Episode 4434

Australian Air Date: 7th June 2007

Leah welcomes Alex home – but what is his secret reason for returning to the Bay? Belle and Drew’s relationship is once again on shaky ground. Jules’ jealousy leads him into danger.

Extended Summary

A rueful Alex admits to Leah that he can’t handle being at home with their parents – their mum’s giving him major grief about his arrest in Greece over the mix-up with his prescription medications. Leah is sympathetic and offers all the support he needs to rebuild his life after his break-up with Brodie. Alex can’t help relaxing under her sister’s warmth, but he seems edgy when Leah tells him that her baggage has been lost by the airline.

Hiding his disquiet, he tells Leah that since she and Dan have got a full house, he’ll stay at the caravan park, and asks if she can lend him a few hundred dollars to pay the rent – just until he gets his travel insurance money through. Leah’s happy to help him out, but is surprised to later learn from Sally that Alex didn’t pay the rent on his van and told Sally that he was flat broke. So what happened to the money Leah gave him? And the mystery only deepens when we see him sending the money to a city address while he fields an obviously phone call from someone pressuring him for cash…

Belle, meanwhile, is doing what she can to win back Drew after their falling out last week. But no matter how many times she apologises, Drew is stubbornly holding on to his pride and ignoring her. Jules, however, is doing what he can to win Cassie round. All seems to be going well – until he hits on the idea of hiding in a caravan to surprise her in his underpants! It’s meant to be a cute, sexy joke – only problem is, it’s Alex who discovers him. And poor Cassie is mortified. Jules tries to apologise and explain himself, and eventually he persuades Cassie to join him, Belle and Drew for a get together at Amanda’s pool this afternoon.

Jules is rapt when Cassie turns up at Amanda’s – but his smile dies when he sees that she’s invited Alex along too. Jules tries hard – too hard – to compete for Cassie’s attention, but it’s clear she’s impressed by this warm, funny older guy. And the afternoon tips from bad to worse when Belle discovers that Drew has been texting Gina, the girl he pashed last week! All hell breaks loose as Belle accuses Drew of being a dirty text-cheat, an argument that builds until she throws his phone in the pool. Jules and Drew stomp out of the party, heading to the surf club to lick their wounds. As Jules calms a little, he realises that he needs to talk to Cassie again. Heading back to Amanda’s, he overhears Alex and Cassie laughing as they tell Belle about busting him in his undies this morning. Jules is mortified – and angry that Alex is making fun of him. Seething, he spies Alex’s motorbike parked in the driveway and wheels it away.

It’s not until some time later that Alex realises his bike has been stolen. And as he moves to ring the police, we cut to a deserted road – to see the motorbike lying twisted in a ditch and Jules standing on the side of the road…