drinks off the bar, and Nick suggests they not take those, as they have alcohol in them. See this red rag? See this bull? He kicks off at Nick, but the latter just says he was trying to be helpful, and offers them a fruit juice, which they refuse. Situation diffused - for now.

Over at Streetcars, Steve is sitting in my favourite chair with his share of the £2,000 in his hand. He is still mulling over how to get Tracy & Beth to leave No. 13 by the next day, and talking it over with Eileen, she points out the obvious, that Tracy will only ever do something if there is something in it for Tracy. Lloyd comes in and holds his hand out for the cash, but suddenly reaching a decision, Steve shoots out the door, with the money still in his hand, telling them he will be back in a bit.

Back at the party, Peter is standing next to Deirdre with a huge scowl on his face. He remarks to her that he can't stand the fact that Leanne looks as if she is loving the whole thing. Deirdre points out that he can't blame her for wanting to give Simon a party. Peter however is blaming Nick for the whole thing, and his temper is boiling just under the surface. Carla, recognising the signs suggests they leave, and will phone Simon later on to find out how it all went. Ken agrees with her, and he is just about to go along with it, when the beautiful circus cake is lit, and everyone sings Happy Birthday to Simon. Peter looks at Nick, standing with Leanne and Simon, and despite Carla tugging at him to leave, refuses and decides he wants to lay claim to 'his' family, not Nick's.

Izzy and Gary have arrived at No. 6, Katy comes downstairs and tells Izzy that she thinks Joseph is teething, as he has been rather fussy. Faye's phone announces the arrival of yet another text, and Owen makes a joke about her boyfriend being keen. Faye snaps back at him rudely, which upsets Anna, who tells her to turn her phone off as the meal is almost ready. Chesney arrives, he has been having a driving lesson with Kirk, who reckons he is just about ready for his test.

Steve has arrived at No. 13, and Tracy immediately tells him that he will be wasting his breath if he has come to tell them to get out. Steve slaps the money down, and tells them that if they get out by tomorrow, the £1,000 is theirs. Eyes widen all round, especially Beth's, who moves to grab the money. However, Steve gets there first, and tells them that when all traces of them are gone tomorrow, they will get the money, but unless both of them are gone, the deal is off.

Back in No. 6 the time has come for the big announcement. Gary, with a big grin on his face tells them that they are having a baby. Everyone is delighted with the exception of Owen, who is dangerously silent. Gary makes a point of telling Owen that he loves Izzy, and promises to take care of both her and their baby, and that he will never let them down, but Owen still sits quietly. Anna on the other hand is over the moon, and is more excited than anyone. They all raise their glasses in a toast, including Owen, but he still hasn't said a word.

Beth and Tracy are discussing the money after Steve has left. Tracy is all for not taking the money, she points out that it will hardly put a roof over anybody's head. Beth on the other hand tells her that they are going to have to move anyway, and feels she might as well be paying rent on another place than on this one, and besides the money would come in dead handy for a trip to the seaside, or maybe hair extensions.

At the party, all the children are being handed loot bags (do they call them that in the UK, not sure, they didn't have them there when I was a kid). Lindsay, the nasty kid who has been sending texts to Faye takes hers ungraciously, and asks Simon why Faye didn't show up. Simon doesn't even bother answering her, as how would he know? Peter, still scowling and muttering doesn't have his mood improved when Nick tells Simon there is one more thing, and pulls out the gift from him and Leanne, which turns out to be laptop. Peter is beside himself with rage, especially as a thrilled Simon is going round the room showing everyone. Unable to keep a lid on it any more, he confronts Nick and accuses him of buying it to make him look cheap. Nick counters that not everything is about Peter Barlow, that he had bought it because he thought Simon would like it.

Peter then accuses Nick of pouring alcohol down his throat just to get to Leanne. Nick, now angry himself, tells him to leave, and also tells him that it's time he stopped playing the victim, always trying to have everyone believe that his problems are down to Ken abandoning him, Carla seducing him and him turning him into a drunk. He doesn't get a chance to say any more because Peter punches him in the mouth. Everyone looks on horrified as Nick goes down.

Izzy and Gary are saying their goodbyes, and Izzy knows there is something up with Owen. She asks him what's wrong, saying that she knows it's nothing new for him, but it is a big deal for them as it's their first. Anna interjects that they are both chuffed for them, and Owen quietly agrees.

Back in the Bistro, Simon is in tears, he screams at his father that he wishes he had never come. Peter is not a bit sorry though, and is still spitting venom at Nick. He accuses him of only buying the laptop to outshine his gift of a games console. It's Leanne's turn to have a go now, and she tells Peter a few home truths. She points out that the laptop had been bought several days ago, and it was done to cheer up a little boy who had been put through the wringer by him, and only him! She goes on to tell him that he has ruined this just like he ruins everything, and ends up screaming at him to get out.

Tracy comes across Beth, who is busy packing up her stuff. When asked what she is doing, Beth tells her that she really needs that money. Steve arrives, and is pleased to see that his plan may be working, however Tracy is still digging in her heels and is refusing to leave. She asks to speak to Steve alone, and leaves the room with Beth ear wigging on the other side of the door. Tracy tries appealing to his better nature, and tells him that if he leaves it for a while, he may be able to decide what to do about the two of them as a couple. Steve assures her there is no couple, he doesn't love her and their relationship is dead in the water, the house is sold, and he wants them out - end of! In tears, she tells him she will be packed up and ready to leave by tomorrow then.

Bad timing, Faye is leaving her house reading a text just as her two enemies are leaving the Bistro. They giggle, because they know what is in the text. Faye spies them, turns on her heel, throws her mobile up against the wall and goes back inside.

Nick is holding a bag of ice against his jaw, and Leanne is still furious with Peter. She just cannot believe he would ruin his own son's birthday party. Nick tells her that Peter is in pain, but she retorts that it is all self inflicted. She states that it is so unfair, she is supposed to just accept his relationship with Carla, but he tries to sabotage any chance of happiness that comes her way. Nick tells her they will just have to learn to live with it, but Leanne is not prepared to do that, and suggests they move. She goes on to say that they should put Peter, Eva, parents, all of it behind them. Nick asks her what about the Bistro, and she replies that it was probably a stupid idea. However, he assures her that he thinks it is a great idea, he just has to get someone to manage the Bistro and they can leave Weatherfield. The credits roll as they hug each other with delight.

Christine

Written by Simon Crowther Directed by Terry Dyddgen-Jones

Peter is nursing a sore hand from thumping Nick. Carla tells Peter he needs to apologize but he has no intentions. She thinks it's the right thing to do for Simon's sake. Peter shouts that Nick showed him up and Carla agrees, Nick did misjudge things. Peter is loud and belligerent but Carla thinks he should swallow his pride for the sake of Simon.

Hayley is looking forward to getting her dance certificate that evening. She kisses Roy good bye. At a table, Leanne and Nick are talking about plans to move away. Nick doesn't mind where they go as long as it's away from Peter. Leanne says they need to move quickly. Mary comes in the back of the camera shot and approaches the counter. We move to she and Roy where she's consulting her diary to which days she would be available for a chess match. Roy suggests that evening since Hayley is at dance class. That works for Mary who then pulls out an old chess timer/clock she found. She says she looks forward to the game and then buys a muffin.

Faye sneaks out the back and puts a bag with her new trainers inside into the wheely bin. Back inside, Anna reminds her to pack her trainers for P.E. Faye wants a note to say she can't do it because she's left her trainers on the bus. Anna gets angry that Faye was so careless to lose expensive trainers.

Nick has told Gail about moving away. Gail has nothing good to say and blames Leanne for taking her baby away. Gail reminds him what Leanne did to him but he points out that he was just as bad, trying to steal her from her husband. Gail isn't about to accept that her blue eyed boy could take any blame. He doesn't think she has any right to comment on his love life after the choices she's made, Joe McIntyre being only the most recent. Gail defends herself, Joe and she would have been very happy if it hadn't all gone wrong. Well that's the same for anyone isn't it? Gail infers that Leanne is after Nick's wallet. Nick has had enough and decides there's no point continuing that conversation. He kisses his mum and gets up to go.

In the cafe, Tracy has been calling about a flat on Tile Street but it's only just gone. Anna asks if she could move back home. Tracy says her father won't have her back. Beth skips in and brags that she's got a flat for her and Craig. Tile Street. Oh great! Roy brings over Tracy's sandwich and suggests she tries her parents anyway. Beth thinks that's where she'll end up as well.

Anna has dropped across the road to see Owen and moan about Faye and bills and money and handling Faye. Owen seems to be struggling with his accounts and is distracted. Anna invites him to have tea tonight and she'll invite Izzy and Gary and Chesney and Katy and oh, Chesney has a driving test today but Owen really isn't paying any attention.

In the Bistro, Leanne is doing paperwork at the bar. Peter comes in and says he's not going to cause any trouble. She's skeptical and is not inclined to believe his apology. She gives him a nasty string of insults before telling him they're moving away. He doesn't realize what that means at first and thinks that it's a good idea. Fresh start for everyone. But when he realizes she means to take Simon with him, he loses his rag. The two of them scream at each other, Peter accusing her of abducting his son and she saying she's got no choice because he's a liability. Nick arrives in the middle of it. Peter hollers at him, too, and the two of them shout the odds. Nick manages to get a few really low blows in about Peter feeling inferior. He accuses Peter of being tedious with all his temper tantrums. Peter says this isn't over. Not at all. He runs out and Nick holds Leanne.

After the break, we're in the pub with Ken, Deirdre, Emily and Tracy who has told them that Steve is throwing them out of the house today. Every time Tracy tries to angle for an invite from her parents, Ken heads her off. Tracy's obviously pouring on the sympathy with Emily and Ken continues to interrupt because it's clear that Emily is trying to offer Tracy a room after he tells her she won't be moving back home. Tracy gets up to go pick up Amy and Emily manages to get her offer in.

Mary brings her chess clock to the cafe while, across the road, Gary is winding up Owen. Mary approaches Roy as he's bringing his sign inside to close up. They go inside.

Tracy has told Steve that she's moving in to Emily's. He's unimpressed. She wants the money he had offered her but he isn't handing over any cash until she's out of the house completely. Foiled again. Steve smiles smugly.

In the Bistro, Audrey and Gail are at the bar and the conversation with Nick and Leanne is about the impending move. Audrey seems to understand the situation far better than Gail and gives them her support which was not why Gail wanted her there. Leanne says they've told Peter and it didn't go well. Audrey thinks the whole thing is romantic. Gail points out that they aren't kids anymore. Leanne admits that she let him down when they were but Nick insists it was the other way around (it was and I'm so glad to hear him admit it!) Gail realizes she's not getting any support from anyone and sighs. She gives up. Audrey tells Gail to let go of the apron strings. Gail has another moan and puts on her martyr hat.

Peter is in the betting shop pacing. He gets an idea, puts the closed sign up and leaves, striding purposefully out across the road.

Mary and Roy are conversing about past chess champions over their game. Hayley comes downstairs ready to leave. Mary is rude to her for interrupting. Hayley asks Roy to come for the award presentation but he doesn't think they'll be done their game by then. Roy and Hayley turn their attention back to the board, leaving Hayley to clop back upstairs, put out.

Michelle and Carla are on the speaker phone talking to a client. Peter pushes in and starts ranting. Carla tries to quiet him as she's in the middle of something. He completely ignores her, too intent on telling her Leanne's news. Peter thinks she should drop everything because he wants to talk and Carla manages to get the client off the phone, promising to call back in a few minutes and shouts at Peter.

Chesney has passed his driving test and is bragging to everyone. The lost trainers have already been mentioned. Izzy looks at Faye and asks if she gets on ok with the girls in class. She's close to the truth, isn't she? But Faye lies and says they're all right. Owen and Gary arrive. Owen ignores Izzy as Gary goes to sit with her. Owen decides to skip tea and go to the pub but Anna drags him back in the room. Izzy calls him on it, she knows he's ignoring her. She asks if he has a problem with her having a baby and he admits he thinks it's a very bad idea.

Peter fills Carla and Michelle in on the problem and he's ranting and needing support. Carla gives him a hard time about interrupting her during work hours. He gets nasty and accuses her of being thrilled that Leanne may take Simon away. It's just what Carla would want, and he continues on accusing her in that way as a strange man comes into the factory. He follows the argument into the office where he grabs Peter and shoves him up against the wall, ordering Peter to get some manners. Carla orders the stranger to put Peter down and Michelle smiles. Peter, meet my brother, Carla introduces.

Tvor

Copyright ITV Productions, written by Chris Fewtrell directed by Terry Dyddgen-Jones.

Rob got out of prison this morning and as he had nowhere else to go he has turned up on the Street. Michelle seems more pleased to see him than Carla. Peter goes off to salvage his family.

Owen is telling Izzy that he is not keen on a car crash waiting to happen, given that Gary recently went off his rocker. Owen is outvoted by the entire family. Owen says having a kid is hard work mentally and physically and he sort of thinks that Izzy is not up to due to her disability. Izzy is crying and Owen is trying to apologise. He has really upset her. Izzy and Gary leave.

Mary and Roy are playing chess. She uses his game play to analyse Roy and "flirt" with him. Hayley is about to go dancing but is largely ignored by Roy who is very surprised when she gives him a farewell peck.

Tracy and Amy move out of Steve's house and head along the Street to stay with Aunty Emily.

Rob has made it to the Rovers where Stella is serving and charges £2.70 for a pint - Carla comes in and Stella warns her off - of course Peter is at the bottom of that. Rob enjoys his drink. He tells Carla off for leaving him and their mother in the lurch when things got difficult which was why he had to earn £5k driving a getaway car.

Ken and Peter are discussing Nick and Leanne leaving the Street. Peter is not in the mood to listen to advice. But Ken offers it anyway, saying that it might be simplest if they do leave - Peter's life is chaotic, but Nick and Leanne can give the boy some stability. Peter cannot wash his hands of his son - unlike the way Ken did. Peter could never understand why he was sent to Scotland and he resented his father. Ken hoped he would understand, but Peter is still resenting it and he will not be letting Simon move away.

After the break Roy and Mary are still playing chess - and she wins yet another game. Roy is not use to defeat and they will play against next Monday - as she tells Hayley she mated her husband twice. Roy observes that there is more of Mary than meets the eye.

Norris is finding the noise from Tracy and Amy unwelcome - and he is not keen on a convicted murderer moving into the house. As he continues to moan Tracy comes in and observes it was a miscarriage of justice and she was cleared by the courts. Tracy uses it to wind him up further.

Carla explains she left home to get married - but as Rob observes all she did was shop. They argue. She wants to know what he wants - he came to find his sister and leaves, knowing he has not found her yet.

Anna is giving Owen the silent treatment and she trusts Izzy's abilities. Anna and Owen bicker - pointless. He will come round. Anna puts the rubbish in the bin and what does she find - the missing trainers which Faye does not like!

Hayley is clearly unhappy with Mary's influence on Roy who has not got around to asking after the dancing. Hayley attempts to demonstrate the difficult step she and Norris managed to learn - he declines but they get over the upset.

Anna calls Faye downstairs and wants to know the meaning of it. Anna tells her off for throwing away the trainers. She sends Faye off to bed.

Tracy is not going out tonight - she needs to settle Amy down. Emily is heading off to bed and departs leaving Norris eyeing Tracy uncomfortably. Tracy wants to know if Norris or Hayley leads, which Norris does not find amusing. Tracy picks up a knife and observes that Emily keeps them very sharp - watch Norris squirm. As Tracy observes there is nothing worse than a blunt blade and she tells him to sleep sweetly.

Rob is eating chips and Michelle comes along. Carla leaves the Rovers and the siblings bicker. Michelle tells Rob to wait - he will find a shop doorway and Michelle offers that he cans stay at hers overnight - it is not a comfortable spare bed. He accepts, suggesting that they top and tail if the spare bed is that bad.

Carla returns to Peter who is still in a very bad mood. Carla says that Peter interrupted when she was busy. He says she does not give a stuff about his kid. She shouts at him (good lord it is almost East Enders tonight). They argue and Peter leaves the flat.

Another update will follow shortly.
K Richard W

Here I am again, this time with an extra episode. Yes I know what you are all saying but having lost episodes during the football there are extras over the next couple of weeks, all at no charge., so I have been unretired for a few updates.

Tonight the events are copyright ITV Productions, written by Debbie Oates and directed by Alan Grint.

We open in the sunshine in the Street where Anna is telling Faye that the next time she see those trainers she wants to see good honest dirt on them. Anna kisses her goodbye at the bus stop and one of her tormentors is watching her. Once Anna is gone the teasing starts.

Izzy and Gary are arguing about him working for her father after he said she was unfit to be a mother. Gary says he cannot throw the job in - after all he has a family to provide for and she smiles in acceptance. Anna runs across the road to them. Anna knows Izzy's dad is wrong - but he only said it because he loves her and Izzy departs for work. Anna says she knows she will be a fantastic mum.

Norris and Emily are at the breakfast table, he is complaining about his toothbrush touching Tracy's toothbrush and then he finds all the orange juice has gone. Tracy returns with some orange juice because it Amy had it all and some teacakes.

In Roy's Rolls Peter is sitting in the corner and he tells Leanne he wants to see Simon to apologise. Leanne is not keen. Leanne tells Peter that Simon needs a better father. Peter admits to being his own worst enemy. Leanne still says no. Leanne and Nick had a bet and she won.

In the factory Rob is making an impression on the staff for his smile. He has having less of a positive impact on Carla - who does not want to give his brother a job. He has earned some qualifications whilst he was away and she sends him to make the coffees. They discuss a visiting client who is going to be difficult over a price increase. And Carla has to visit her flat as the tenants have gone quiet and she departs. Carla introduces Rob to the staff.

In the bookies Peter is pouring alcohol in his coffee when Ken comes in. He asks Ken to get Simon after school but Ken refuses. Ken says that calmer pre-arranged contact might be better and make life easier - he also accuses Ken of arranging his arguments with Deirdre around the Archers, which is a well known Radio 4 "Fly on the Wall" documentary of events in the village of Ambridge in Borsetshire. They argue and Peter ends it by telling Ken to get out. He goes.

After the break Anna is taking a call from Brian Packham who wants to see her at the school. Apparently Faye has been missing from English and Roy observes that it is difficult to expect maturity from the young. But Faye loves English.

Rob has apparently made it clear that he has spent time away in the Big House as Jim McDonald would say, so he would. He says it was for driving offences. Ken arrives at the factory looking for Carla and he leaves a message with Michelle for her to go and see Ken. Michelle wants to know what is going on and Rob is left in charge.

At the school Faye was reported as being obstreperous in class - unacceptable behaviour. The head wants to know if there are any problems at home before he issues detention. Under duress Faye apologises for her behaviour.

The buyer Carla had been expecting arrives very early and Rob introduces himself. She is Sandy Austin of Austin's underwear; Rob offers her a seat and she says the prices need to be shredded. So he turns on her as he had been told she was ultra professional and not a cheap game player. Rob talks about increasing cost prices and the need to make a profit to stay in business. She cannot accept a 20% increase. He tells her to shop around to find a better deal. He knows she will come back and this price will have expired. She asks if she looks like she was born yesterday and Rob jumps in with both feet with an emphatic no. She takes offence over this and he realises he has gone too far. She says no more business with Underworld. As she leaves Michelle returns and can see it has gone badly. Rob holds his head in his hands.

Anna is back at work - but cannot understand what is wrong with Faye and Roy sends her home to see if she can sort it out. She calls him a legend.

Nick has put all the party photos on his laptop - but there is not one of Peter. He bursts into Roy's Rolls and tries to apologise to Simon - but he even he knows his father is drunk. Peter asks if he can make a fresh start - but Peter just keeps apologising. Roy insists that Peter must leave.

At the factory Carla is tearing a strip off Rob and she needed the contract. Michelle brings Carla up to date on the state of Peter.

