. . .

No 26 - Lounge/kitchen: Julie is opening a letter when she is interrupted by someone knocking on the front door. She answers it to find Maria who wants to speak to Helen. Julie can see how distressed Maria is and asks if she can help but Maria is insistent she just needs to see Helen. Maria walks through into the kitchen and is met by Jim & Helen. Maria repeats she needs to talk to Helen and Helen asks a reluctant Julie to leave the room. Maria explains to Helen she has told Max the truth and he has walked out on her. Jim is confused by what she means but Helen has the perfect excuse to speak to Maria alone by suggesting Jim finds Max. After he leaves Helen leads Maria to sit down at the dining table and asks what happened. Maria admits Max finally voiced his doubts about Danny being his son and she felt she needed to lie no longer. Helen suggests in the long run it might be best the truth is known but Maria is beginning to doubt if living with Max’s suspicions were the better option.

. . .

Ramsay Street: Jim wanders over to Max and asks if he wants to talk about what has happened but Max pointedly tells him no and to stay out of it, Jim reminds him having Maria currently almost in tears in his home makes him involved. Jim is stunned as Max reveals how Maria lied to him and the admission about Danny. Max realises Maria must have fallen pregnant when they separated and explains he always doubted she really loved him but never thought she’d do this to him. Jim suggests Max give Maria a chance to explain what happened but he won’t even consider it. Max cannot see where their relationship goes next. Max thanks his friend for his support and Jim again suggests Max speak to Maria.

. . .

No 24 - Lounge: Maria waits anxiously on the sofa and is relieved to see Max return home. He explains he wants an explanation from her. Maria tries to begin to explain, starting with their separation but Max renames it as ‘her walking out on him’. Maria pleads that she still loves him and wants him to see that Danny is still his son after so many years. Max admits he has wondered even before Danny was born if he was the father and Maria questions why he never asked her about it. Max retorts back that it was up to her to tell him but even now he is unsure he can trust what she is saying. Shane & Paul arrive back from searching for sightings of Scott & Danny with news that no-one has seen the boys and they suspect that they have gone into the country. Maria is relieved that at least they aren’t living in a squat house. Shane & Paul can see there is a lot of tension between Max and Maria and agree to Maria’s suggestion to leave them alone and have a beer in the back garden to relax.

No 24 - Back garden: Paul & Shane enjoy a beer while Paul questions Shane why his parents would be arguing. Shane puts it down to Max just needing someone to yell at in Danny’s absence, blaming his father for Danny running away. Paul feels much the same about Jim, blaming him for pushing Scott too hard so he had to run away too.

No 26 - Kitchen: Jim and Helen discuss the Ramsay’s problem with Jim expressing how disappointed in Maria he feels. Helen reminds Jim there is a lot he doesn’t know. Jim comments how Helen never confided in him about Maria’s secret but Helen reminds him it was never her secret to tell. Paul arrives home but offers no news on Scott to them - Helen is comforted by the fact Scott is with Danny and Paul jokes about Danny being a good influence. Jim thanks his son for looking and Paul responds coldly to his father. Jim decides to ease the tension by making the excuse he needs to leave the room to do some paperwork. Paul takes this as being further evidence that Jim is not overly concerned for Scott but Helen assures him Jim is worried sick. Paul questions why his father doesn’t show any emotion and Helen explains that Jim feels guilty. She asks Paul to ‘lay off’ giving Jim such a hard time over the issue.

No 24 - Lounge: Shane comes back in to the house to a barrage of abuse from Max about cancelling his coaching session to try and find Danny as it being a route to ruining his career. Shane reminds his father it was only one session he cancelled and questions if Max is even bothered about Danny going. Maria defends Max but Shane questions what else is going on to create such tension. Max plays it down and Shane decides he needs some time alone in his room. After he is gone Max blames Maria for Shane searching for Danny and therefore starting to ‘ruin’ Shane’s life. Maria begs Max not to make her feel any guilty than she does. Max tells her he has ever right to.

No 26 - Kitchen: At breakfast Jim notices Lucy is not her usual self when she leaves the table having not finished her breakfast. Julie puts it down to her sister not realising how Scott’s action have upset him but assures her father she understands and will forgive him however much he yells at them. After Julie leaves the room Helen jokes how ‘saintly’ her granddaughter is.

. . .

No 26 - Paul and Scott's bedroom: Julie wants to talk to Paul as he packs his bag for Uni. Paul suspects she wants to ask him about the Ramsay’s argument but Julie denies it and she asks Paul to stop giving their father such a hard time over Scott going. Paul explains Helen has already spoken to him about doing so. Julie accuses Scott of being irresponsible and Paul snaps back that she is being less than considerate about Scott’s feelings. Paul softens however when his sister admits she cares but can see how much tension Scott’s actions has caused in the family and in particular how Jim is treating them. Paul reminds her that Jim could still be smarting over Anna. Julie defends her actions and Paul apologises for the comment, telling his sister he knows she just cares. Paul can’t help laughing at her though when temptation gets the better of her and she does ask him if he knows what is happening between Max & Maria.

No 24 - Dining table: Maria gives Max his breakfast but is berated for trying too hard to please him as he calls it ‘a waste of time’. Shane comes out from his bedroom and realises things between his parents are still tense. Shane questions if his mother is okay as she looks so tired but Maria brushes off his concern by explaining she didn’t sleep well. Shane gives his mother a comforting hug and she almost breaks down but Shane is called to sit down for his breakfast by Max who is annoyed by his son expressing such concern. Seated Shane again asks what is going on between his parents but Max tells him to ‘give it a rest’. Shane remarks he clearly has no choice in the matter.

. . .

No 26 - Lounge/kitchen: As Helen finishes preparing Lucy’s packed lunch, she overhears Lucy on the phone to a Simon Bentley telling him that she does not fancy him and to ‘drop dead’. Helen questions who Simon is and Lucy explains he has walked with her to the bus stop a few times but then yesterday ignored her to walk with Becky Kelly and even carried her schoolbag. Helen explains she too had almost the same thing happen to her by Clarence Beggingham. Lucy admits she wasn’t brave enough to actually call Simon and only dialled the first three numbers.

No 24 - Kitchen/dining table: Maria questions why Max is not out on a job and he tells her he had to make time to do his accounts. Maria is upset that he seems to be able to make time for everything other than them and questions how much longer he’ll avoid the issue. Maria begins to break down as she comments on how hard it was to sleep next to someone ‘like stone’ the night before. Max explains he would have slept on the sofa had it not raised further questions from Shane. Max tells her he needs time to think but Maria tells him she’s not sure how much longer she can cope with them not talking. Max shouts back that she should have thought about it before acting like a ‘whore’. Maria runs out of the house, Max already regretting what he has said.

No 26 - Kitchen: Helen is sketching when Maria interrupts, telling her Max won’t allow her to explain and only is attacking her. Helen questions if Shane knows but Maria tells her he only knows something is wrong but she fears Max will tell him and her son will come to hate her. Helen assures her that Max asking for more time to think is not a bad thing and Maria admits Max is not a bad person, just deeply hurt. Helen tells her she needs to tell Max how much she loves him and Maria realises she needs to see Max now to tell him.

. . .

No 24 - Lounge: Maria arrives home intent on telling Max how she feels but finds him in the Lounge just standing there. Maria begins to explain that she understands he needs time to think and that she loves him, and always will. Max interrupts her and explains he has been thinking too about how he’ll fell in months to come and has decided that he could never come to terms with Danny not being his son. Max tells her he can no longer go on living with her and their marriage is over.

Regular Cast Credits