Carla goes to Peter's flat and he is nursing a drink - he tells her not to start. She joins Peter in a drink and he calls her life trivial. She wants to know why he did not ask about her day. She calls him a self-pitying drunk. She makes a decision - he just drags her down and she needs someone who will keep her afloat. She needs some space and picks up her bag and coat and keys and goes. He does not want her walking out on this conversation - she is going to her own flat, this is over. He tries to stop her but she goes.

Anna is at home and checks Faye's "Facebook" page where she finds the abuse written by various school "Friends".

And that is that for tonight. The usual Thursday episode will be along shortly.
K Richard W

A weary looking Carla goes into the factory office and tells Michelle and Rob that although she thinks she'll love Peter till the day she dies, she can't see any future together. She stayed at her old flat last night, even with all its memories, because she can't take being with an alcoholic any more. She says she has to go round and talk to him and get her stuff, so off she goes. When she's gone, Rob asks Michelle what was meant by her referring to 'all the memories'.

Over at the garage, Tyrone is telling Tommy all about his and Kirsty's holiday in the Lake District. He says he's taken loads of photos on the digital camera but doesn't know how to put them onto the laptop. Tommy offers to come round later and do it for him.

Carla lets herself into the flat and finds a morose and bitter Peter, hitting the bottle. He tells her to get her stuff and go before he burns it, and whines about the woman he loved turning her back on him at his lowest ebb. They argue, and she tells him she gave everything to this relationship but got nothing back. He repeats the order to pack her designer gear and get out.

Michelle explains to Rob about Carla's last year, being raped and the court case where she was made to look like a liar, and how Tony Gordon turned up there and tried to turn everyone against her. Rob says he should have been there for her. Michelle tells her that Peter was there for her, every step of the way, he got her through it.

Back at the flat, Peter tells Carla how his life was happy till she came into it. They were a happy family and she broke it up. He's not saying it was all her fault (sounds like it to me!) but he was weak, and she just ploughed on in until she got what she wanted. Carla tries to tell him that it's the booze talking. He says he's now seeing things very clearly, and having her in the flat is just wrong.

Anna goes to see Brian in his office at school and tells him that Faye has been being bullied. He's shocked and says it's the first he's heard about it.

Peter clears away the alcohol and dirty glass, sprays air freshener about and then phones Leanne and asks her to pop round, he wants to talk to her about Simon.

Back in Brian's office, Anna asks what he's going to do about the girl who has been bullying Faye. He says he has a variety of sanctions, from loss of privileges, detention, suspension, even permanent exclusion, he operates a policy of zero tolerance as far as bullying is concerned. He asks who the bully is, but when he hears it's Lindsay Hayward, his attitude changes, and he starts saying that of course in some cases its the bully who needs support, and even wonders if some of the text messages have been taken out of context. "What?" Anna is amazed. He splutters that he will monitor the situation carefully.

Leanne has arrived at Peter's flat. He thanks her for coming and goes on to say that he's been thinking and they can't carry on fighting, with Simon caught in the middle. She agrees, but is totally shocked when he tells her he thinks they should get back together!

After the break, a furious Leanne is trying to leave, but Peter blocks her way. She shouts at him, does he really think he can just click his fingers and she'll come running, after all the pain and misery he's caused? Has he been drinking? He says that sometimes the best ideas come after a drink. He tells her he still feels the same way about her as he always did. She tells him he doesn't want to know how she feels about him, and asks where all this is coming from. The penny then drops. "Has she left you? She has, hasn't she?" She goes on to say that he destroyed her life, he destroyed their family, and now he thinks he can just pick everything up where he left it. Well he can't, the damage is done now and it will hurt forever, but she wouldn't touch him with a barge pole. Thick skinned Peter tells her that he knows she needs time to think about it, he knows they can make it work. "Go to hell," she says.

In the cafe, Owen and Gary ask Anna what action Mr Packham is going to take against the bully. She says he has a lot of policies, and will sort it out. Just then her mobile phone rings.

Maria is in the cafe with Liam, when Marcus comes in, upset because he just walked in on Kirk in the shower. They must get a lock on the bathroom door.

Anna's phone call has been about an incident at school and she has to rush off.

Back at Peter's, Leanne tells Peter he's only doing this because now she is with someone. He tells her Nick is irrelevant. "No he's not," she says, and tells him that her future is with Nick, he's the one she loves. Peter tells her she is the one he wants to be with, if she goes to the ends of the earth he will find her. "You want my advice?" asks Leanne, "give Carla a ring and patch things up with her." She leaves, and Peter goes straight to the cupboard for the whisky bottle and takes a large swig.

At the school, Brian tells Anna that Faye was involved in a fight in the girls' toilets and although she's ok, Lindsay sustained a black eye. Anna is sure that Faye must have been provoked, and was only retaliating after weeks of being bullied. Brian says that Mrs Wiseman saw the whole thing, Faye threw the only punch and both girls will be punished. Anna is furious that Faye should be punished after all she's been through, and says she will take Faye out of school.

Tommy and Tina are round with Tyrone, and Tommy has uploaded the photos onto the computer. Just then Kirsty comes in and when she sees a picture of herself on the screen she slams the laptop shut. Tommy and Tina make a hasty exit.

Michelle and Rob are talking about Carla's situation when she comes back, very tearful. She tells them that Peter said some very nasty things, so she's packed up her stuff and left him.

Kirsty tells Tyrone that she feels fat and unattractive and she didn't want them all looking at the photo of her. He tells her she's gorgeous and looks amazing.

Deirdre finds Ken outside, he's been out in the dark looking for Peter, he can't get any answer from the flat. Just then a very drunk Peter staggers into view and tries to go into the pub. Ken stops him, and implores him to come home with him and have a coffee. Peter refuses and staggers off down the Street.

Anne Logan

There's an argument over breakfast - isn't there always? This time, it's Faye, who doesn't want to go to the cafe but can't stay home on her own. She asks if Anna's going to teach her but Anna plans to find her another school. Owen's very grumpy when he finds out what Brian did about the bullying. For those readers with shorter attention spans, that's absolutely nothing. Zero. Zilch.

Leanne and Ken meet in the street and discuss Peter's disappearance. They see Carla and ask her and she tells them that she and Peter are no longer together. Leanne, who spits like a nesting fulmar when Carla's nearby, says that's the best thing Peter's ever done. Carla tries to tell her that she left Peter, not the other way around, but Leanne's not believing, not listening and not stopping her catty tongue. The two women snipe at each other until Ken suggests they leave it for another time. Carla has keys to Peter's flat and suggests they check whether Peter's perhaps collapsed in there. Ken suggests Carla ring members of Peter's alcoholic support group in case they've seen him but she says it's not really her problem any more. Leanne still has some numbers and says she'll do it. Ken thinks he's getting too old for all this.

Maria's making up a grocery list. It seems Marcus has eaten all Kirk's cereal. When Kirk's out of earshot, Marcus tells Maria he feels guilty. When Kirk comes back he asks what Kirk's favourite food is. "Spaghetti hoops." He also likes steak and kidney pie so Marcus says he'll make one for tea. Kirk's well impressed. "Can all gay men bake?" he wants to know.

In the factory, Carla tells Michelle Peter's gone on a bender. They discuss work, agreeing to restrict Rob to the factory floor. When Rob comes in he's got a plan. He wants to talk to Sandy Austen, though Michelle tells him he can't charm his way out of this one.

Julie admires Brian on his bike, telling him he's setting such a good, healthy example for the pupils. When she's gone, Brian finds he's strangely unable to make any forward progress. That'll be because Owen has hold of the seat. In a very menacing voice he asks Brian whether he's scared. His face close to Brian's, he asks if Brian's sweating, his heart pumping . . . "That must be how Faye felt when she met that bully." Brian claims he wasn't scared and says that now Faye's been taken out of school the matter is out of his hands. Julie's seen the end of this exchange but Brian won't say what it was about and rides away.

Tommy entertains Kevin with the story of Kirsty's temper and Kevin makes a joke about her probably knocking Tyrone round the head with a rolling pin. Tyrone walks in and doesn't think it's very funny. He says Kirsty's hormones are all over the place.

Faye's up in Roy's flat and he's supervising her doing some work. Julie comes in and indignantly tells Anna about Owen attacking poor Brian in the street. "Oh, well," says Anna. "Serve him right." That's not what Julie was expecting. Anna tells her Brian did nothing about Faye being bullied. Julie doesn't think this can possibly be true. Anna says she can ask him herself.

Kirsty goes to the garage and apologises to Tommy. She tells Tyrone she's going into town.

There's a find-Peter campaign meeting at Ken's, with Deirdre, Nick and Leanne. Ken's checked 20 or 30 pubs but he's not giving up. Nick and Leanne ask to be kept informed but before they can leave, Carla arrives. She's worried by a voicemail she's got and thinks Peter's done something stupid. She plays it. Peter apologises to her and says he's tired of messing up, tired of fighting the booze. "There's no point any more. You're better off without me. Everyone's better off without me."

Rob's pleased to see someone like Eva behind the bar of the Rovers and introduces himself, almost immediately suggesting a date. Sandy Austen arrives and they sit down. When he goes to the bar, Rob tells Eva he's trying to swing a business deal.

Leanne and Nick are still at the Barlows' and Carla is in tears. She says it's all Leanne's fault for saying she would move away with Simon. She knew Peter was in a vulnerable state. Leanne blames Carla for walking out on Peter. She tells Carla that Peter wanted to get back with her. Ken's had enough and says he's going to the police station to report Peter missing. Leanne says she'll go to. Defensively, she says she's technically still Peter's next of kin.

Sandy Austen wants to know why she's there. Rob tells her he's caught between her demand for no price rise and Carla's demand that the price goes up. He tries to negotiate a 16 per cent increase and says Sandy won't be able to better that price anywhere else. She refuses and leaves the pub quite abruptly. Rob goes to the bar and tells Eva that Sandy will walk back through the door, guaranteed. He's so cocky that Eva accepts a wager. If Sandy walks back in, Eva will go on a date with Rob.

Fiz comes in, in a flap because she's got no hot water. Tyrone's at the bar and offers to have a look at the boiler for her.

Rob's phone goes - it's Sandy and she's decided to accept his price rise. Rob asks Eva when they can go on their date but she says a phone call isn't the same as Sandy walking back through the door. Rob tells her he doesn't give up that easily.

Carla's back and tells Michelle about the voicemail. Michelle tries to say the voicemail doesn't prove anything, but Carla's sure it does. Rob comes in, bragging about negotiating an increase and getting the contract back but Carla snaps that he shouldn't have messed it up in the first place.

Kirsty's in the cafe showing Anna some tiny clothes she's bought for the baby. Suddenly she starts having pains. She doesn't want a doctor but she does want Tyrone.

Unfortunately, Tyrone's with Fiz and her boiler and his phone's on vibrate some distance away.

Kirsty's getting quite agitated, though Anna tries to calm her by saying it's probably just Braxton Hicks contractions - practice contractions. Anna goes off to find Tyrone at the garage, leaving Roy and Kirsty both worrying about what happens if these are real contractions.

In the pub, Julie demands to know why Brian's done nothing about the bullying girl. It turns out she's the granddaughter of Meredith, the chair of governors who almost sacked Brian. Julie tells him the Brian she knows would not let something like that stop him from doing the right thing.

Kirsty's crouched over a table when Faye comes downstairs. She tells Kirsty she looks exactly as Katy did when she was in labour. Anna's back. She can't find Tyrone and is going to ring the doctor. Kirsty's starting to get distressed by Tyrone's absence.

Ken and Leanne describe Peter to a kindly policewoman. After Leanne's described Peter's tattoos, the policewoman gets up and says she'll be back in just a minute.

Michelle's trying to cheer up Carla. Carla tells her about Leanne's claim that Peter wanted back with her. Michelle says that explains Peter's absence. He's trying to play the sympathy card so Carla will return to him.

Leanne's sure Peter must be locked up in the cells, maybe for being drunk and disorderly. The policewoman returns and breaks some bad news to Ken and Leanne. A body was found this morning and it matches Peter's description.*

The End of episode one.
Margaret Carr

* The original script said the body was found in a canal but the episode was changed quickly after a young man went missing in Manchester and his body was found in a canal.

Written by: Jan McVerry Directed by: Alan Grint

Deirdre leaves her house and literally bumps into Marcus, who greets her cheerfully, but she just scowls and walks away, I guess Peter is on her mind. Next person he meets is Eileen, who has a little banter with him, and they part with her blowing him a kiss, and him grinning from ear to ear.

In the factory, Rob is talking knickers with the girls on the shop floor, and they are hanging on his every word. Watching from a distance, Michelle remarks to Carla that he seems to be redeeming himself, especially as he has got Sandy Austin's order back. Carla however is not so easily impressed, and reminds Michelle that it was Rob who lost the order in the first place. She then reconsiders and asks Michelle if she is being too hard on him, to which she replies that she could possibly ease off a bit.

An agitated Deirdre walks in and asks to speak to Carla in private. Michelle reminds Carla that Peter is no longer her problem, but Carla concedes that she had asked to be kept in the loop. They move off into the office, and for some unknown reason, Michelle calls Rob, and they join them too. Deirdre informs them about the body that has been found that fits Peter's description, and that Ken and Leanne were on their way to the mortuary to identify it. She asks a shocked Carla if she would like to come and await the outcome with her, and she agrees immediately.

At the mortuary, Leanne is asking the officer when the body was found, hoping against hope that she would say it was some time before Peter went missing, but she replies that it was discovered this morning. (They had to quickly change this storyline, originally the body was to have been found in the river, but shortly before this episode aired, a young fellow was found dead in a river in Manchester after a concert, and they decided out of respect for his family, to cut the references to the river.) Ken tells Leanne that he will deal with the identification alone, but she insists that if it is him, she has to see for herself or will never believe it. As they sit and wait to be called, Ken is searching for answers, he just can't understand why Peter would do something like this now, when he has made it through so much in the past. Leanne feels that it is the drink that is solely responsible, that when sober, Peter wasn't the suicidal type. She tells Ken that she has been going over and over the conversations they had recently, asking herself if it was something she said that tipped him over the edge, but came to the conclusion that she had said worse things to him when they were together.

Doctor Carter has finished examining Kirsty and is removing his rubber gloves. They are still in Roy's Rolls, so did he really give her an internal examination right there on one of the tables? Well, regardless, he pronounces that it was only Braxton Hicks contractions, a false alarm that many women get during pregnancy. Kirsty is torn between feeling foolish for making such a fuss, and being angry at not being able to reach Tyrone when she thought she needed him. Kirsty being Kirsty, the anger emotion is winning.

Back in the factory, the staff are taking a break, and Kirk is giving a very descriptive method of how he remembers the right way to tie his shoelaces. Rob calls him Rainman, which helps me make up my mind that I don't like this Rob. You don't diss one of my favourite characters and stay on my popularity chart! The phone rings and both Rob and Michelle rush into the office to answer it, thinking it might be word from the mortuary.

Talking of which, Ken and Leanne are being ushered into the room that neither of them want to be in. Ken asks Leanne again if she is sure she wants to go through with it, and Leanne tells him she just wants to get it over with.

We are at Bessie Street school now, and Brian has finally been shamed into taking charge of the bullying situation. He is speaking to Meredith, the Chair of Governors, and is describing in detail the bullying tactics that have come to light. She is furious that he has done nothing in the days since the discovery, insisting they have a strict policy. The wind is taken out of her sails however when he points out that the reason he was sitting on his hands was because the bully is her granddaughter Lindsay.

Ken and Leanne arrive back at No. 1 and tell a relieved Deirdre and Carla that the body wasn't Peter. Leanne is very shaken up, and remarks that although it wasn't Peter, he was still somebody's son, and husband, as he was wearing a wedding ring. Suddenly she and Carla find themselves in exactly the same position, that the worry isn't over, even though neither of them are with Peter any more, they are both being torn apart, not knowing if he is alive or dead.

Simon is happily playing football in the playground at school, when who should suddenly intercept his ball but Peter. He bends down to speak to Simon, who checks his breath before he will allow any conversation. Peter passes the breath test, and apologises for his behaviour at his birthday. Just then Brian and Meredith walk out of the school, deep in conversation about what is to happen to Lindsay. Brian for once is firm, and tells her that she must be excluded. Meredith accepts this, and apologises on Lindsay's behalf.

A very jovial Peter tells Brian that he has shown up a little early to pick up Simon as the two of them are due some quality time, and wants to take him for pizza. Brian sees nothing wrong with this, and tells him it will be fine, just as long as he signs out. Simon is pretty happy about this too.

After the break, Leanne and Carla are leaving No. 1 just as Nick walks by. Deirdre fills him in on the fact that the body wasn't Peter's. He notices that Leanne looks shaken and pale, and asks if she is OK, she tells him that she thought she would feel relieved, but just needs a drink. He puts his arm around her and leads her away, just as Deirdre puts her arm around Ken and tells him that he too needs a lie down. Carla is left standing there with nobody to comfort her, so walks off alone. Just as Anna is walking Kirsty home, who should come out of No. 5 laughing and joking with Fiz but Tyrone. Fiz is thrilled because she now has hot water, and praises him to high heaven to Kirsty, but by the look on the latter's face, methinks Tyrone just might be 'in' hot water in a minute! Anna fills him in on what's been going on with Kirsty, and he is horrified that she hadn't called him. Her voice breaking, she tells him that she had tried, he checks his phone, and sees all the missed calls, and explains that he didn't realise he had it on silent. Kirsty immediately wants to know why he had it on silent, and why he was in No. 5 with Fiz. He explains about the boiler, and that she had no hot water, and was helping out as a mate. Oh she is not pleased Ty, start running..

Nick has Leanne sat down in the Bistro with a large glass in front of her. She is still shaken up, and speaks about the body she saw, about one of his tattoos that she figures was probably for his daughter. She thinks about a little girl coming home from school and having her life changed forever, and sobs. She puts Simon in that same position, and sobs some more. Nick reasons with her that maybe she should take a step back, after all, Peter is probably alive, and he is her 'Ex', but Leanne asks him how she can do that when she has to pick Simon up from school shortly and explain to him that his Dad has gone missing? Nick agrees that it would be impossible for her to take a step back from Simon.

Anna is still in No. 9 with Kirsty and Tyrone, which is probably just as well for Tyrone as Kirsty still looks as if her blood pressure is only just below the boiling point. Anna is too busy prattling on about when she was in labour with our Gary to notice that the atmosphere isn't quite what it should be. Kirsty finally makes her excuses to go and have a lie down, and Anna is convinced that it is the baby scare that has taken it out of her, but Tyrone is looking more than a little worried. Leanne and Nick are at Bessie Street, and are realising that Simon is not coming out of those gates. They quiz Brian Packham as to his whereabouts, and are horrified to hear that Peter had picked him up more than an hour ago. Leanne screams that she had written to say that she now has a residency order, but Brian replies that he knows Peter has access, and was sober, so saw no reason not to let him go. All he could tell them was that Peter had mentioned going for pizza. Marcus is very busy in Maria's kitchen, Kirk's favourite meal is well underway, and he's even made his favourite trifle for dessert. Maria is well impressed. The one about to be spoiled arrives home carrying a case of 24 lager. He asks Marcus if he has ever tried lager from Azerbaijan, because he managed to pick up this whole case for a tenner. (Yes, I was surprised that Kirkeh could pronounce Azerbaijan too, and I bet he couldn't spell it, because I had to look it up too!) :-) Anyway, he is well pleased with himself for picking up such a bargain. Marcus admits he has never tried it, but looks a little concerned when Kirk tells him that the man who sold them to him said not to let the smell put you off.

Maria then bids them goodbye as she is off out for the evening now Liam is asleep. Kirk then realises that this fancy meal is just for the two of them, but Marcus reassures him that he did it entirely for him, as he slips an arm round his shoulders. Kirk sits eagerly at the table and Marcus carefully places a napkin in his lap. Faye is just going into the corner shop, when Lindsay grabs her by the shoulder. Scared, she stutters that it wasn't her that ratted on her, it was her Mum who went through her laptop. Lindsay is about to say more when her Grandmother comes up behind her, and says that she is glad the girls are face to face, as it's a far better way to sort things out.

Meanwhile, Brian is over in No. 6 apologising to Anna and Owen for not acting on the bullying information more promptly, and that policies were going to change at the school. Just then, Faye arrives home, followed by Lindsay and her Grandmother. Lindsay is told to apologise to Faye, and if that was an apology I will eat my hat (if I had one). In a belligerent tone, she tells her "Sorry, there is nothing wrong with being adopted, or wearing scabby trainers". Grandma then asks her to tell them what she thinks of bullying, and she responds in a belligerent parrot fashion "It's wroooong, and it destroooooys confidence" (Ooh, can you say slap upside the head?) Meredith assures Faye that there will be no more online bullying as Lindsay's account has been cancelled, plus she won't get it at school as she has been suspended for two days. Anna is shocked by this, and tells her that it will be no more than a holiday for her. Meredith reassures her that it will be no holiday in her house. Lindsay then tells Faye, still in that annoying cocky voice that when she comes back she will be nice to her. Faye retorts that she doesn't want her to be nice to her, that she just wants her and her friends to leave her completely alone.

Keeping a lid on her obvious temper, Anna shows them to the door. Mr. Packham then tells them that he is planning an anti-bullying day, and was hoping Faye could be instrumental with some ideas for it. Anna reminds him that she is no longer at Bessie Street due to him saying she was violent. Brian asks that Faye give them another chance and come back to the school. He goes on to sincerely apologise to Faye for not doing his job properly, and promises it will never happen again. Faye takes half a second to consider, then agrees to go back.

Leanne and Nick have gone back to No. 1 to see if the Barlows have heard from Peter, but they haven't, and Leanne reckons he's doing it deliberately to make them all worry. Ken remarks that it's good to know that he is alive, but Leanne bites back that the novelty of that has worn off already!

Kirk and Marcus are full of good food and bad beer, and are sitting together on the sofa. Kirk thanks Marcus for the meal, saying how much he had enjoyed it. He even offers to do the washing up in return. Bad as the beer is, they decide to have another rather than let them go to waste.

In No. 9, while Kirsty has been resting upstairs, Tyrone has prepared a delicious looking salad for tea. She comes down, looks at it and tells him she isn't hungry. She then starts up about him visiting 'An ex-girlfriend who has got her figure back'. As expected, Tyrone's protestations about only helping out a mate go unheard, and Kirsty winds herself up and up and culminate in her picking up her plate of food and lobbing it across the kitchen into the sink. Tyrone can't believe what he has just seen, and actually gets angry back for a change. He shouts at her to pick it up, but instead, she also picks up his plate of food and lobs it at his head. A vase of flowers follow, which are even heard next door in No. 11 by Eileen and Sean along with the raised voices.

Oh Tyrone is really brave this time, in his anger he suggests that maybe it wasn't a false alarm this morning, just maybe the baby was trying to escape from her. She looks over at the photo on the sideboard of Tyrone and his beloved Jack Snr., and before he can stop her, she has it in her hand and smashes it repeatedly into the corner of the fridge, then throws it to the floor, stomps on it, then all the while screaming, she takes out her anger on the fridge, which I guess is better than Tyrone's head. Tyrone gets out of the house, and stands outside breathing heavily, he just cannot believe what has just taken place.

Leanne and Nick are in Peter's flat, and can tell he hasn't been there at all. She is really starting to panic now, and is leaving a voicemail for Peter, asking him to please let her know where they are and what time he is planning to bring Simon back. As she and Nick talk, it suddenly dawns on her that maybe Peter is not planning to bring Simon back, just maybe he is running off somewhere with him, and they frantically look through drawers for something, anything that might give them a clue as to what Peter was planning.

Christine Warren

Peter and Simon are in a B&B bedroom. Simon's bored, and Peter is smoking at the window. Simon wants to know when they're going home. Peter tells him they're having an adventure. "But we're not doing anything!" says Simon. He wants to ring Leanne, but Peter says he can't. He points out that they haven't brought any of his stuff. Peter says they'll buy him some new things and tells him to be quiet, he can't think while Simon is whinging. "This adventure's pants!" shouts Simon, throwing himself on the bed.

Tyrone is putting the vacuum cleaner away when Kirsty comes down. He tells her to be careful, there might still be glass on the floor. She's calm now, and reasonable, and tells him she was just frightened, she thought she was going to have the baby early. She offers to get a new photo frame to replace the one she destroyed. "Don't bother," snaps Tyrone.

Kirk and Marcus are on their way to work. Marcus says he'll cook anything Kirk would like in future. They part company and Kirk meets up with Chesney and enthuses about the steak and kidney pie Marcus cooked last night. Chesney supposes that Marcus is missing Sean, but Kirk says he seemed happy enough. "Suppose he's moved on then," mutters Chesney, walking away. Kirk stops....and thinks....!

In the bistro, a policeman is taking details from Leanne about Simon's disappearance. Ken urges her to stop acting like he's been abducted and points out that Peter is Simon's father, he's in safe and loving hands. Leanne says that depends on whether Peter's drinking, and tells the policeman that Peter is an alcoholic. Nick adds that he's back on the booze in a big way. Ken points out that Brian said there was nothing untoward about Peter when he collected Simon. "Took Simon," corrects Leanne. The policeman advises her to tell her solicitor about the breach of the residence order, but adds that they can't rule out the possibility that Peter will take Simon to school tomorrow.

Eileen stops Tommy and asks if everything is all right at Tyrone's house. She tells him about the terrific row they heard, with shouting, screaming and things being smashed. "I didn't think Ty had it in him," she says. Tommy says it takes two to have a row. Eileen backtracks a bit and says she thought he'd like to know because they're close. "Yeah, cheers," says Tommy.

The policeman visits Carla and asks if she has any idea where Peter is. Carla doesn't, she and Peter are dead in the water and she's not privvy to anything he does now, but she's absolutely sure that Simon isn't in any danger. The policeman says that not everyone shares her confidence, and leaves.

Rob and Michelle come in and suggest that she lets them look after the place for a few days, she can hardly concentrate under the circumstances. Reluctantly she agrees. Michelle tells her that he'll be back. "In handcuffs or a bodybag?" she asks.

Owen, Katy, Chesney and baby Joseph are round with Faye and Anna. Faye is due back at school tomorrow and Owen thinks they should celebrate the fact that she beat the bully. Anna says she'll whip up a buffet. Faye wants to invite Gary and Izzy, but Owen reckons Izzy won't come.

A very worried Leanne and Nick go into the pub. Leanne tells Stella how she thinks this will freak Simon out. Carla is at the bar too, and agrees that the limbo is terrible. Leanne however, is in no mood to be nice to the woman she holds responsible for all of this, and lets rip with a verbal tirade. She tells Carla that when she was in the morgue she was sure it was going to be Peter that she saw, if only because every man that gets involved with Carla ends up dead. Rob comes in and hears the end of this, and tells Leanne that it's not his sister's fault that her kid is missing. "You've got a lot of catching up to do," says Leanne.

Nick takes Leanne out, and then Carla tells Rob she's going home. As she gets outside the door her phone rings. It's Peter, and he pleads with her to come and meet him. "Have you got amnesia? You dumped me," she reminds him. He says they need to talk and begs her to come.

Anna goes to find Gary and Izzy in the pub and invites them to the celebration buffet. Izzy wants to know if her dad will be there, and when she hears he will, she declines. Anna tells her she has to talk to him sometime, the whole thing is for Faye's benefit, they've got the bullying sorted, and she would be really pleased if they turn up. After Anna has gone, Izzy tells Gary she knows he wants to go, and there's no point in punishing Faye, so she agrees to go for half an hour.

Over at the bar, Tommy is standing with Tyrone. He skirts around the subject by asking if Kirsty has got over them all seeing the holiday photos. Ty is immediately on the defensive and mutters that of course she has. Tommy then asks if everything is all right with the two of them. Tyrone gets snappy and tells him that if he's got something to say he should just come out and say it. Tommy tells him how Eileen heard the row last night, how things were being smashed and all. Tyrone denies that there was a row, he says the tv was loud and he dropped a vase. "If you say so," says Tommy. "I just did," snaps Tyrone.

At Maria's, Marcus asks Kirk how his day was. Kirk says how he went down the precinct and flirted with girls that he fancies, girls who are big up top, just how he likes them. Maria, who has Liam on her knee, tells him sharply that that is too much information. She goes off to run Liam's bath, and Marcus asks Kirk if he's all right, he seems a bit miserable. He touches his shoulder and tells him that if he ever needs to talk.... As he goes off to help Maria, Kirk sits on the sofa and frowns.

In the pub, there's more flirting going on, this time between Rob and Eva. She goes off to get changed after agreeing to go into town with him.

Marcus has got Liam to bed and comes back into the sitting room. He asks Kirk again if he's all right, and so Kirk takes a deep breath and says he just going to come out and say it - the steak and kidney pie was out of this world, but their date last night was a one-off. Marcus stops him. "You think we were on a date?" he asks, incredulously. He tells him it was just a meal, nothing else. "You're a sweetie but you're not my type." Kirk is skeptical at first, but Marcus continues to reassure him that he hasn't inadvertently been on a date with another man. Kirk is visibly relieved, much to the amusement of Maria.

At Anna's, the buffet is underway, with Gary and Izzy present. Plates of food are being handed round, and Owen asks Izzy if she wants anything. She just glares at him. Anna and Katy urge him to go and speak to her. He goes over and tells her he's sorry he hurt her. "So you take it all back?" she asks. He doesn't respond to this, but just tells her that he's terrified for her health and safety. She tells him she's as tough as anyone else, as capable of bringing up a baby as Katy is. She's a fighter because of him, she's full of confidence because of him. She knows she and Gary are going to be great parents, he's got to have more faith in her. She's going to prove to him that he's worrying over nothing.

Peter and Simon are beside a canal when Simon sees Carla coming. He rushes over and asks if she's come to take him to his mum. She says she doesn't know, and Peter tells him no, he and Simon are having a holiday first, remember? Carla tells him she didn't know he would pull a stunt like this, snatching Simon. "How can I snatch my own son?" he asks. She reminds him that he and Leanne have an agreement, she has a residence order. She wonders why she's even there. She says that she's glad he's not dead, but this is goodbye, and she turns and starts to walk away. He shouts after her that he can't lose her. She turns. "What do you mean you can't lose me? We're finished already," she shouts, and reminds him how he said she looks wrong in his flat, she's wrong in his life. He says he didn't mean any of it. "What about Leanne?" she yells, "you told her you wanted her back!" He says that he thought he owed it to Simon, he wanted to stop her moving away, he would have tried anything. "Please believe me," he says, and tells her he loves her, that will never change. He begs her to say she still loves him and kisses her.

Tyrone is sitting in the living room when Kirsty comes down from upstairs. She asks if he's filled Tommy in on the latest about Crazy Kirsty. "You think I told him?" asks Tyrone. Kirsty goes on to say how Tina will love it, and it'll have done the rounds at the factory by Monday tea break. Tyrone stands up and tells her that before she goes mad and starts throwing things around, Eileen told Tommy she heard their massive row, but he covered for her - again! Kirsty is suddenly humble and apologetic. She says she's sorry, she can hear herself but can't stop herself, she's turning into her dad. Tyrone says he won't let her, he loves her. He's sure the pregnancy is what is causing her to fly off the handle at the slightest thing, and the false alarm was stressful. "Things will calm down once you've had the baby. They have to."

Carla tells Peter is time they were getting back, but is shocked when he tells her he's never going back, and neither is Simon. She tells him to get real, all their lives are in Weatherfield. "That's it! It's Weatherfield that's wrong," he says. Suddenly full of enthusiasm, he reckons they could start new lives, she could start a new factory. "This is insane," she says, but admits she couldn't bear him to walk out of her life again, however, she's worried about his drinking. He says he's two days into recovery, tomorrow it will be three days. He thinks nothing could be more wonderful than a fresh start somewhere with the two people he loves the most. He takes her hand. "You're coming with me and Si on the biggest and best adventure ever. Saying no is not an option!"

Anne Logan

Written by Mark Wadlow Directed by David Kester

Simon interrupts Peter as he's on the phone making arrangements for the boat. Simon is bored, bored, bored. Peter tells him they are going on an exciting adventure. He explains that he and Carla and Simon are sailing it to the Canary Islands and then across the Atlantic (what? Just the two adults and a child?). Simon wants to call his mum but Peter puts him off and gives him a jigsaw puzzle to work. Carla calls from the factory and says that she's coming over and writes down the address. Hayley comes in but Carla tells her she's off to see a client and leaves.

Tyrone and Kirsty are having an awkward breakfast. He apologizes for letting her down the other day. She tells him he can't be with her all the time but he wants her to call him every hour or he can check on her in the factory. That won't do, she says, phone is best. Right then. She doesn't really look impressed to be tethered to him by the airwaves, though.

In the cafe, Jason asks Tina and Tommy to the pub later on. Jason moans about being single (158 days now). He wants someone special not just a one night stand. T&T sympathise. Jason takes off for work leaving Tina thoughtful.

Carla has arrived at the B&B. She remarks that what he's doing is nuts but he rants about it being nuts that Nick would be bringing his son up at the other end of the country. She tries to placate him and tells him he's playing into their hands and the police are on to him. He tells her about the sailing plans, leaving tonight. She tries to persuade him to come home but he's intent on the plan at hand. They can then start a new life somewhere else. The factory? He points out that Michelle and Rob can run it. He's sick of the whole situation, even down to having to ask if he can speak to Simon and looks forward to the three of them being a family. She is not happy that they'd be on the run but he says he'll go without her if he has to.

In the Bistro, Leanne is at her wits' end worrying. Nick promises he's there for her and is sure they're safe. He says that Peter is selfish and is just doing this to hurt Leanne and come between them. She picks up her phone to make more calls.

Michelle takes a call from Ryan and is excited he's coming home tomorrow. She tells Rob he'll have to move out because he's sleeping in Ryan's bed. Carla arrives back and says her friend Suzy really needs her to come over to L.A. Michelle is surprised she'd leave while Peter is still missing. Carla lies and says they're history anyway. Rob tells her that McNee's has increased their order. What now?

Maria and Audrey chat about what they'd done on the weekend. Maria laughs that Marcus is even messier than Liam. Maria is doing Tina's hair and offers her some great product. Tina asks Maria if she's still single. Maria feels old and mummy-fied and isn't sure she's got the energy for a man. Audrey laughs that Maria would jump at the chance if the right man came along.

Carla is pleased that Rob has done so well. They'll have to take on some new machinists. Carla is still planning to go away and is confident the two of them can keep things running. She can always fly back if need be. Michelle is dubious about it. She flies out the door but Rob promises he won't let her down. He does question how sudden it is. Carla, in spite of having a previously contentious relationship with him, closes the door and decides to confide in him. She's seen Peter and she tells Rob about Peter's plan to run away with Simon and he wants her to go with him. Rob doesn't think that's a very good idea. She protests that she loves him and she said she'd think about it. Rob really, really thinks she shouldn't go.

In the pub, Tina suggests Jason as a nice fella for Maria. Tommy isn't sure she should be playing matchmaker. Tina remembers that she'd heard Jason and Maria used to go out. Marcus comes in and Tina pulls him into the conversation to find out Maria and Jason's history. The scene ends just then...

Flip over to Peter and Carla on the phone. Carla tells Peter she'll go with him. He tells her where their passports are in the flat and she's going to fetch them and meet him at the station later. They profess their love and hang up. Peter goes back into their room to get his wallet to go pay the bill, warning Simon not to let anyone in. Simon spies Peter's phone on the bed.

After the break we're back to Marcus in the pub where he's telling them that Jason is great with kids. Tommy warns them off but Tina thinks they should at least put them in each other's radar. Marcus is a bit unsure as well but Tina thinks they can just put them all in the same room but Marcus and Tommy thinks Maria would figure out it's a set up. Marcus comes up with an idea. He can invite them all around for pizza and beer or wine, including Jason. That sounds like a plan.

Kirsty and Tyrone are in the cafe. She's a bit frustrated that he's calling her, she's fine, really. Eileen is in the cafe so Tyrone gets Kirsty to smile at her and he apologizes for the noise they made the other night while they were arguing. He plays it down. Eileen scurries out as it's all a bit embarrassing really. Over behind the counter, Hayley is trying to persuade Roy to go to her dance class for the presentation of her certificate. Ah but Monday night is chess night, he explains. Oh. Well.

Leanne takes a call and is frantic to hear it's Simon calling. Simon hurriedly tells her that Peter is going to take him away and he's scared. Peter comes in and catches him. Simon manages to say something about a boat before Peter snatches the phone from him. Leanne hollers at him to bring Simon home but Peter declares he's never letting Simon out of his sight again. Leanne cries to Nick and hurries out.

In the factory, Carla is telling Rob and Michelle she's leaving tonight. Michelle is angry and can't understand why she's leaving when they're getting busy. Carla knows they can handle the factory without her. Rob backs up Michelle but says they'll manage.

In the salon, Marcus comes in to tell Maria that he's invited some friends around for pizza and beer. She offers to go out but he tells her he'd like her to be there too. He tells her it's Tommy, Tina and Jason. Great, she says.

Back to the factory, Leanne has come in asking Carla if she knows where Peter is because she's found out that he's planning to take Simon on a boat somewhere. Carla pretends she doesn't know what's going on, of course, and Michelle is shocked about Peter's plans. Carla thanks her for the update. Rob points out Simon is with his dad, not the Big bad Wolf. Leanne says "no, just a big bad drunk". Peter isn't supposed to take Simon anywhere without telling her. Carla brushes it all off and says she regrets getting tangled up in the whole mess at all. Leanne asks her to think again in case she is covering for Peter. She's worried that Peter could be drinking. Carla asks her to leave as they're in a meeting. Leanne does, leaving Michelle looking worried as well.

Marcus has given Tommy the invite and leaves. Tyrone has texted Kirsty again and she's not answered so he's getting worried. She comes out of the factory. Tyrone rushes over. She says she's going home because she's really tired. He offers to go with her but when she realizes he was going to go for a pint with Tommy she tells him to go, she'll be fine.

Back to the factory, Carla is finishing up the plans. Michelle starts to question Carla suspiciously. Peter's running away, she's going to L.A. but they aren't related? Like heck! Michelle continues to grill her, she's figured it all out. Carla tries to put her off but she can't look her in the eye and lie. Michelle feels for Leanne's worry. Simon is scared and Peter is an alcoholic and she thinks it's wrong for Carla to be a part of this crazy scheme. Carla is uncomfortable and tries to keep up the pretense and leaves the office.

Leanne is telling Ken about what little she knows about Peter's plan. Ken isn't sure she's got it right. Leanne is determined to call the police but Ken points out they don't know where Peter is. Michelle comes in and approaches Leanne. She admits she can't sit back and let all this happen. She's sure Carla knows what's happening and she's just let herself into Peter's flat. If she was going to L.A. why would she be there?

Roy has set up the chess board in the cafe. Hayley chats to him about couples needing common interests. Though she isn't into chess and he's not into ballroom dancing, she thinks he could come and support her. He does offer to rearrange things if she thinks it's important. She does but Mary skips in just then all fired up from a power walk to get the blood circulating before their chess match. She's even brought a little "mascot", a stuffed mouse or something that she's named after the current British chess champion. It seems Hayley isn't going to have her husband at hand tonight so she sighs and takes herself off while Mary settles down at the chess board.

Carla is scooting around the flat, packing a few things and grabbing the passports. Michelle and Leanne come in and surprise her. They can see the lay of the land, passports included. Whatever does she need with them???

Tvor

Written by Chris Fewtrell and directed by David Kester

Michelle and Leanne have gone round to Carla and Peter's flat to confront her about her plans. Carla can't believe that Michelle has betrayed her. She thought she was her friend and she tells Michelle to go. Meanwhile Leanne does what she does best and launches into a verbal attack on Carla. She wants to know where Carla is holding Simon and Carla retaliates that nobody is holding him, he's with his Dad. "Put your teeth away, Carla," says Leanne. "I'm not smiling". We cut to the train station where Simon is asking his dad why he lied to him. He responds by telling him he didn't lie and he thought Leanne would be pleased to hear he was going away on holiday. Simon wants to know how long they'll be going for but Peter distracts him with the promise of a burger and a milkshake.

Now we move to the cafe where Roy and Mary are deeply into their game of chess. When Roy plays a move and declares "check", Mary comments that perhaps she should have worn a lower cut blouse. Roy is momentarily confused by this suggestion so Mary explains that tops which expose a lady's unmentionables have been banned by the chess confederation due to the distraction factor. "I'm afraid I'm all too easily distracted," she confesses as she looks longingly at the rear view of Roy in his cardie as he gets up to put on Elgar's cello concerto. The music causes Mary to wax lyrical and, as she confesses to Roy that many's the night she's spent listening to this particular piece in the wee small hours to drown out the sound of mother's snoring, she starts to sob. Roy comes to the rescue with one of his tea towels and then looks on with an understandable degree of distaste when she uses it to noisily blow her nose. When Mary tells Roy that Sir Edward Elgar has touched parts of her that no other man could reach Roy replies that there's no shame in being moved by great art, and then offers her another cheese and ham barm.

Back in Peter's flat, Leanne is pleading with Carla but she's not listening. As she gathers together her stuff and puts the passports in her bag she tells Leanne that Peter just needs a fresh start from her. But Leanne shouts that she doesn't care about what Peter wants she just cares about a little lad who's been let down his whole life. As Carla goes to leave Leanne tells her that if she does, she'll call the police and then Leanne blocks the doorway saying that she may have taken her husband but if she takes her son it will be over her dead body.

Over at Maria's, the pizza party is in full swing and Kirk is tucking in with gusto. Remembering the reason for the gathering, Marcus takes Liam over to Jason and suggests they should play together. Jason gets stuck straight in and Tina uses the opportunity to observe to Maria how good Jason is with kids. When Maria agrees, Marcus and Tina give each other a secretive, knowing look.

We return to the chess game where Mary's telling Roy that the fact he chose to put on some Elgar is serendipity as she happens to have two tickets to a recital of some of his work the following week. She asks Roy if he'll go with her but he declines as there is a special display at Hayley's dance class that night and he's agreed to go. Mary looks distraught as she takes a large bite out of her cheese and ham barm.

Rob and Steve are propping up the bar in the Rovers. When Rob claims to have had a hard week, Steve observes that there must be some compensation from sharing an office with two attractive women. Rob points out that one of them is his sister but agrees about Michelle. Realising where this is going, Steve quickly observes that Michelle's also related to him so he wouldn't want to go there and then he dreamily compares her with the delights of a Caribbean island (yes, really).

Behind the bar, Eva is looking very fed up and her mood doesn't improve when Nick comes in looking for Leanne. He tells her it's important so, with ill grace, she tells him that Leanne was in there earlier, she was there with Michelle and they didn't look too happy. She says that they dashed out together and she hasn't seen her since.

At the station, Simon is drinking his milkshake while Peter looks out anxiously for Leanne. He jumps up with relief when he finally sees her heading towards him but his face falls when Leanne pops up behind her. "Mum!" calls out Simon as he rushes into her arms. Peter and Leanne exchange looks which speak for themselves.

Outside the station Peter is arguing with Carla. He wants to know how she could have been so stupid but Carla tells him that what was stupid was thinking they could ever get away with it. As Leanne hugs Simon in the background, Carla tells Peter that she knows she did the right thing.

Back at Maria's, Kirk is still tucking into the pizza and Liam has been put to bed. Marcus exchanges a look with Tina so she nudges Tommy who suddenly makes up a story of a friend in distress and the two Ts make a swift exit.

We return to the Rovers where Rob and Steve are having an inane conversation about stickers on food packages. Eva comments that if that's what men talk about on a lads' night out, she thanks God she was born a girl. When she mentions that she's depressed about the fact that one minute she's manageress of a swanky restaurant and the next moment she's collecting empties in the pub, Rob says he might have a job for her. She briefly perks up when she thinks he might need a PA but looks less than impressed when he offers to train her up as a machinist. However, the thought that Rob might be able to give her one-on-one supervision makes it sound more appealing, especially when he offers to discuss it with her over a drink.

At the station, the three adults are arguing about what happens next. Peter suggests they shouldn't talk in front of Simon but he doesn't want to go off with Carla while Peter and Leanne thrash things out. He reluctantly agrees when Leanne tells him just to go with her for a few minutes. By now Leanne is almost hysterical. She's angry with Peter but relieved to have found Simon. Peter tries to apologise but she tells him that his apologies are worthless. She says that Simon has already said where he wants to live and asks him why he can't just accept that. Peter says that things have changed since then, pointing out that previously she wasn't living with Nick or planning to move away and that she's now moved the goalposts. Leanne says that it still boils down to Simon and his happiness and where he wants to live so she's prepared to let him decide. Peter doesn't want to agree to that and Leanne says it's because he's frightened of what the answer might be. She asks Peter whether he loves Simon enough to do that for him and Peter begs her not to make him do it.

Mary and Roy are still playing chess and it looks like she's finally winning. They start a conversation in which Mary makes a reference to her father. When Roy comments that she's never mentioned him before we discover that he died when Mary was young and that she worshipped the ground he walked on. It causes the waterworks to start all over again. She tells Roy that she thinks it's why she's always been drawn to older men with a certain gravitas, like Norris. Or like Roy, one can't help thinking. Roy says that he's wary of amateur psychology but Mary says that if she's never to know human affection she needs to know it's down to something other than her. Roy tells Mary that she mustn't think like that and, after choosing his words carefully, tells her that she's a very pleasant looking woman with a lively intellect and that many men would be honoured to have her on their arm. Oh dear, Roy; in Mary's eyes this is tantamount to a marriage proposal.

Now we go back to Maria's where they're discussing which video to watch. Kirk has settled himself firmly on the sofa next to Maria and he yelps in pain when Marcus treads on his toe to give him the hint to make himself scarce. Eventually Marcus manages to persuade Kirk that he looks exhausted and needs to go to bed. That just leaves the three of them and, would you know it but Marcus then gets a convenient text message calling him in to work for some emergency cover. And then there were two ...

Back at the station Peter is kneeling down in from of Simon. He's trying not to cry as he tells his son how much he and Leanne both love him. He says they both want to look after him but that's just not possible. Then he tells Simon that he has to go away and that he wants him to go with him and that it will be a great adventure. Poor Simon is distraught and tells his dad that he doesn't know what to do. Leanne then adds her penny ha'penny worth by telling Simon that she really wants him to go and live with her, too. But at least she adds that, no matter what he decides, nobody will hold it against him or blame him because they both love him so much. We hear an announcement over the tannoy and Peter tells Simon that their train is about to leave. He says he's got his ticket in his pocket and that they'll be in Southampton by midnight. "You should see the boat," he adds. "It's a beauty."

"I'm sorry Dad, I'm so sorry," sobs Simon, making his decision clear. Everyone is crying by now but Peter tells Simon that it's alright, he understands and he loves him very much. Peter says that Simon's made him happier than he's ever been and that he's so sorry that he let him down. "You didn't, Dad," Simon sobs in return. "I'm so sorry". Leanne finally persuades Simon to walk away with her leaving Peter sobbing to Carla that he can't leave without him. But Carla tells him that he needs time and space to sort himself out and that if he doesn't he'll be no use to Simon. She tells him that the fight back has to start now and that she'll be with him all the way. Eventually she manages to lead him off in the direction of the train.

Jason and Maria are finally alone with the video, a glass of wine and a can of lager. As they settle down on the sofa Jason goes to put his arm round Maria. She wants to know what he's doing. He tells her to give it a chance as it might grow on her like it did before. Finally the penny drops with Maria that the whole thing has been a set up and she jumps up in alarm. "So what if it is?" asks Jason. "We're having a good time aren't we?" But Maria feels as though her friends have been passing her around like a pizza and says if Jason thinks he's getting a slice he can think again. She's really cross and tells Jason to go home.

As Jason walks out into the street we see a dejected looking Leanne arrive back in a taxi with Simon. At that moment Nick comes round the corner. He asks if they're alright and wants to know what happened but Leanne says she'll tell him later as she can't face reliving it all again. He wants to know why she didn't call him which upsets Leanne still further. "I'm sorry," he says, taking the two of them into his arms. "You, me and Simon can be the family he deserves." But from the look on Leanne's face, this may not be the perfect future she has in mind ...

Karen

Copyright is with ITV Productions, written by Jayne Hollinson and directed by David Kester.

We start with Maria and Marcus leaving the flat together. She is giving him earache over the setup with Jason. She tells him that Jason fancied his chances and also that the last time they went out he cheater on her with Candice - who? says Marcus, when? About 10 years ago Maria replies. Marcus reminds Maria that he is quite fit.

Nick asks Gail to give the Bistro an extra going over as he has a potential buyer coming in. Norris listens to the conversation and goes back into to the shop to report to Mary who does not listen to him. It appears she is reading "Steamy Exploits" and Norris removes the material. Mary makes him listen to a story about "The Mallard" which holds the record for steam speed (125.8 mph) and who do we know on The Street who likes trains? Yes, she has Roy firmly in her sights. She pops out.

Ken and Leanne discuss her and Nick's plan to move away. Ken is not sure that it will work out with Nick - she dodges a question about loving Nick - it seems she did love Peter but does not love Nick.

Michelle is buying Eccles cake in the cafe and Mary observes that Eccles has a station. She tells Hayley that Carla has gone away for a while and she will be running the factory with Rob. Roy confirms that Eccles does indeed have a station (not the dog the place) and that he would rather have liked to be an engine driver and Mary drops in that 4472 is Flying Scotsman and Roy waxes lyrical about the loco. Roy is surprised at Mary's interest in trains and he will play her his records of steam trains on their next chess night.

In his shop Dev is looking at wedding locations on the web with Steve McDonald looking on. Steve wants to know when Kev can move in - Kev says it needs a good clean and Sophie offers to do it for £50. Steve reckons it is a setup but is forced to agree. Dev has found a wedding field. Steve says it needs to big and posh and expensive.

Rob has been recruiting machinists and brings in Eva. Julie has to show Eva the job. And Carla has said Rob can have the flat whilst she is away.

The potential buyer likes the place - but Gail starts talking about the crash and the dust and other problems. The buyer spots that the staff are not as good as the wine.

Dev takes details of a posh hotel to Sunita in the Rovers and they instantly depart to look at it. Stella is not sure it is a good idea for Leanne to drag Simon away from the place he knows and she continues to nag her daughter into thinking again.

Ryan gets off the bus and immediately sees Sophie about to start cleaning and suggests a catch up but she is busy.

Leanne tells Nick she has changed her mind and does not want to leave (the pay is not bad and it is good regular work after all - and there is always the possibility that Peter will return and fall into her arms renouncing the devil drink and Carla).

After the break Nick and Leanne discuss it - she uses Simon as the trump card but Nick does not need much convincing and he tells Lewis and Gail he is not selling - although he marks Gail's card over her earlier comments.

Ryan goes round the back of the house and interrupts Sophie with a bag of cans, so she decides she can spare half an hour. She starts to bring him up to date - she is still at home and still works in the Corner Shop, so not much change. Rosie's departure was one of the highlights. It turns out that Ryan is in email contact with Sian and reveals that Sian met someone on holiday and is shacked up with her. Sophie changes her mind and opens another can.

Michelle heads home to see Ryan. Julie is trying to explain to Eva that she has stitched the gusset wrong. And Julie and Eva argue. Hayley tries to pour oil on troubled waters (after all there is no point in upsetting the boss's girlfriend). Once home Michelle goes around looking for Ryan but there is no sign.

Back at the future Webster house, Ryan wants to smoke and Sophie insists he does so outside, but he light the cigarette and throws the match at a bin full of paper. he also suggest Sophie should move on and look at fit women (and fit blokes as she is depriving herself of 50% of the population).

In the Rovers Dev is waxing lyrical about the wedding venue - but Sunita says they should think about it in view of the cost, but he says cost is not a problem. Norris arrives and tells Stella that he thinks Nick has sold the bistro from what he saw earlier. Stella is a little distressed. Dev cannot get a booking for year so they will have to wait. Maria is very jealous. Jason comes in and apologises for the previous night. He says she is gorgeous and could have anyone. Maria accepts the apology and when Jason suggests they might do it again as mates, she smiles coquettishly and accepts that they could - but just as mates.

Back at Webster mansions a fire is starting in the paper and packaging whilst on the back step Ryan is telling stories about his time at Uni - it is apparent he does not do much work. Then he makes a pass at her - wrong move lad. She storms inside to see the fire and throws the bucket of water over the fire - but the curtain is still alight and there is smoke when Steve pops in to see what progress Sophie is making with the cleaning. She uses a mop to put the fire out.

Nick and Leanne are happy over the decision and he makes it clear that he never wants to lose her. Gail makes them a drink and apologises for her behaviour earlier. He agrees not to sack his mother.

Ryan denies it is his fault. Steve suggests that Kevin pays but he refuses and says he will back out of the deal. Michelle says she will try and get to the bottom of it. Steve cannot afford to keep the house and with the damage will not find another buyer, Steve gurns, roll closing credits.

See you all soon
K Richard W

It's 7.30am and Michelle gets Ryan out of bed and plonks a bacon buttie in front of him. She tells him she can't believe he's only been back one day and already caused a shed load of trouble. He says the fire was nothing to do with him, must have been dodgy wiring. She asks what his plans are for the day. "Nothing," he tells her. He's horrified when she tells him to get showered and shaved and then get over to the factory. She obviously needs to keep an eye on him so she's going to put him in the packing department. "Every boy's dream, Ryan, surrounded by knickers!"

Stella's gone off to the brewery and Karl and Sunita are flirting in the bar. Eva comes downstairs and hears them. She stops to listen and isn't amused.

A chirpy Gail is cleaning in the bistro. She tells Nick and Leanne that she's glad they're staying around and says it will be good to get Simon settled, after all, Nick is a much better role model than his feckless, alcoholic father.

The factory workers are working (well, Eva is struggling with her finger nails) when Michelle brings Ryan in and introduces him. She tells Kirk he'll be working with him. "So he's going to be my apprentice?" beams Kirky, and tells him to follow, he'll teach him everything he knows. "That'll take all of ten minutes," mutters Beth. Ryan passes Eva and stops. "Is it hot in here or is it just you?" he flirts. She tells him she eats little boys like him for breakfast. In the office Rob moans because Michelle didn't run it past him first. "Oh like you did with Eva, you mean?" snaps Michelle. At that moment there's a scream from the factory floor. "Help, paramedics! first aid! I've sewn my fingers!" screams Eva.

Back in the bistro, Gail tells Leanne that she'd like to bond with Simon and offers to mind him anytime they like, she could take him to museums and the like. Tongue in cheek, Leanne says that Ken and Deirdre are going on holiday soon so that would be great, but actually he prefers doing more adventurous sorts of things, like mountain climbing and bungee jumping, absailing etc. Gail's smile fades somewhat.

Michelle meets Steve outside and tells him that Ryan is really sorry about what happens. She hopes Kevin will reconsider. He says he's off to see him in the cafe, and hopes he'll be able to talk him round.

Tyrone sees Fiz passing by and stops her, saying he wants to do something nice for Kirsty but doesn't know what. Fiz suggests a baby shower, and explains to Tyrone how people bring pressies for the baby. She says they could have a surprise party. Tyrone says she's got a short memory and then Fiz remembers that Kirsty doesn't like surprises. Ty says he'll have a word with Kirsty later and see what she thinks.

Michelle goes into the corner shop to see Sophie. She asks her to be honest with her, did Ryan start the fire. Reluctantly Sophie tells her that he was smoking and although she sent him outside, it must have been one of the matches. Michelle is upset to think that Ryan smokes, she thought he had more sense.

It's lunchtime and Michelle offers to buy Ryan a 'full English' (breakfast) and so takes him to the cafe.

Eva walks across to the Rovers and sees Sunita outside cleaning the windows. She starts to have a go at her, telling her it's sickening the way she's making a fool of Dev. Sunita tells her it's none of her business. Eva retorts that it is her business when she's there every day sniffing round Karl. She's a constant embarrassment to that man. She advises Sunita to do the decent thing and walk away now, before it all ends in tears.

Michelle arrives with Ryan at the cafe and they sit down with Steve and Kevin. Kevin says unless Ryan's there to apologise they can go. Michelle says Ryan will apologise because he was smoking in the house and the chances are that he did start the fire. Ryan looks shocked that his mother knows this. Michelle goes on to say that Ryan is going to sort it out, she'll buy the materials and paint, and Ryan is going to do the work of cleaning it all up. Kevin is still reluctant to go ahead with the purchase, but Michelle points out that it's across the road from his work and his daughter. Where else is he going to find something so convenient? She urges him not to cut his nose off to spite his face. In the end he agrees but says he wants the work doing properly and quickly.

In the bistro, Leanne tells Gail and Nick that she's going to go over to the bookies. He wants to know why. She says she's qualified to run it, so she thinks she's going to keep it open, it makes sound financial sense. Nick isn't happy at this thought, and tells her she already has a job, he thought she liked working at the bistro. She says that she does, but they don't want to be in each other's pockets all the time.

In the factory, Eva's sewing skills have reached new heights, she has now sewn her sleeve to a pair of knickers! Michelle brings Ryan back in from their lunch break, and Kirk takes him out and gives him some more instructions. Ryan tells him he's sick of taking orders from him. Kirk says that's just the way it is, he's king of the jungle. Ryan goes over to Michelle and thanks her for paying for the damage he caused. She says she's not. She's paying up front for the materials, but she'll be taking what he owes her out of his wages. He protests that he'll be working for nothing, that's slave labour. She tells him if he doesn't like it, he knows where the door is.

Ryan is kicking stuff around the floor, when Michelle comes in and moans that there's a backlog of boxes piling up in the factory. Hayley tells her that an order was supposed to be collected earlier but the driver's stuck in traffic. Michelle snaps at Kirk to keep the place tidy. Ryan says he'll sort it, and she pats his cheek. "Good lad!" she says. As soon as she's disappeared, Ryan goes outside for a tea break.

Hayley gets a phone call, it's her Aunty Marge.

Rob tells Ryan that he shouldn't think he can doss about because his mum's in charge, if he wants to get paid he'd better put his back into it. Ryan retorts that it makes no difference, his mum is keeping his wages anyway.

Stella meets Leanne in the street, and says she's heard they're not moving away after all. Things seem a bit strained, and Leanne knows Stella isn't happy with Nick, but Leanne tells her that she and Nick are good together. Stella tells her if Leanne is happy then she's happy.

Hayley runs back into the cafe and tells Roy that her uncle has had an accident, fallen off a ladder and now his leg is in traction. She has to go and help her frail aunt.

In the factory packing department, Ryan is up to no good, tipping rubbish all over the floor and unscrewing shelving from the wall. The girls are getting ready to go home when suddenly there's a loud crash and some shouting. They all rush to see and find Ryan lying on the floor under a load of boxes. He tells Michelle he tripped over a load of rubbish and grabbed at the shelf which came off the wall. As they take the boxes off him, Rob checks out the end of the shelf that's hanging off the wall. Ryan then reckons he can't move, his back is hurt. Together, Rob and Kirk get him to his feet and help him out.

Kirsty is furious to see Tyrone and Fiz talking together outside the garage and goes marching over demanding to know what they're whispering about. Tyrone says he was going to tell her later, and Fiz beams and tells her they're going to have baby shower for her. Kirsty says she doesn't think it's her sort of thing, but Fiz tells her to enjoy herself while she can. In the end Kirsty agrees to it, but doesn't look too happy.

Sunita is behind the bar in the Rovers with a face like a wet weekend. She tells Karl she's sick of Eva picking on her all the time. Karl says he doesn't know why she just doesn't walk away, it can't be easy for her seeing him and Stella together. Sunita reckons that is just so arrogant of him, so, the next minute, when Stella walks into the bar, Sunita tells her she's quitting. She says she's going back to work with Dev in the shop, and then just walks out. Stella is astounded and asks Karl what's happened. "Search me!" says Karl.

Rob and Michelle are going to take Ryan to A and E. As they help him out, Michelle snaps to Kirk that she'll have words with him later. Kirk starts to say that it wasn't his fault, but Michelle tells him to save it, he's in enough trouble as it is.

Just as Roy waves Hayley off, Mary comes along and seems pleased to hear that Hayley's going to be away for a while. She tells him to call her if he feels like getting trounced at chess.

Michelle and Rob have returned to the flat with Ryan who's still milking the situation for all it's worth. Rob tells him he can stop the act, his x-ray came back clear. Michelle however, is still convinced that her son is suffering. Rob says Ryan can come back to work and do a desk job, answer the phones etc. and Michelle has to admit it would be good if Ryan could still earn his keep. Ryan, it seems, has no intention of working because he then says he hopes they're insured, he's planning to sue, he'll take Underworld for every penny!

Anne Logan

Here's the update for the first Friday episode.

Ryan's lying on the sofa surfing the Net for good lawyers. Michelle tries to convince him not to sue his Auntie Carla but Ryan argues that he's suing the business, not the people. She accuses him of just being interested in the payout but Ryan insists he could be crippled for life. "If you don't want to support me, Mum, that's your problem."

Sunita breaks the news to Dev that's she's quit the Rovers. She says the novelty's worn off. By an amazing coincidence, Dev has a vacancy in the shop. "It's good to have you back," he says. Sunita says it's good to be back and kisses him on the side of the face.

Leanne meets Gail in the street and asks if she can collect Simon after his end-of-term party. Leanne will be busy interviewing for staff for the betting shop.

Michelle stomps past on her way to work. She brushes off Steve's attempt at friendly conversation, saying she's late for work. Outside the factory she tells Rob that Ryan's not changing his mind about suing. Rob thinks Ryan's faking it but Michelle says he's not a liar. Rob says he's going to talk to Ryan and tells Michelle to get him to come in.

Sunita's in the shop sorting out the shelves when Dev comes in bursting with news. The first wedding venue they inquired about has rung to say they've had a cancellation for September 1. That's six weeks away. He expects Sunita to be thrilled but she isn't. There's the catering and invitations to think about and she hasn't even thought about a wedding dress. She's got the house and kids and everything else to think about "and you're putting a stopwatch on our wedding!" She wants it put on the back burner.

Sean's bought a teething toy as a gift for Kirsty's baby shower. Ryan comes in on crutches. Sean feels sorry for him but Beth reckons he's just after some compo.

In the office, Ryan sits with some difficulty and Rob tells him they need to talk man-to-man. Ryan thinks that's code for settling and says ten thousand pounds will make it all go away. When Rob hesitates he suggests seven thousand. Rob won't budge. "I'll see you in court!" snarls Ryan, stomping away as much as a person can stomp on crutches. Rob tells Michelle her boy's a wrong ‘un.

Tommy and Tina are ready to welcome home Rita and Dennis with a big banner on which Tommy's painted a picture of a battleship. He doesn't think they'll notice it's not a cruise liner. Steve's taxi pulls up and Rita is thrilled to see Tina and Tommy together. They ask how the cruise was and Dennis launches into an enthusiastic description. Apparently "each day was an adventure wrapped up in a dream" is his new motto and Rita repeats it along with him.

In the Rovers, Rob tells Eva about Ryan. She wonders if he should hire a private detective to prove Ryan's lying. After all, a 20-year-old music student must have some weaknesses. Rob looks carefully at her and realises what that might be. She looks irresistible.

Ryan's back at Michelle's flat, playing with a ball at the same time as he chats with a mate on the phone. The door buzzer goes. It's Eva. He ditches the call and the ball and lies pitifully on the sofa. When she comes in, he accuses her of coming to check up on him for her boyfriend, Rob. Eva says she came to bring him some lunch (pie and chips) but if that's how he feels . . . Ryan apologises. She tells him Rob's not her boyfriend. She flirts with him because it's good to keep the boss sweet. Rob gets a smile but nothing else. She hand-feeds Ryan his chips, her low-cut top right in his face, and coos that it's a shame he's laid up because she was going to let him take her out later.

Dev arrives back at the shop with Julie - Sunita's new wedding dress designer.

For some reason Leanne's interviewing in the bistro instead of in the betting shop. Tracy almost barges the last applicant out of the way as she comes in and demands the job. The shop belongs to Peter and she's his sister. Leanne points out that Tracy's his stepsister and the shop's a business, not a charity. "How hard can it be?" demands Tracy. Leanne gives her the application form. Oh, and a very long questionnaire. She's sure Tracy will have no trouble with it. "How hard can it be?"

In the factory, Fiz and Izzy are off to prepare for the baby shower, telling Kirsty there's nothing she can do to help. They see that Eva's changed into something very slinky. She speaks to Rob before heading off but he won't tell Michelle where she's off to.

Tracy seems to be struggling with the questionnaire.

Ryan's leaving the flat and sees Maria. She doesn't think he should be up and about and when he says he's going for painkillers she offers some of her own ibuprofen. He says the doctor recommended that he get some exercise. He promises he'll be tucked up in bed soon.

In the shop, Julie's measured Sunita and rules out a fishtail dress. She thinks Sunita should go for a column dress in burnt-orange Chinese silk. The dress should reflect the enduring passion of Sunita and Dev's relationship. Sunita tells her to shut up. "I don't understand," says Julie. Exactly. Sunita tells her she knows nothing of her relationship with Dev and orders her and her tacky silk samples out of the shop.

As Izzy and Fiz prepare for the baby shower, Izzy tells Fiz she's still coming to terms with being pregnant.

In a non-Rovers pub, Eva flirts with Ryan and strokes his arm.

Leanne smirks as she reads Tracy's questionnaire. She asks what Tracy thinks she can bring to the business. Tracy answers that she knows blokes. She explains: The punters spend all their money in the betting shop and are then surprised when their tellies are repossessed. Her job will be to keep them spending - to flutter her eyelashes, laugh at all their lame jokes and turf them out when they're skint. "Easy peasy lemon squeezey."

Eva tells Ryan she doesn't usually date younger blokes. She's been let down too often by their lies. Ryan is eager to prove he's trustworthy. "Ask me anything," he urges her. She does. "Did you really hurt your back?" Ryan admits he didn't. She tells him not to let Rob find out. In fact, he can make sure of it by giving her a cut of any compensation. Ryan's completely taken in by her and when he goes to the bar sans crutches Eva sends a text to Rob.

Rob's delighted. He tells Michelle to cancel her meeting because she has to go somewhere with him.

Leanne recaps Tracy's suitability for the betting shop position. She knows nothing about the work, thinks all the customers are divs and would like to work 25 hours a week for a full time wage. Leanne would rather burn down the bookies than employ Tracy. "In that case I want the flat," Tracy snaps. Too late. Beth arrives for the keys - Leanne's already let the flat to her.

Ryan and Eva play pool, with Eva casting glances behind to see whether Rob and Michelle arrive in time to see. When they do arrive, it's just in time to see Eva holding the pool cue and Ryan happily limboing under it!

The end of episode one.
Margaret Carr

Footnote: The casting of the new Ryan annoys me. Sol Heras and Kym Marsh are just 11 years apart in age and there's no way he looks young enough to be her son. Of course the plan is to draw in viewers who want to drool over a bit of beefcake, but there are good looking younger actors around, I'm sure.

. Written by: Mark Burt
Directed by: David Kester

Michelle is giving Ryan a good dressing down, but even though he has been caught red handed in a big fat lie, is he sorry? Is he apologetic? Is he 'eck as like! While she is still in the middle of giving him a rollicking, he just gets up, smiles at Eva, tells her he still thinks she is hot, and leaves.

After he is gone, leaving Michelle fuming, Rob tells her that Ryan reminds him of himself at that age. (I knew there was a reason why I don't like either of these two characters!) Unlike me though, Eva finds that quite amusing.

Dev bumps into Julie and can't wait to find out how she got on with Sunita. Julie has to admit that things didn't go well at all, that Sunita had gone bonkers and had thrown her out. Dev is confused, and feels that Julie must have misunderstood, but Julie tells him that Sunita's meltdown had nothing to do with the wedding dress. He offers to speak to Sunita on her behalf, but she tells him not to, saying she can do without the grief.

Gail and Simon are coming round the corner, and Simon is telling her that summer holidays of six weeks feels like forever. Gail commiserates, telling him she used to feel like that too at his age. He is astounded that she can remember that far back. Stella appears, as she does in every scene, passing the time of day. Gail shows off Simon's latest painting, a bowl of fruit, which actually is rather good for a lad his age. Gail brags that he painted it for her, and she thinks it's his best yet. With her nose in the air, Stella points out that she has a few of Simon's paintings on her fridge door that would give that one a run for its money. Gail is not best pleased about that. Stella then tries to entice Simon away to have his favourite tea at the Rovers, but Gail tells her he is eating at the Bistro with her and Leanne, so Stella of course invites herself along.

Dev arrives back at the Corner Shop to relieve a very bored Sunita. He tackles her about the way she spoke to Julie, and at first she tries to brush it off as Julie over reacting. He presses her on the subject, so she tells him that she hated Julie's ideas, had tried to let her down gently, but ended up having to get forceful as she wouldn't listen. She tells Dev that she wants their wedding to be special, and Julie is not the one to make it so. All a pack of lies, but Dev swallows it, and accepts the story.

Kirsty is managing to be pleasant at her baby shower, and is opening a gift from Sean of a baby teether, that everyone agrees looks rather like the undercarriage of a cow. Next prezzie is a cute little Jack-in-the-Box from Kirk, which is pretty generous of him considering he hates clowns himself. Then she opens an unexpected gift from Tyrone, which appears to be a beautiful soft baby blanket. Kirsty loves it, and is touched that he would have thought of buying that for her, but then big mouth Tyrone tells her that Fiz helped him pick it out, and her face immediately drops. He's a fool to himself sometimes that lad, isn't he?

Michelle walks into the cab office, and pays Steve for the paint. He asks how things are going, and she tells him about Ryan faking the injury. She tells him that he has been nothing but trouble ever since he got back home. Steve offers to speak to him, but she declines, telling him she doesn't think that would be a good idea.

In the Bistro, Stella and Gail are still getting little digs at each other, and Leanne is relating how the interviews went. She mentions that Tracy had applied, but had been turned down through lack of experience, but mouthed to Stella the word "Hopeless". Stella then pointed out to Leanne that even with help, she was going to find it hard during the school holidays, and offered to take Simon whenever she needed someone. Gail of course had to get her oar in over that one, and suggested to Stella that it might be too much for her, running a busy pub an all. She then offers her services for babysitting duties, having the more flexible hours. Flexible hours? I guess that's why we see her cleaning the Bistro around the punters while they are eating, she gets to do it whenever she wants! Leanne interjects that she will sort something out that suits everyone, and Simon agrees, telling everyone to chill, as there is plenty of him to go around.

Dev has been thinking, and apologises to Sunita for interfering in the wedding plans in the first place, and promises he will leave all that sort of thing to her from now on. He also has come to the conclusion that he might have been rushing things, which would account for her being on edge, so tells her he is willing to wait, and that they don't have to take that cancellation.

Ryan is lounging in front of the TV with a beer in his hand when a very angry Michelle arrives home. She demands an apology from him, but doesn't get it. Instead he tells her it's all her fault for forcing him into working at a dead end job. She really loses it then, and tells him a few home truths - no, she tells him a lot of home truths. So martyr Ryan's response is to tell her that he will start packing and leave. Hooray! But I doubt we will be that lucky!

After the break, we are back at the baby shower. They are showing each other their own baby photos, and Sean is remarking how incredibly cute Kirk had been. (The photo is actually of Andy Whyment himself as a small child, I know, because I have seen it before). Fiz tells Kirsty that she was gorgeous as well, but Kirsty, taking the photo back tells her that it was probably just the lighting. Kirsty then asks Fiz where her baby picture is, and is told that she doesn't have any, as her mother hadn't exactly been the camera type, and remembering Cilla, she's probably not wrong there. Sweet Tyrone then puts his size 10's right back in his mouth again by telling Fiz that if she did have a photo, he was sure she would look beautiful. If looks could kill, the person at the end of Kirsty's glare would now be ready for a marble slab!

Oblivious to everything though, Tyrone barrels on and thanks everyone for coming, and especially Fiz and Izzy for arranging everything. Then to everyone's surprise, Kirsty tells them all that the party is now over - and goodnight! Everyone is gobsmacked, as they all thought it was just getting started, but they leave their drinks and bid them farewell as instructed.

Ryan is in the Rovers complete with his packed bag, and is demanding a pint from Stella. Meanwhile Michelle is sitting back at the flat obviously beating herself up about giving up on Ryan. She picks up the phone, and thankfully puts it down again.

Kirsty is seeing Fiz out, and is very pleasant to her, thanking her again, saying she shouldn't have gone to so much trouble. Fiz assures her that it was her pleasure, and they even give each other a little peck on the cheek as she leaves. However, the second the door closes it is a different story, her face contorts into anger and she demands that Tyrone tells her exactly what is going on between him and Fiz.

Stella goes over to speak to Sunita. She asks if she had done anything to cause her to leave so abruptly the day before. Sunita assures her it had nothing to do with her, that she had fancied a change, and that it made more financial sense for her to work in the family business. Pacified, Stella leaves her to her drink and goes behind the bar to speak to Karl. She propositions him into having an early night, and they seal the deal with a kiss, right in front of Sunita, who doesn't like it one little bit!

The shower guests have moved on to the Rovers, and Fiz lets it slip to Gary that Izzy hadn't been feeling well earlier. Gary being Gary starts to fuss, but Izzy puts him in his place immediately and tells him she is fine, and doesn't want to hear another word about it. There is banter at the bar between the lads, while Sunita sits behind them getting more drunk by the minute. Ryan appears from the gents toilet, and Kirk is amazed and pleased to see that he is walking. Ryan tells him, sniffing as if he might be coming down with a cold, that he is feeling a million dollars, and Kirk looks confused, which is pretty normal for Kirk.

Back in No. 9, things are escalating between Kirsty and Tyrone. She is accusing him of having an affair with Fiz, of making her feel a fool all evening while Fiz flirts with him right in front of her, of him telling Fiz she is beautiful, and when he points out that he was referring to Fiz as a baby, she completely ignores him. He accuses her of being paranoid, which notches her up the anger ladder a few more rungs. It ends up with Kirsty screaming at him that from now on Fiz is dead to him, he does not speak to her or look at her, and should Fiz speak to him, he is to walk away. She ends with "ARE WE CLEAR?" He attempts to ask something, but she screams even louder "ARE WE CLEAR!!" He hangs his head and agrees to it, grateful I guess that it didn't end up with her hitting him this time.

Ryan has joined the party whether they wanted him to or not. He asks who is going to buy him a drink, to which Gary replies that he should get his own. Kirkeh the softy however gets up to buy him one. Gary grabs his arm, telling him to put his money away, then looks steadily at Ryan and tells him that the free ride is over. Ryan looks at each of the group, and they mutter things like they are leaving shortly anyway, so he moves over to the bar alone and orders another pint. Stella refuses to serve him, telling him he's had enough. Just then Rob and Eva arrive, and Ryan thinks he will be OK for a pint from his Uncle, but Rob is still very bitter, and tells the whole pub about his attempted insurance scam. Just as it looks as if it might end in fisticuffs between Ryan and Rob, Steve comes in and diffuses the situation.

Sunita is leaving the Rovers followed by Karl, who wants to know what is wrong with her. She pours her heart out to him about Dev being so ecstatically happy about their forthcoming nuptials, and that she is dreading it. Karl assures her it will get better, but she is not convinced. She tells him that she is in love with him, and Karl lies through his teeth and tells her that if he wasn't with Stella they would be together, but he still has feelings for the woman he lives with, and there is nothing he can do about it. He pulls her into the ginnel and holds her, checking at the same time that nobody can see him, but Sunita is oblivious to that, she is just enjoying being in his arms again.

Steve now has Ryan in the cab office, and is trying to sober him up with coffee. He is questioning his motives on trying to scam his own mother, and Ryan just replies that he needed the money. Steve remarks that he doesn't hear any remorse in his voice, and Ryan makes it clear that he couldn't care less. They talk a bit more, and Ryan whines to Steve how his mother has been on his back ever since he arrived home, and has now thrown him out. Steve tells him to grow up. Back in the Rovers, as most of the group are standing at the bar having a discussion about Ryan, Gary is sitting with Izzy and is asking her if perhaps she is overdoing things a bit. He suggests that she quits her job. She points out that she can't start maternity leave until at least 11 weeks before her due date, so he suggests she takes it unpaid, and that he will get a second job. Izzy is not having that, end of discussion.

Steve arrives at Michelle's flat with Ryan in tow. He fills her in on the almost scuffle with Rob, tells her Ryan is drunk and leaves her to it. She sits down next to him and warns him that if anything like this happens again, she will put him on that train back to Scotland herself. He gets up to go to bed, and as a parting shot, he breaks the news to her that he has been kicked out of University, so she is stuck with him. Cue the closing credits.

Christine Warren

Written by John Kerr Directed by John Anderson

Eva is telling Stella about a killer pair of shoes she saw and asks her mother to go shopping for them on the weekend. Stella agrees but blows her off when Leanne comes in and asks her to babysit Simon. The sisters bicker and Eva accuses Stella of taking sides. Leanne tells them she'll sort something else out and leaves. Eva insists she's not making up with Leanne, not after she stole Nick. Stella is fed up with hearing it. Eva stalks out and Karl wonders if Stella wasn't a bit too harsh. She snaps at him and calls him an idiot in so many words.

In the corner shop, Sunita is sullenly stacking shelves. Dev is on the way out to the golf course but she's not too happy with having to stay in the shop on her own. He's full of the joys of his upcoming day and doesn't take her seriously, as usual. He does offer to shut the shop early tonight and they can have an early night (the kids are away). She just snarls that she may not be awake. He jokes that she's playing hard to get and bounces out the door.

Back in the pub, Stella is preoccupied. Karl asks if she's ok. She admits she's stewing about her two daughters at odds and apologizes for snapping his head off earlier. He recommends she organizes a girly day out, by not telling either of them the other will be there. She thinks it's a good idea but when she says she'll do it tonight, he tries to get out of it by saying he was going out. He backs down and agrees to mind the pub for her and she gives him a kiss to thank him. All forgiven.

Ryan staggers out of bed, hungover. Michelle is unsympathetic. She wants to know why he got thrown out of uni. He describes a fire extinguisher incident, a couple of months ago. She wishes he'd told her and points out he's ruining his future. She wants him to redecorate Number 13 and find a job because she can't afford to keep him in food. He doesn't think he'll be able to find a job, but basically we can tell he just can't be bothered but he promises to try.

Leanne is in the shop and asks Sunita if she's back at the shop for good. She is and doesn't look happy about it. Stella comes in and invites her out tonight. Leanne isn't sure about leaving Nick and Simon on their own but when Stella tells her that Karl is in charge of the pub and that's infinitely more dangerous, (a point that Sunita takes in with interest), Leanne agrees to go. Stella and Sunita exchange a few awkward words before Stella leaves.

Mary pops into the busy cafe to see how Roy is. She asks after Hayley's uncle (making a slow recovery) and suggests he's missing Hayley (He is). She invites him to the Elgar concert tonight and he ends up agreeing to go. She'll collect him later.

In the factory, Rob asks the girls how the order is going. Beth complains that the frilly bits take longer time. Stella comes in and wants a favour of Rob. She hands him an address of a restaurant. She wants him to take Eva to that restaurant tonight and then leave her there. It's important to Stella that Eva be there. Rob agrees.

Sunita has taken a call from Dev who's in the golf course bar schmoozing. She gets fed up, hangs up and as Emily enters, she tells her the shop is closing. She locks the door and leaves.

Steve comes to see Ryan. He tells him that his mother isn't going to get off his back until he gets a job and Steve is there to offer him one on the switch. Fat Brenda is off sick for a bit. Ryan sighs.

Later on Eva and Rob are walking towards the restaurant in the late afternoon sun. He pretends he's left his wallet in the car and sends her inside while he goes back to get it. Eva enters. Stella and Leanne are already there. Stella sees her and walks over and tells Eva she wanted her there. Leanne sees what's going on and looks like she's going to leave as well. Stella shouts (well, whispers loudly. I don't think she can shout) and tells Eva to leave. She's tired of trying to make them all into a proper family. This is enough to make the younger women feel guilty and Leanne promises she didn't know what Stella was trying to set up and persuades Eva to stay and at least have a drink.

Jason and Maria are chatting in the pub about her career choice as a hairdresser. She enjoys it and wouldn't want to do anything else. He says being a prison guard in a women's prison would be good, easy pickings and you can go home at the end of the day and the women are still banged up. He *was* joking of course, Maria says if it was a real date she'd be out the door now! They laugh. Sunita enters and orders a bottle of white wine from Karl. He asks about the shop and she says she doesn't care if he doesn't like that she shut early, she's tired of being taken for granted. She confirms that Karl is on his own as well. There's a flirty look between them when she pays for the wine. (uh oh)

After the break, Dev is arriving home with Lloyd who was golfing with him. Both men are a bit worse for wear after a session in the club bar. Dev is dismayed when he discovers through Emily that the shop shut early and Sunita was upset.

Things seem to be going smoothly at the restaurant. They've had a meal and Eva is polishing off an ice cream sundae from the looks of it. Stella orders another bottle of wine. Eva gets a text from Rob apologizing and promising to take her out. Stella thinks they should go out clubbing. They all agree.

Sunita tries to get Karl to have a drink with her. He declines since he's heard from Stella that she'll be back late and he'll have to close up. Dev comes in to find his wife. He asks about the shop and mentions the money they're losing. She gets touchy about it, accusing him of being more concerned with that than with her. He apologizes for being late and says it will never happen again. She reckons it will. He tries to get her to leave but she's refusing. In that case, he asks for the shop keys and sarcastically asks her not to get arrested again on her way back home. Karl comes over after he leaves and says that Dev was out of order. He decides to join her for a drink after all.

Lloyd is not happy that Steve has given Rob a job. To prove his point about Ryan being a liability, Ryan slopes off to buy a cold drink at the corner shop rather than boil the kettle. Lloyd accuses Steve of trying to get back into Michelle's bed. Steve says he resents that remark but isn't exactly denying it either.

In the restaurant, while Eva is in the ladies' room, Leanne expresses some doubts about Rob, but maybe it's just because she doesn't like Carla anyway. She doesn't think Rob can be trusted. Eva overhears that and they start in on each other again. Stella tries to smooth things over but Eva isn't having it. She slams down some money on the table for the meal and leaves in a strop. Stella goes after her, after leaving her share of the bill and Leanne says she'll settle up.

Jason and Maria are still in the pub at closing time. Jason admits he could use another beer and Maria invites him to hers, Kirk will have some in the fridge. They leave Karl to lock the door. Sunita comes out of the ladies' and asks if she can have another drink. She's clearly tipsy. He agrees she can stay and while he goes to lock up out the back, Sunita hears Karl's phone ding. It's a message from Stella saying she'll be home in 15 minutes but Sunita deletes the text. I smell trouble with a capital T. She goes to the jukebox and puts on something soft and sexy.

Mary and Roy arrive home from the concert. He is offering her a late night hot chocolate in lieu of the price of the ticket. They enjoyed the concert, Roy remarks that Mary was very enthusiastic in her applause. She points out that she's a very passionate person. He doesn't take the hint.

Karl and Sunita are chatting. She admits she's not in love with Dev any more and he doesn't make her heart race like he does. She states the obvious, Stella isn't there and she moves in to kiss him. He admits he's scared of her and of "this" and that she's had enough to drink. She kisses him again and he pulls into the clinch. Outside, the women are home. Leanne comes after them, determined to clear the air with Eva. Stella sighs. Inside, Sunita is pulling Karl's shirt open as they lay sprawled on a booth. The women come into the bar bickering. The lovers jump up. Karl utters those famous words "Stella! Sweetheart! I can explain..." She doesn't want to hear it.

It's pretty obvious what the explanation is!

Tvor

Written by Simon Crowther and directed by John Anderson

Stella isn't very happy. In fact she is very, very upset but it takes Eva to put her feelings about Sunita into words when she eloquently tells her to "'op it, you randy little tart". And ‘op it she does. Well, as far as the street outside the Rovers. She's looking rather shell-shocked when Lloyd appears, wanting to know if she's seen Dev. He's on the war-path. It would seem that Sunita isn't the only one who's been cheating. In Dev's case it was on the golf course where Lloyd spotted him kicking his ball into the bushes. But Sunita has other things on her mind and tells Lloyd she has to go home. As he watches her tottering off on her high heels towards her front door, Lloyd realises that something may be amiss.

Back in the Rovers, Karl is making a last desperate attempt to convince Stella, Leanne and Eva that they were mistaken by what they thought they saw. He tries telling them that Sunita threw herself at him and he was trying to fend her off. "Funny, they've never fended me off like that," observes Eva. Stella wants to know how long it's been going on. Karl tries telling her that this was the only occasion but Eva says it's Sharon Lomax all over again and then it comes out that Eva had already worked out what was up and that this isn't the first time Karl's cheated on Stella. But Karl is desperate and he tells Stella he loves her and he's 100% committed to her. He says that Sunita has a crush on him but that's all. The three women are having none of it so he admits that he kissed her. When Stella asks him outright if he's ever had sex with Sunita, he lies from the bottom of his heart that he never did. At this, Stella and Leanne head out of the pub in search of Sunita, leaving Eva standing behind the bar, glaring at Karl.

Over at the cab office, Ryan is working his fingers to the bone playing with toy miniature drum kit while Steve and Michelle discuss the fact that Steve has just given him a job. Steve points out that this way he can keep and eye on him, prompting Ryan to ask if he's his boss or his babysitter. Michelle wants to know if her errant son is still going to do the decorating he promised. Somehow we're not convinced when he tells her that he'll do every last brush stroke.

As Lloyd watches from across the street we see Leanne and Stella arriving at Dev and Sunita's and Stella banging on the front door. The moment it opens, Stella grabs Sunita by the hair and screams at her, demanding to know whether it was the only time that she and Karl got up to anything. In view of the fact that Stella is now thumping her head against the door frame, Sunita decides the time has come to fess up. As she tells Stella that they couldn't fight their feelings and never meant to hurt anyone, Stella retaliates by slapping Sunita across the face. It looks painfully realistic.

At Maria's flat the atmosphere is a lot more congenial as she and Jason enjoy a cosy drink on the sofa together but just as their eyes lock and Jason moves in to kiss Maria, Marcus comes in, looking for his mobile phone. Before he has a chance to realise he might have interrupted something he hears shouting in the street outside and they all move over to the window to take a look.

Outside, Stella is frog marching Sunita up the street in the direction of Dev's shop and he comes out to find out what all the fuss is about. As Stella tells him how he's marrying a slag and that she found Sunita half dressed in the Rovers with Karl, various onlookers start to gather. Norris and Emily are in their dressing gowns and Beth is busy tucking into a bag of chips whilst she and Tracy relish the drama unfolding in front of them. Stella is laying into Sunita: she's understandably outraged that all of this was going on at the same time that Stella was employing her and even offering her a shoulder to cry on. Dev can't quite take in what he's hearing. Stella tells Sunita that if she wants that "ridiculous excuse for a man" then she can have him. For good measure she adds that she's barred.

Back in the Rovers Karl is dejectedly nursing a pint while Eva tells him what she thinks of him. At that moment a furious Stella bursts in, followed by Leanne in hot pursuit. Karl wants to know what happened with Sunita but Stella doesn't utter a word as she and Leanne march straight past and through to the back.

In the cafe, Mary has called in for a late night cup of cocoa with Roy. While he tries to stifle a yawn Mary witters on about a Debussy concert. She's keen to buy tickets but Roy manages to deflect her enthusiasm briefly by telling her he needs to consult his diary first. He finally manages to usher her outside and lock the door behind her.

We move to Dev and Sunita's front room where he is trying to make sense of what's been going on whilst Sunita is finally telling him the truth. He wants to know if she ever wanted to marry him and her answer is that she tried. She tells Dev that she fell into something with Karl and then she couldn't stay away. Dev asks her if the affair is over and Sunita says that it's for Karl to decide.

"But either way, you're leaving me," sobs Dev. "It seems that's all you ever do".

"Except this time I won't be coming back," replies Sunita as she takes off her engagement ring and places it carefully on the table.

Karl and Eva are still in the bar when Stella comes storming back in. "Put the dog out girls," she says to her daughters, while glaring at Karl.

Over at Emily's she, Tracy and Norris are discussing what they've just witnessed over a cosy cup of tea. Emily says it's the children she feels sorry for but Tracy is dismissive of this and says they'll get over it. She sites Amy as an example and points out how she coped with Steve and all his womanising ways. This prompts Norris to mutter about pots and kettles and Tracy to tell him that he's proper little wind-up merchant. "Well, I wouldn't kick him out of bed," comments Tracy, referring to Karl. Norris says that ever since Karl tried to install the tv in the Rovers he knew there wasn't something right. With a sigh Emily tells him he's joining up the wrong dots as per usual and with that Norris announces that he's going back to bed.

At Maria's she and Jason have resumed their cosy position on the sofa and Jason is talking about his unfortunate history with women. Maria claims that she is the Queen of Doomed Relationships. "Well I think you're nice," says Jason. Encouraged by this, Maria suggests opening another bottle but Jason declines. Ever the romantic he tells her he has an early start because he has to go and sort out his broken drill first thing in the morning.

Karl is out in the street trying to gather his belongings while Stella hurls objects at him from an upstairs window. "This never worked," she shouts as she tosses down his bottle of anti-dandruff shampoo. Stella continues to shout as she tells him that she gave him chance after chance and that he's pathetic and deluded. Karl calls back that it's all his fault, Stella never put a foot wrong and that he doesn't deserve her. "Where will I go?" he wails. But Stella tells him she couldn't care less any more.

Sunita comes down the stairs with a bag. When Dev points out she can't exactly go and stay with Stella she says she'll find cheap hotel which gives Dev the opening to suggest that there must be quite a few of those she's familiar with. "It wasn't like that," Sunita protests. Dev tells her it's a pity her friend Lara in Liverpool doesn't exist because she would have come in handy right now.

Sunita offers to stay in the flat. Dev wants to know if that's where they had their affair so Sunita tells him how they went there regularly while he was working in the shop downstairs. "I'm not proud of what I've done," she continues. "But I won't stand here and deny it." Sunita wants to tell the children what's going on when they get back in a few days but Dev says he's not going to let her do this to them again. She tells Dev it's the best thing for their children but Dev is having none of it. He says they've had enough of them getting back together and splitting up again and that he's prepared to forgive her but only for the children's benefit. He's adamant that he won't put Asha and Aadi through another break up.

Back at Maria's Jason has lost his keys. He realises they're in his van but the keys to the van are on the kitchen counter in the flat. He'll have to go round to his Mum's, retrieve her spare keys from the outside lav and stay there for the night. As he's about to leave he turns round and asks Maria why it is that he always keeps getting dumped. She replies that maybe some girls don't know a good thing when it's staring them in the face and with that, Jason takes his cue and gives her a kiss. "I'm glad that's over," he says. Fortunately Maria sees the funny side of it and realises what he means. She chuckles to herself as he leaves.

Back at Dev and Sunita's he's trying a different tack. He tells Sunita that he can see that she was bored and that with the money problems it was all work and no play. He says that he took her for granted and admits that he finds things hard sometimes. He tells her he's sorry because if he made her have the affair he has to take some of responsibility. Sunita admits that she proposed to him out of sheer desperation which is the biggest sticking plaster in the history of the world. She tells Dev that he can't forgive her but he replies that he really does. Sunita puts her head in her hands in despair.

In the Cab office, Lloyd and Steve are discussing the row on the street when Michelle comes in with butties and apple juice for Ryan. It's a long night and she doesn't want her boy to go hungry. Steve and Lloyd have fun teasing him and want to know where their butties are. Michelle tells Steve he looks like he's eaten enough from where she's standing which prompts some banter about Steve's exercise habits. Ryan starts to get embarrassed and asks Michelle if she can leave. "Did you mean ‘thank you Mum'?" she asks.

In the back room of the Rovers, Stella is sounding off to Eva and Leanne about Karl's behaviour. She wants to know why she allowed it to carry on. "Because you loved him?" suggests Leanne, gently. "You did put all those women under his nose. What can you expect?" asks Eva, prompting Leanne to have a go at her. Eva tells Leanne that she wasn't there over the years that all the women were working in the pub alongside Karl and that she saw the way they looked at him. Leanne says she can't believe Eva didn't say anything but Eva replies that she didn't have any proof. Before we know it Stella has to ask the two girls to stop rowing again. But the peace is short-lived and they started having a go at each other again and this time it's over the thorny issue of Nick. "Girls, will you just stop it," pleads Stella.

We move outside into the street where we see Karl settling down for the night in his cab.

Back at Dev and Sunita's he's asking her whether she thinks they can start again but Sunita tells him that she's glad Stella caught her with Karl and that things are now out in the open. Sunita insists it's for the best, but Dev asks her to do one last thing. He wants her to stay in the house for one more night while he goes to the flat, to give her time to think. She tells Dev that she doesn't need time to think and that even if she did, she could do it in the flat. He insists that she may see things differently in the morning. Sunita tells him that there's no way back for them but Dev replies that he'll take that chance and he walks out, leaving Sunita alone in the house.

Karen

Good evening. A new writer tonight, Martyn Hesford (thanks to Flaming Nora for pointing this out.

We are behind so I shall keep this short.

Karl has spent the night in his cab. Lloyd is a friend of Dev's (just a quick aside - it is nice to have Lloyd back on the cobbles - I missed him and I hope you did too and it seems he has a storyline coming up soon) and not surprisingly to us he sacks Karl as he reckons that the latter is no longer welcome at Street Cars. Now a quick study of employment law in this kingdom does not show that disloyalty to a mate of the bosses is a sacking offence - so I am a little surprised that Karl does not head off for a friendly chat with a lawyer. We would, wouldn't we boys and girls?

Another third of the love triangle has his own problems. Dev has had a sleepless night and he tells Stella that he still loves Sunita and just wants her back. Silly old fool. If he had treated her as he promised when they got back together then she would not have fallen into the arms of the good for nothing Karl. And Stella needs her head examining for being with him in the first place.

Sunita is keen to talk to Karl and ensure they are moving forward together, but this goes a little awry when Karl is of the opinion that at the moment he will do anything and everything he can to correct matters with Stella.

Needless to say (but I will) Sunita is pretty disappointed with this stance and one wonders just how many years it will be before she sees through the guy - she is terribly blinkered at the moment and acting rather blonde if you ask me (and that is probably charged with all sorts of innuendo but is meant as a joke so please laugh).

In the Rovers {Hey can we make that a song?}

In the Rovers,
Yes, you can drink seven brandies,
In the Rovers
Yes, you can put you mind at ease
In the Rovers
Come on now people make a stand
In the Rovers, In the Rovers
Can't you see we need a hand
In the Rovers
To try and make a stand
In the Rovers
Come on and join your fellow man
In the Rovers
Come on people, and fall on a can
In the Rovers, In the Rovers, In the Rovers

Sorry got carried away a bit

Karl pleads with Stella to take him back. To this end, and we think probably truthfully he claims that he has always loved her and no-one else. His dalliance (not that his command of the language stretches that far) with Sunita was just a bit of fun as she was a dark eyed temptress and even Stella must know that he prefers blondes (well he doesn't actually say that - but clearly Sunita is not really his type - she merely flashed her cleavage and that famous rear and honestly Stella what was a real man supposed to do?

And if anyone really thinks that Stella is going to fall for any of that old tripe then you really are deluded.

Marcus is gay and confused. Which for a member of the medical profession is a bad state of affairs. When Marcus suggests to Sean they meet for a coffee, which immediately gets Sean raising his hopes that maybe the wonderful Marcus with whom he has only recently re-united after all, might still have feelings for him and therefore that they are going to re-unite once again and live happily ever after. Marcus, just wants a no-strings attached cup of coffee and no, he really only wants a cup of coffee, a friend and no hard feelings.

Meanwhile when Maria spends the day with Jason and Liam, Marcus feels put out and tells Maria that living on the Street is not right and he is going to move back South. But Maria does not want to lose a friend (and tame babysitter) and seeks to dissuade him. Run Marcus, run for your life (and anyway living in the South is far nicer).

Izzy is pregnant. Gary is an over protective fusspot. poor Izzy - either her father Owen or Gary are worrying about, she is taking on too much, doing too much and she needs to take it easy. And Gary goes into overdrive (well he is a bit of a nutter and a Windass to boot) and tells her that she should be taking it easy. Izzy is annoyed by this and makes her feelings known to Anna who then has a quiet word in her son's lughole and he apologises to Izzy for making her feel smothered.

And at the start of what will probably drag on for some time Kylie invites Ryan to join her and David for a drink. Now boring David (to be honest I never expected those two words to be in the same sentence) takes against Ryan who is entertaining, at least as far as Kylie is concerned.

And that's it from for tonight.
K Richard W

In Sunita's house, Karl is despondent, and wondering whether he should even be there. Neither of them are working and they don't have any money. Sunita asks what happened to the seven grand he won, but he told her that went to pay off credit card debts. He's also worried about how her children will react to the situation, and she tells him she'll sit them down and talk to them gently.

Michelle walks into her living room and is furious to find that Ryan has crashed on the sofa all night, fully clothed. She tells him to get in the shower, he's due at Streetcars.

Gary and Izzy are coming down the Street all excited because they've had the first appointment through for the ante natal clinic. They meet Fiz, Katy and Chesney and the talk turns to Chesney's 18th birthday tomorrow. He doesn't want a fuss, but they tell him he has no say in the matter.

Sunita has picked the twins up from their sleepover at a friend's, and they meet Dev outside the corner shop. The children, of course, are delighted to see their daddy, and then Sunita sends them off to the Kabin to pick a comic. Dev asks if she's told them yet, but she says she hasn't. He asks if she'd like him to be there, but she doesn't think that would be a good idea, he'd get upset.

Inside The Kabin, Norris and Leanne are quietly discussing the situation when Sunita comes in, and sarcastically tells them not to let her stop them. The next minute she and Leanne are sniping at each other. Leanne tells her Karl's using her and when the next sucker comes along she won't see him for dust. Sunita protests that they love each other, which Leanne finds very funny, and tells her she's out of her mind.

Marcus goes into the salon and asks if Maria can fit him in for a trim, he's going for a drink with Aiden.

Leanne goes straight to the pub and tells Stella and Eva that Karl has moved in with Sunita. Stella says she's welcome to him and gets up from the table to start work. Leanne and Eva offer to do the work for her, but Stella says she'd rather keep busy.

In the factory, Sean is dead excited about his forthcoming coffee with Marcus, and is hopeful that it's the first step to a reconciliation. Rob comes out to check how the order is coming along, when Izzy comes in, chatting on her phone. He's annoyed that she's late, planning Chesney's party is not an excuse, and says she'll have to make up the time in her lunch hour. Just then Eva strolls in, also late, but he says he'll let her off as she's new. The other workers aren't happy about this. As Rob and Michelle walk into the office, he asks her how Ryan is getting on. She tells him he's really excited about his job at Streetcars.

Over at Streetcars however, Ryan is far from excited. He's fast asleep, head on desk, oblivious to Steve's voice shouting at him through the headphones.

Stella is frantically cleaning the pub windows when Lloyd walks past. He offers a kind and sympathetic few words.

Fiz and Sean meet Gary outside and tell him how Rob wants them to work through lunch and also do a bit extra after work to get the order completed. Gary isn't happy, although Fiz tells him not to worry, Izzy is pregnant, not ill.

Eileen goes into Streetcars' office and is amazed to find Ryan fast asleep. She wakes him up just as Steve comes in. She asks what Ryan is even doing there, he's drooled on her Post-Its. Steve explains he's offered Ryan a few shifts.

In Sunita's house, a painfully embarrassed Karl is sitting through the ordeal of Sunita telling the children that Daddy is going to live above the shop now. "Why is he here?" her daughter wants to know, glaring at Karl, "is he going to be your new boyfriend?" Aadi declares that he's not going to call him Daddy. "Of course not," says Sunita, "you've only got one daddy." Karl tells them he'll never come between them and their dad. Sunita then suggests they all go to the park. As they go off to change their shoes, Sunita breaks down and sobs that she's ripped their worlds apart. Yes, Sunita, you have.

Ryan has just finished valeting the taxis. Eileen suddenly realises what Steve's plan is - by being Ryan's best buddy he can get it on with Michelle. Just then Michelle comes in to see how Ryan is getting on, and also, as he's finished for the day at Streetcars, to send him over to No. 13 to finish the decorating.

Dev goes into the Rovers, and he and Stella commiserate with each other about the fact that Karl has moved in with Sunita.

Rob comes in, tells Stella he's meeting a client, and orders a drink. Gary comes in and isn't too happy when he hears that Izzy is among the girls doing overtime.

Marcus is in the salon having his hair done by Maria. They talk about his forthcoming date with Aiden and Maria tells him to go and get him, he deserves a bit of fun.

Lloyd goes and sits with Dev in the pub, and tries to tell him he knows how he feels. Dev is pretty unfriendly and says that his situation isn't the same at all, after all, Russell wasn't even Lloyd's kid. Lloyd says he isn't getting into a competition, he was just trying to say he knows how Dev feels, and offers to get him another drink. At the bar he finds out from Tina that Dev has already had 3 doubles, so orders him water instead.

Marcus rushes in, taking a phone call from Aiden, who he's obviously planning to meet in the Rovers. (Has he no tact?)

Just then all the factory workers come in, they've finished their overtime. Gary tells Izzy he doesn't like Rob working her so hard. Izzy points out that Rob doesn't know she's pregnant, but he mustn't worry, she's fine.

Julie and Sean notice Marcus, and Julie urges Sean to go over and make polite chit-chat. Before he can go over, however, Marcus comes over to them. Sean just starts to talk about the coffee they've arranged to go for, when Aiden comes in and Sean looks crestfallen and goes off to sit at a table. When Aiden goes to the gents, Julie asks why Marcus had to meet Aiden there, in the Rovers. Muttering something about it being his local, Marcus also points out that he and Sean have split up. Julie tells him that his arrangement with Sean for coffee meant something much more to Sean, it was a date, it got his hopes up. Aiden comes back and the two of them leave.

Gary sees Rob go to the gents, and follows him out there. Blocking the door, he tells Rob that Izzy is pregnant. Rob is a little nonplussed. "Congratulations," he says, and tries to leave, but Gary still bars the way. Rob wants to know if there's a problem. Gary says that in her condition, the last thing Izzy needs is overtime. Rob tells him that if Izzy has a problem with the way he runs things, it's up to her to tell him. Then he pushes past Gary and goes back to the bar.

Norris comes in and goes over to Dev and starts to sympathise with his situation. Rather the worse for drink, Dev has had enough sympathy. He tells Norris what to do with his sympathy and stands up, smashes the glasses on the table with a sweep of his arm, and marches out of the pub, telling everyone to leave him alone. Outside the door, however, his attention is caught by the sight of Karl and Sunita and his children coming back from the park in high spirits. He looks totally devastated.

Once inside the house, Sunita sends the children up to get ready for bed, and sits down on the sofa beside Karl. They snuggle up and start kissing as the front door opens and Dev walks in. He says he's there to see the kids. Karl tells him they've put the kids to bed. Dev is furious, he tells Karl he can live under his roof, drink his wine and sleep with his fiance, but he is nothing to his kids. He turns to go, but Karl grabs his shoulder. Dev angrily turns back and shoves Karl down on the sofa just as the twins come downstairs. They're obviously upset by what they've seen and Sunita sends them back upstairs again, and tells Dev to go. "He needs time, that's all," she says to Karl.

Dev lets himself into his shop and starts smashing things up, turning over shelves and throwing things around. Then he grabs a bottle of whisky and starts to swig it down.

Lloyd comes out of the pub, telling Stella he's going to go and look for Dev. He goes into the shop and finds Dev lying on the floor with the whisky bottle, surrounded by pills and capsules all over the floor. He shouts at Dev to tell him how many he's taken. "None," says Dev, "I don't even have the bottle to do that, do I?" Saying that he's got nothing left, he breaks down, sobbing.

Anne Logan

This Friday episode ran as a one-hour one, so here's the first half.

At Fiz's, Katie's shouting up the stairs to Chesney to get a move all. It's all a ruse to get him downstairs to shout "Happy birthday!" at him. It's his 18th and they're planning a party but Chesney says he's just happy to have his family there - that's the most important thing.

Dev and Lloyd are awake, though only Lloyd is cheerful about it. He tries to bond with Dev by talking about his break-up with Cheryl but Dev refuses to believe it's anything similar to his situation. "Did I really trash the shop?" he asks, apparently just remembering. Lloyd confirms it and says it's another thing they have in common because he trashed the house. He tells Dev they'll have some breakfast and then go down and put the shop back together.

Izzy and Gary discuss party plans with Fiz in the street. Fiz sees Tyrone and tries to invite him to the party but Ty almost backs away as she's trying to talk to him. He says he's just in a rush.

The Alahan children are not impressed with Karl and want him gone. Once they've left the breakfast table, Sunita suggests Karl try to get his old job back at Streetcars.

In the factory, Michelle's off out to see a customer about an order, though Rob doesn't seem happy about it. He tells the machinists they're doing so well on the McNee's order they can probably go home at five. Everyone's pleased. Rob moves to Izzy's side and asks her quietly if she's OK. A puzzled Izzy says she is.

Lloyd tells Steve that Dev's really in a state. Michelle comes in looking for a cab and Lloyd insists he bring one round for her. While he's gone, Steve mentions "casually" (with gurning and all) that he'll be in the Rovers later if Michelle fancies a drink. She tells him she'll see him there. Lloyd overhears this last bit and looks at Steve. "Unbelievable!" he says.

In the factory, the machinists sing along to the radio as Rob checks through the McNee order, which appears to be two cartons short. By an alarming coincidence, a Swansea customer picked up two cartons yesterday, Kirk reveals. Uh oh. Yes, the Swansea cartons are still sitting there. Rob says Kirk will have to drive down and fetch them back and the diesel will come out of his pay.

Karl turns up in Streetcars' office to a rude reception from Lloyd. Karl tries to protest that Sunita had left Dev previously so he was hardly breaking up a happy marriage. Lloyd tells him they don't mind hiring the occasional low-life but they draw the line at scum. He reveals that because of Karl, Dev was in the shop with a bottle of Scotch and a load of pills. "Crawl away and wipe that trail of slime up after you," he says.

Marcus and Maria talk about Sean while they eat in the cafe. Sean comes in and Marcus goes to try to clear the air. He asks if Sean's all right about him seeing Aiden and Sean says he is. But it's clear he isn't. He asks Marcus how he'd feel if the roles were reversed and admits he was probably wrong when he said they could still be friends.

Karl tells Sunita Lloyd refused to give him a job. She tries to insist that he go back when Steve is there but Karl tells her what Lloyd said about Dev considering suicide. He says that means Steve won't give him a job, either, and nor will anyone else round there.

Tyrone's in the garage eating his lunch (I still can't work out why he takes a packed lunch when he lives directly across the street) when Fiz calls in to see him. She thinks he seems a bit off with her and he tells her that Kirsty still thinks there's something going on between them. Fiz says she'll talk to Kirsty but Tyrone desperately tells her not to, claiming Kirsty's all over the place at the moment and things will change once she's had the baby.

Ryan's finished redecorating what's almost Kevin's kitchen. He asks Steve for a sub on his wages though, as Steve points out, Ryan's hardly broken a sweat at work so far. Ryan spins him a yarn about the money being so he can give it to Michelle and prove he's trying to pay his way. Steve gives him thirty pounds.

As Fiz leaves the garage, Kirsty sees her. Her face is very grim.

Rob breaks the news to the machinists that they'll have to work late to make up for the missing cartons of the McNee order. The Swansea customer can't find them and the driver who picked them up has flown out on his holidays, so he can't help. Fiz pleads with him to be allowed to go at the usual time because it's Chesney's birthday. When the others (except for Beth) offer to cover for her, Rob relents and lets her go. He asks Izzy if she wants to go as well, since her sister lives with Chesney. She declines, saying she'll work late the same as the others.

As Maria tells Kylie all about Marcus and Sean, Jason comes into the salon and suggests they go for a drink tonight. He says if Marcus is feeling low then she should ask him to come along.

Ryan's in the cab office doing a very rude job of answering the phones. He gets a text and hangs up on one customer. Lloyd comes in and Ryan asks if he can have a bit of time off because he's promised to meet a mate. Lloyd refuses and gives him a lecture about the real world.

Fiz gets home and tells Owen, Gary and Katie about the fuss at the factory. Gary demands to know whether Izzy is working late and Fiz says she won't be finishing until eight or nine o'clock. Chesney arrives, keen to look at his cards to see whether there's anything from Cilla. Of course there isn't.

Kylie arrives at Streetcars to book a taxi for later on tonight so she and David can go into town. No, I have no idea why they don't go on the tram. Anyway, Ryan asks if she'd like to earn some money and do him a favour at the same time.

Chesney opens his presents, watched by Owen, Gary, Fiz, Katie, Joseph, Hope, Faye and Anna. Or at least, the first two pretend to watch but really Owen's stirring up Gary about Izzy working late.

Sunita arrives in the shop, making Dev very angry. He's got nothing to say to her. She says she's got something to say to him and locks the street door.

Gary goes to the factory and tells Izzy she shouldn't be working late. Izzy insists she's just doing the same as the others. She's furious. She thought they sorted this out the other day. Gary goes into the office and demands to know what Rob's playing at. He told him Izzy was pregnant and in danger of harming the baby. Behind him, Izzy's just become more than furious. She accuses Gary of trying to smother her. But then she suddenly doubles over in pain. "Call an ambulance!" Gary shouts.

The end of the first half.
Margaret Carr

Written by: Martin Allen & Ellen Taylor
Directed by: John Anderson

After the half hour break, we are back in the factory, Michelle is calling an ambulance, Izzy is panting and groaning and Gary is freaking out, while the rest of the staff gather around in shock to hear that Izzy is pregnant.

Sunita and Dev are in the Corner Shop, and she is shocked at the state of the place, and is asking him what happened. He tells her that a couple of kids smashed up the place, but she doesn't believe him, and asks if he is OK as she is worried about him. He bitterly snaps that it's too bad she wasn't a bit more concerned about him when she was sleeping with the scumbag from the Rovers. He tells her sarcastically that there is nothing he needs from her and to leave. She tells him that she knows about the pills, and he turns on her furiously, demanding to know why Lloyd told her, and he is especially upset that Karl may know, and is laughing at him. He accuses her of wishing he had succeeded in his suicide attempt, which she immediately denies. She tells him that she cares about him, which he immediately refutes, saying that the only reason she is there is because she is feeling guilty, and there is a big difference between guilt and caring. Sunita insists that she is there because they go back ten years, and he is the father of her children.

Dev suggests to Sunita that perhaps the children would be better off without him, but she refuses to believe that. She apologises to him for sleeping with Karl behind his back, but points out that their relationship has been on the rocks for months. He points out that he always loved her though, and she knew that. He continues that he still loves her, but she replies that she doesn't feel the same, she wishes she did, but she is not going to lie to him any more. He laughs bitterly that he is supposed to feel grateful that she is not going to lie to him any more, pours himself another drink from his own stock, and suggests she has really given him lots of reasons to live now hasn't she?

It's Sunita's turn to get angry now, and tells him to pull himself together for the sake of the children. She suggests she drops them off with their pyjamas for a sleepover as they are asking for their daddy. He protests, saying he doesn't want them to see him like this, but I guess Sunita is not giving him a choice about it, because she firmly tells him that they want their daddy, and turns on her heel and leaves.

Over in The Rovers, Steve is ordering his pint sporting a pink shirt and puffed up hair. Stella can't help but notice it, and asks if perhaps someone put a red sock in with his laundry by mistake. Steve is not phased, and tells her that pink shirts are very trendy at the moment, in fact pink is the new black. Stella is surprised that he is so up on the current trends. Just then Michelle arrives quite upset, and breaks the news about Izzy being taken to hospital. After ordering herself a red wine, she sighs sadly, so Steve puts his arm around her and hugs her, much to her amazement and kind of amused horror. She pulls away, noticing his shirt for the first time, and asks if it's new. He preens, and asks if she likes it, and she puts on a false smile, and says through gritted teeth that it's er.. very pink. Stella smirks in the background, which doesn't go unnoticed by Steve.

Tyrone has arrived home with the shopping, he is too excited about the little babygro that he couldn't resist buying to notice that Kirsty is not happy, not happy at all. Finally, when his excitement is received with a flat stare, he pulls himself up short and asks if he has forgotten owt. "You tell me!" she demands. He looks at her puzzled, and asks what she is on about. She asks him if he saw anyone today, and he is still confused, as he has probably seen lots of people in the course of the day. Finally she spits out that she saw him with Fiz, and she knew he would lie about it! Poor Ty now looks like a sick puppy.

Over in the hospital Izzy is having some tests, and the family are gathered in the waiting room rehashing the series of events which led up to where they are now. Gary is on the defensive, and Owen is on the attack as usual.

Talking about being on the attack, we are back in No. 9 and Kirsty is demanding to know why Tyrone dared to speak to Izzy after she had strictly forbidden him to. He counters that he couldn't very well ignore her, as she had approached him. Kirsty cannot see at all why he couldn't have ignored her, but he assures her that Fiz had only come to invite them to Chesney's party. Kirsty wants to know what he told her, so he relates that he told Fiz that she didn't like them seeing each other, so had to decline. Kirsty explodes that he shouldn't have told her that she is jealous, and he replies that he thought she hated lying, so told the truth. Obviously trying to force her anger down, she tries to explain to Tyrone that he must see it from her point of view, that he had promised not to see her, then does so and lies about it. Anxious to continue the abatement of her anger, he promises he won't see Fiz ever again, this pacifies Kirsty (for now), and they embrace.

Kylie is on the switch, and is being a right little Kylie, being as rude as a rude thing can be to the customers. Norris arrives looking for a cab in twenty minutes to go to a confectioners social where they are having a talk on the renaissance of sherbet. She of course is rude to him too, and tells him to go home and wait. Lloyd calls in and is shocked to hear Kylie's voice on the other end of the line, and wants to know what she is doing there. She fills him in on the fact she is doing Ryan a favour, which goes over like a lead balloon with Lloyd, he is heading back to the office right now!

In the Rovers, Sean, Brian and Julie are having a drink and discussing the recent events with Izzy when in comes Maria, Marcus and Jason. Julie immediately has a go at Marcus for leading Sean on when all the time he was seeing 'that' Aiden. Maria puts her in her place by telling her it is none of her business, and Jason backs her up. Julie is expecting Brian to do the same for her, but confrontation is not Brian's cup of tea is it? So orders in a round instead. The other three go to sit down.

Michelle and Mr. Pink Shirt are sitting down having a drink together, so he has made that much progress at least. She is worried about Izzy, and feels it puts her problems with Ryan into perspective. Steve tells her that she is probably worrying about him too much, that he's not a bad kid really, just probably needs the steadying hand of a more mature man. Michelle finds this amusing.

The nurse comes into the waiting room and tells the family that Izzy is going to be alright, but asks for Gary to come and see Izzy on his own. When he gets there, he can see by her face that although she will be alright, their baby definitely isn't, she has lost it. She sobs in his arms.

Things are not going well back in the cab office. Kylie is fielding call after call from irate customers whose cabs have not appeared, and Norris appears once again at the window furious that his hasn't either, although Kylie swears he was there, but could get no reply when he knocked on the door. Norris is not buying that one, and turns to Lloyd, who has just come in, and tells him he wishes to make a complaint about his employee. Lloyd informs him that she is not his employee, and shouldn't be here. He rips her head phones off, and demands to know where Ryan is. Kylie replies that she has no idea, that he was supposed to be back ages ago. Just then, the topic of their conversation breezes in as happy as a lark, and wants to know "How's it hanging?"

Back in the hospital room, Gary is blaming himself for stressing Izzy into a miscarriage, and Izzy is blaming her EDS (I don't know if this has been explained before, so if I am telling you something you already know, please forgive me. EDS stands for Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, a genetic connective tissue disorder which is caused by a defect in a protein called collagen. There are six types of EDS, and Cherylee Houston, the actress who plays her has type 111 Hypermobility, but I don't know if we have ever been told which type Izzy has. If you would like to read up on it, there is a support group here: http://www.ehlers-danlos.org/index.php/ehlers-danlos-syndrome-mainmenu-17 ) Anyway, the nurse is explaining that the miscarriage may not have been caused by either of those things, that it could just be her body saying it wasn't the right time, they will be able to try again as many people with EDS have perfectly normal pregnancies.

A very concerned Owen comes into the room, and Izzy screams at him to go away, that he never wanted her to be pregnant, and now he has his wish. He gently assures her that he would never have wanted this to happen, but she doesn't want him there, and Gary tells him he should leave. He does as she wishes, but as soon as he gets outside the door, he crumples into tears.

Michelle and Steve are approaching Streetcars, and can hear the row going on from down the street. Steve rushes in, demanding to know what is going on, and is told that Ryan has bunked off, leaving 'Gobface' as Lloyd so delicately describes Kylie, in charge. Michelle is astonished and asks Ryan if it's true, which he confirms, saying it was a medical emergency, he needed some aspirin.

Back at the hospital Izzy is apologising to Gary, telling him that she hadn't been feeling right for days, but hadn't said anything. She is feeling guilty that she should maybe have given up work, and is blaming her condition. Gary is having none of this, and reminds her that the nurse told them it was probably not caused by anything specific, that lots of people have miscarriages, and it was just one of those things that happen. He reassures her that they will get through this together, and when she is better and feeling ready, they will try again.

Ryan is protesting that he cannot understand what all the fuss was about, he had to pop out and left Kylie in charge. Kylie chimes in at this point that she is still waiting for her twenty quid. He apologises half heartedly and says it won't happen again. Lloyd interjects at this point that he knows it won't happen again, because he is SO fired! Steve butts in here and tells Lloyd to wait a minute, he turns to Ryan and tells him he is willing to give him one more chance, but one more stunt like that and he is out on his ear. Lloyd cannot believe his ears, and also cannot believe that Steve has undermined his authority as a partner. Michelle thanks Steve, at the same time apologising about dinner, and tells him they will do it another time. Lloyd raises his eyebrows at that. Kylie asks Lloyd for her twenty pounds, but there is no way he is covering it, so she turns to Steve, who of course dips his hand into his pocket. There is no fool like an old fool is there? Such a wuss when it comes to women.

When it is just Lloyd and Steve in the office, Lloyd shakes his head at him, and tells him gently that he is a complete prat, that he is risking their business on that loser of a kid, and that Michelle is not going to sleep with him in a million years - and besides, he looks such a plank in that pink shirt! LOL!! His parting shot was to tell him to "Sort your 'air out Elvis", and the scene ends with Steve trying out an Elvis gurn.

Sunita is arriving home, and Karl asks how it went. She tells him that she had dropped the kids off, and they seemed pleased to see him. She tells Karl that Dev was very upset, and she sounds as if she is having a few regrets, but when Karl asks her if she is, she denies it. He promises her he will never take her for granted like Dev did, and although their situation is not ideal, he promises he will get a job and pay his way. She kisses him and tells him she knows he will.

Now we are back in the waiting room at the hospital, and Owen is still upset that Izzy had been so angry with him. Anna tells him that she is just lashing out, just like her dad does, and will come round. Gary comes out, and Owen explains that he really hadn't wanted that to happen, Gary assures him that he knows, and so does Izzy. Gary tells them that they have been told they can try again when she has recovered. Gary and Owen take off for home to pick up a few things, while Anna and Katy wait to see Izzy.

Norris has met up with Julie and Brian at the bar, and is relating the excitement that he was witness to at the cab office, and relates how it almost came to blows between Michelle and Ryan. Julie remarks that something must be in the air, as Maria had verbally attacked her earlier too, Norris of course is peeved that he missed that altercation, as he would have enjoyed it.

Julie is still seething about what Maria had said to her, and is all for going over and having it out with her. Brian holds her back and begs her not to do it, as he feels she is in the wrong, that Marcus is not in a relationship with Sean, and is perfectly free to explore other avenues, and it is nothing to do with Julie. Julie is affronted, but Sean agrees with Brian. Julie asks Brian if he really thinks she is an interfering busybody, and he stutters a bit, and mumbles that she just gets a little passionate at times. "Well, I won't be getting passionate with you tonight, that's for sure!" she retorts!

Sean walks over to the table where Marcus, Maria and Jason are sitting. He apologises on behalf of Julie to Marcus, telling him that she had no right to have a go at him. Marcus apologises to Sean if he feels he led him on, as he hadn't meant to. Sean tells him it is perfectly fine for him to see 'That' Aiden or anybody else if he wishes. Marcus asks if he is sure, because he doesn't mind waiting until he feels better about it, but Sean insists that he knows they are over, and he has to face it at some point, so to go ahead. After he leaves, Jason remarks that it was big of Sean to do that, and a shocked Marcus agrees, I think he is very surprised and impressed at Sean's maturity.

Above the Corner Shop, Dev is playing snap with his kids, and despite himself they are all having a good time.

Nobody is having a good time back in Izzy's hospital room though, she is now talking things through with Katy, who is reassuring her that she can try again as soon as she has healed. However, Izzy, still in tears, tells her that she doesn't want to try again, she hasn't told Gary yet, but she doesn't want to have another pregnancy. She feels her body is telling her not to try again, and she is not putting herself through it again and again. Katy tries to reassure her that she will feel differently when she is feeling better, but Izzy is adamant, she is never getting pregnant again.

Christine Warren

Written by Jonathan Harvey Directed by Noreen Kershaw

Michelle comes home at dinnertime to find Ryan napping on the sofa, having only got up a half hour ago. He says he didn't sleep well and she's concerned there might be something bothering him. He says nothing But he looks shifty and uncomfortable. He points out he's been kicked out of uni, lost his job at the cab office and is in debt. She offers to get him chips as a treat.

Owen arrives at the hospital room where Gary is sitting with a sleeping Izzy. He doesn't go in. Katy and Ches arrive and do go in to see the patient after knocking. Izzy wakes up and smiles to see them. Gary notices Owen lurking outside and mentions it. Izzy realizes Katy didn't bring the baby with them so she wouldn't get upset. Gary goes outside and tells Owen to come in. He does, slowly and looking nervous.

Karl and Sunita kiss outside the house. She's on the way to pick up the kids from Dev's. Eva has a go at them but Sunita just turns her back and walks away. Once she's gone, Karl asks Eva how Stella is. How do you think? Eva tells him Stella mentioned wanting to see Karl. He decides he'll send her a text. Eva looks disgusted. "Whatever".

Michelle passes Steve on the way back from the kebab shop. He asks how things are. She thanks him for all the help he gave and apologizes for Ryan being a nightmare. They exchange a few more words and part.

Sunita hesitates before the door of the shop flat. Upstairs the kids are loud and boisterous. Lloyd is there and gets them to be quiet by describing an advert game where they must be silent and then the first person to guess what the advert is gets a prize. Dev is grateful. Lloyd has come to see how Dev is and Dev says he's ok, the kids are helping. Aadi pipes up and says that Karl smells, too much aftershave. Lloyd commiserates and Dev reckons they should tell Karl he stinks. The doorbell rings and Dev lets Sunita in. She collects the kids and tells Dev they need to be grown up about it. She wants him to see the kids as much as possible and suggests joint custody. Dev isn't happy but agrees and hugs the kids goodbye.

Izzy hasn't told Gary yet that she doesn't want to have kids. Katy thinks he'll take the news ok but she's upset and doesn't know how she's going to tell him. The men come back in with coffees. Gary says the doctor says she'll be discharged today. Owen offers her to stay at Anna's for a few days. Izzy thinks of the inconvenience but they point out that Anna is dying to help and she won't have to do anything for herself. Izzy thinks that if she does, Gary can go back to work so she agrees. Just for a couple of days.

Kevin is moving boxes into Number 13, followed by Sally who's seen him come in . She offers him a brew which he declines. She finds it a strange feeling being back in the house again. She invites them for their tea later. They're both a bit overwhelmed with all the memories in the house.

Kylie and David are in the corner shop. She's perusing magazines and telling David that she's looking forward to a quiet night in. They're both ignoring Norris' comments. Ryan comes in and asks them both out for a night on the town. Norris makes fun of Kylie who admitted she's never read a book and Ryan makes fun of Norris' extended vocabulary. He re-invites the Platts out but they're still planning their quiet night in and there's Max to consider. Ryan flirts a bit with Kylie and says he'll be in the Bistro later. She seems a bit flattered and maybe on the verge of changing her mind. They all leave and Tommy arrives. He's knackered from working so hard.

Izzy is settled on the sofa with Gary fussing over her. Julie comes in with a big bright bouquet of flowers, from Rob as he's feeling a bit bad. Gary admits nobody was to blame. Julie feels really bad for Izzy but points out they can still have another baby, they're one of the lucky ones.

Over at Platt Towers, Kylie has changed her mind, indeed, and is slapping on makeup and has draped herself in cheap jewelry. David realizes she's planning to go out and meet Ryan. She asks Gail to keep an ear out for Max while David refuses to go out. David argues with Kylie about it, calling Ryan a loser. She thinks he's a good laugh and they're not middle aged (like Ryan had accused them, which is probably the thing that turned her around). Gail offers to keep an eye out for Max but David isn't having it. David orders her not to go out with Ryan which makes her walk right out the door.

After the break we're in the garage. Tina has brought Tommy some food. He's planning to work late.

Dr. Carter has come to check on Izzy and has told them that the miscarriage was just one of those things and lots of people have them. Gary asks when they could start to try again if they decided to have another baby. Dr. tells them they should at least wait 3 months.

Ryan and Kylie are loud and obnoxious in the Bistro. Customers are looking upset and Nick asks them to keep the noise down. Nick refuses to serve them anymore. David arrives because he's delivering Nick's laundry to him but Kylie knows he's there to check on her. Kylie asks him again to come with them as they are leaving for the Rovers but he's not going.

In Number 7, Karl gets a text from Stella to meet him in the pub. He and Sunita chat about the kids and Dev. When faced with the prospect of a children's dvd for the evening, he makes excuses.

In the cab office, Steve and Lloyd are playing some sort of guessing game. Michelle brings in a thermos of carrot and coriander soup, his favourite. She admits it's Freshco's Finest but he's just pleased she thought of him. She remarks that it's a thank you for all his help and promises that Ryan isn't going to play up again. She leaves and Lloyd teases Steve, clearly he's fancying Michelle again.

Izzy is watching a nature documentary. Gary apologizes for the row he picked and thinks him adding stress contributed to the loss of the baby. She says he doesn't need forgiving and they shouldn't row about it. It happened and it's over. He swears to be more understanding next time. He can tell she's got something on her mind and sits down. She tells him to put the kettle on, they need to talk.

Tommy accidentally locks the keys in the boot of the car he's working on. Tyrone sighs and goes to call the customer to bring her spares.

Kylie's dancing in the pub to the jukebox. Sean comes in and has a bit of a wiggle with her. Kylie tells him and Tina that she's not let her hair down for awhile and even compliments Gail for being great with Max. Ryan gets up and heads into the loo questioned by Kylie. He says he's just "broken the seal" as an excuse as to why he's been a frequent visitor to the gents' tonight.

Izzy finally tells Gary the truth. It breaks her heart but she admits she doesn't want to try for another baby.

Karl arrives in the pub and says Stella wanted to see him. Tina is aware but says she's not ready and he's to wait until he comes down. Over in the booth, Ryan has returned and shows Kylie a little packet and asks if she wants some. Coke? She's shocked!

Tvor

Written by Susan Oudot and directed by Noreen Kershaw

Ryan's planned night out of fun with Kylie is taking a nose dive when she makes it quite clear that she wants nothing to do with his packet of coke. She starts sounding off when he suggests she's become a boring housewife and that she only agreed to go out with him as she's bored. She calls him a dead beat and tells him to grow up before she flounces out of the Rovers.

Meanwhile, Izzy and Gary are having an emotional time over her decision not to try for another baby. Gary is finding it hard to understand why they can't try again while a sobbing Izzy confesses how she was scared that she wouldn't have been able to cope with the pregnancy. She tries to explain that when she got pregnant she couldn't bear the thought of getting rid of the baby but then she lost it and however much she wants to give Gary a baby she doesn't think she can put herself through it again. "I'm sorry," she keeps sobbing through her tears.

At the Rovers, Sean goes through to the back to tell Stella that Karl has come to see her so she asks Sean to send him through. They're initially awkward with each other as Karl tells Stella that the last thing he wanted to do was to hurt her. When she doesn't respond he takes it as compliance and continues to tell Stella that he misses her and that he wants to come home. "Do you?" she asks which prompts Karl to tell her that his affair meant nothing. Bad move. Stella finally responds by telling him what makes it worse is that he was prepared to give up on six years of what they had together for nothing. Karl tells Stella that he loves her but she throws it straight back at him and says that she doesn't want his love, Sunita can have it and, whilst she's at it, she can have his debts and all. If Karl's going to sleep with Sunita then she can pay for it like Stella had to.

In the garage Tommy is on the phone to the pizza parlour where he's trying to explain why he's late for his shift when Ty comes in. Tommy's in such a state that he accidentally drops a spanner on Ty's foot. Ty tells him he's too tired and in no fit state to make pizza deliveries and Tommy shouts back he has to work all hours to pay back his debts. Seeing that a solution is in his hands Ty offers to let Tommy cut down on the size of his repayments. He even goes a stage further by suggesting that he takes a month's break from paying him back and uses the money to go away on holiday instead. Tommy can't believe his luck although he points out he can't go too far on the money he'll save. Ty agrees he may not be able to go abroad but suggests Tommy could go and visit Doreen and take Tina along with him.

Outside in the street, we see Kylie sitting on a bench. She looks very dejected and lost in thought.

We return to the Rovers where Karl is still trying to fight his corner with Stella but she's now on a roll. She wants to know whether he's started robbing from Sunita yet, like he did with her. Stella then reveals that if he was thinking of taking anything from their joint account it's been frozen. Karl wants to know what he's supposed to live on and tells Stella she'll have to buy him out from the pub. Stella tells him he's not entitled to anything since he's cost her more than anything he might have been due. With that she hands him a document which has been drawn up by her solicitor and explains that it's a transfer document, taking his name off the mortgage and assigning his share of the title to her. All he has to do is sign it. And in case he was thinking of refusing Stella tells him that if he doesn't sign she'll contact the police and tell them how he stole from the safe and staged a break-in. She finishes by saying that she's prepared to go to court over it. He doesn't sign and stalks out, muttering "hell hath no fury" under his breath as he goes.

David is enjoying a can of beer on the sofa when Kylie arrives back. He doesn't bother to get up but comments that she's back early and asks what happened. "Nowt," Kylie replies sullenly, adding that it was more exciting than staying in watching telly with his mum. But as David observes, it wasn't enough to make her want to stay out.

Rob and Eva walk into the Rovers and she tells Sean she's just seen Karl go out with a face like thunder. Sean tells her that her Mum has just sent him away with a flea in his ear. Rob comments that Stella seems to be handling it all pretty well. Sean says that Stella's like him: they're both very deep and find it hard to show their feelings, even when their heart's been broken. There's mirth all round when Tina points out that Sean only has to break a nail and it's a major drama. At that moment the peace is broken when Ryan suddenly starts thumping the juke box. Tina has words and Sean tells him it's the second time they've had to warn him about his behaviour. "Just leave it," says Rob but Kevin reckons Ryan's got trouble written all over him and suggests they should keep an eye on him.

Over at Anna's house, Izzy has calmed down and Gary is bringing her a cup of tea. He's asking her to remember the people they read about who said that once their babies were born they forgot all about the pain of having them. But Izzy says she's not talking about 9 hours of labour, she'd have to go through 9 months of pain and worry. She tells him that every time she saw someone with a baby when she was young it was like a stabbing pain because she knew it was never going to happen to her but eventually she accepted it. Gary starts to blame himself and says that it's his fault for suggesting that they could try again so soon but Izzy tells him it's nothing to do with any of that. She reminds him that they're not like other people and never will be because she's in a wheelchair. Gary is still begging but Izzy tells him she's exhausted and needs to go to bed.

Back at Gail's, Kylie comes down the stairs and David stirs from the sofa. When he sees Kylie's expression he realises something's up. At first he thinks Ryan tried it on with her. He's really angry and is on the point of rushing round to have it out with him so Kylie finally admits that Ryan wanted her to score with him. "What?!" asks David (perhaps, like me he thought this meant something entirely different). Kylie explains he had a bag of cocaine which he wanted to share with her. This revelation doesn't stop David heading straight round to the Rovers but now he's armed with the knowledge that Ryan attempted to push drugs onto his wife.

Karl now has a key to Sunita's house. He opens then front door to reveal a typical domestic scene of two fractious children and one harassed mother. Sunita seems relieved to have the distraction of Karl's arrival but when she suggests they all sit down and watch a DVD together he plays the headache card and says he's going for a lie down.

Michelle is at home in her dressing gown. She's just had a bath and is singing along to a CD and about to get stuck into a glass of wine when we hear someone thumping on the front door. She expects to find Ryan on the doorstep but is somewhat taken aback when a very angry David pushes past her and tells her that they need to have a little chat.

Michelle is outraged and refuses to believe David when he fills her in on what Ryan's been up to with Kylie in the Rovers. David tells her that Ryan is a druggie and says that if she was any sort of a mother she'd be out there trying to sort it instead of shouting the odds about Kylie. He says that if Ryan comes anywhere near him and Kylie again he'll kill him.

In the Rovers Kevin and Ty have their chat at the bar interrupted by Ryan. They look bemused when he puts his arms round them both and blows a kiss at Tina. We haven't actually seen the evidence but we presume his sudden change in mood is down to making use of the stuff he's just been trying to tempt Kylie with.

Out in the street Steve looks on as Michelle chases David out into the street wearing her towel and a dressing gown. She's shouting after him to make sure of his facts before he goes shooting his mouth off. Steve goes over to ask Michelle if everything's alright and she tells him what went on with David. She's really upset because she knows David meant every word he said. She starts to blame herself but Steve tries to tell her that she couldn't help what Ryan got up to at uni and that no amount of nagging from her was going to make a blind bit of difference. He goes on to tell her that it's no use worrying about ifs and rumours and that she needs to go and find Ryan and talk to him. He offers to go with her.

Back in the Rovers Ty is talking to Tina over the bar and telling her how good it will be for Tommy when the two of them go to Blackpool for their holiday. Owen comes in and joins them at the bar, followed by Beth. The chat continues about Blackpool and Beth reveals that was where she lost her virginity . on the ghost train. This piece of mind-boggling information causes a few jaws to drop and everyone hurriedly leaves her alone at the bar. Owen carries a pint over to Gary who is sitting dejectedly at a table. He then launches into a pep talk and reminds Gary that he and Izzy are young and can try again for a baby so Gary has to explain that Izzy doesn't want to. Owen digests this news and then tells Gary that if that what she says he has to listen to her and that all that matters is that Gary loves his girl.

Over at Sally's she and Kevin are enjoying a meal together. She's cooked him his favourite and they're sharing a bottle of wine. They start to reminisce about some wallpaper which Kevin hung in Sophie's room when she was a baby and they're soon having a very relaxed and happy conversation. When Sally asks what he'd like for dessert Kevin gives her a saucy wink and says he'd like whatever she wants. It's clear that there's still a lot of chemistry between the two of them.

Gary returns to Anna's where Izzy is asleep on the sofa. He goes over and tenderly strokes back her hair at which point she wakes up. She seems upset and tells him that she's tired but he says he knows and that he just wanted to tell her that he loves her. She responds that she loves him too, more than anything, and that she just wants him to be happy. She tries to say that if he ever meets someone who could give him a family she would never stand in his way. But Gary tells her that's never going to happen. He says they may have lost their baby but they've still got each other. He says he doesn't want a family if she's not going to be part of it and that he doesn't want to lose her.

Back at Sally's, Kevin's just been to check on Jack and they settle down on the sofa with their mugs of coffee. Kevin tells Sally that now he has to look after Jack it makes him realise how little he did for the girls. Sally says that he did plenty by keeping a roof over their head. He says he wishes he could have given them more and Sally replies that nobody could ever accuse their Rosie of not being spoiled. Too true! They start to laugh about the time that Sally insisted they should get a conservatory and she says that she wonders how Kevin ever put up with her. At that moment the magic is broken by Jack starting to cry. "Thank you for tonight," says Kevin and Sally tells him that it's good to have him back. "In the street," she adds quickly.

In the Rovers they're still discussing the delights of Blackpool. Beth starts on a story involving her and a lad called Bobby Ramsbottom which is enough to get everyone snorting into their pints. "Carry on," says Tina. But Beth's been put off and says it's best to keep her memories private. "What's the betting they involve the Big Dipper?" asks Sean.

Michelle and Steve come into the pub looking for Ryan. Eva mentions she hasn't seen him since he went off to the loo so before anyone can stop her Michelle marches straight into the gents with Steve following on behind. She climbs up to peer inside one of the cubicles where Ryan is busy preparing a line of cocaine. "Ryan" she screams at him. He's upset that she's made him mess up what he's doing but it doesn't come close to how upset his mother is. She yells at him to come out and Steve instructs him to do as his mother says. Ryan obliges but then walks straight out into the pub where Michelle continues her angry tirade. Everyone's ears prick up when they hear her utter the phrase "taking drugs in some back street bog is not cool", not least Stella's since it's her particular 'back street bog' in question.

Michelle carries on shouting at Ryan, despite the audience, so everyone is now party to the fact that Ryan's been snorting cocaine. He tries to make out that it's not such a big deal but Stella wants him out. He's not showing any signs of remorse so Rob joins in and tells Ryan to show his mum some respect. Michelle tells Ryan that she's just trying to save him but he replies that he doesn't want to be saved. So Michelle decides there is only one thing for it: she gets out her mobile phone and dials the emergency services. "Oh, that's all we need," says Stella. Ryan can't believe it. "If that's what it takes," Michelle says to him before she's connected to the police and tells them that she's found her son taking drugs.

Karen

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Updates written by K Richard Whitbread, Martin Rosen,Duncan Lindsay, Christine Warren, Ann Logan, Margaret Carr, Tvor, Karen Jankel.

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