Chapter Five Hundred and Five

Sid and Marilyn had spent a lot of time together going through items that she wanted to give away to people before her time came. It felt like a heavy cloud was hanging over their heads at the moment and he didn't know how to lift it. Well, he'd lain awake last night and he thought perhaps he had happened upon one idea as to how. So, this morning, on the day his girlfriend had planned to start recording video messages to say goodbye to people, he was sat down at the breakfast table with Indi and Dex.

"I want to talk to you about Marilyn," he said.


Leah was finishing washing the breakfast dishes when there was a knock at the door. She dried her hands on a tea towel and opened up, disappointed to see Robertson standing there, holding a bunch of flowers.

"What do you want?" she asked coldly.

"To offer you these friendship flowers," he said, offering them out to her.

"I don't want anything from you," she told him, starting to close the door.

He was too quick for her and put himself and the flowers between the door and the frame.

"Please?" he begged. "You're the only friend I have here. I don't want to lose you."

"Then you shouldn't have used me," she replied. "Now please leave."

He sighed heavily and hung his head.

"Please?" he begged again. "Please at least take the flowers."

"I don't want your flowers," she said. "You took a perfectly innocent conversation I had with you and used it to harass my friends, people that I love and care about."

"People that might have murdered a man, Leah," Robertson insisted. "You're my friend but I'm still a Detective and I still have to do my job."

"Alf Stewart and Will Smith did not kill anyone, Robert!" Leah hissed quietly, aware that VJ was only in the lounge.

"How can you be so sure?"

"Because I know these people," she said. "I've spent years and years living in the same community as these people. I know what they're capable of."

"Well, we'll have to agree to disagree," Robertson said. "But what we can agree on is that I did the wrong thing by you and for that, I'm truly sorry. Please forgive me, Leah. You mean far too much to me to let our friendship go without a fight."


Charlie and Joey pulled up outside Bianca's house and waited for her to jump into the backseat. She arrived within moments and hopped into the car. She greeted them warmly and strapped herself in.

"All set?" Charlie asked.

"Yep!" Bianca said.

Today was the day that she was going to pick up her wedding dress and she was pleased that two of her three bridesmaids were going with her for the big moment. The wedding dress was one of the things that she was genuinely excited about when it came to the wedding.

"And the shop said that your dresses were ready as well," she said.

"Hooray!" Joey said with false enthusiasm, making Bianca laugh.

"You'll look really pretty in your dress, Jo," she said.

"Well, just know that the love I have for you is very real if I'm wearing a dress for your wedding, Bianca," Joey told her.

"Oh, I know," Bianca confirmed.


"So, what do you want to talk about?" Indi asked, getting right to the point.

"Well… how would you feel if Marilyn were to move in with us?" Sid asked awkwardly.

Indi and Dex exchanged glances.

"Fine," Indi said blandly.

"Yeah, well, she practically lives here anyway," Dex agreed with a shrug.

"Really?" Sid said. "I was worried. I thought it might be a problem."

"Why?" Indi asked.

"We love Marilyn," Dex said. "I mean, you know, in a platonic step-mother kind of way."

He blushed, making Sid smile.

"We do," Indi agreed. "She's kind and she's funny and she makes you happy."

"So, you're happy for me to ask her to move in?" Sid said. "Just to clarify?"

"Sure," Dex said. "Can I go?"

"Yep," Indi said. "Me too. I've got studying to do."

"Sure," their Dad replied. "I guess… I'll go and speak to Marilyn then!"


Leah had sent Robertson on his way. She had reluctantly agreed to be friends again, although she suspected it was against her better judgement. She did like him a lot. She saw past all the charm and the arrogance and she saw the kindness and the heart within him. She knew he had got on the wrong side of a lot of people both times he had come to Summer Bay and she felt that was a shame. She knew he was just trying to do a good job – both times. But she did feel he was a good person and she wanted other people to know that.

However, she was hurt that he had used their friendship against people she loved. And she now felt like she couldn't trust him.

But at the same time, she still cared about him and she knew how much he cared for her. The whole thing just felt very confusing and right now, after everything she had just been through with Elijah and how that had affected VJ, she just didn't need confusing in her life right now.


Charlie, Joey and Bianca had stopped for breakfast in one of their favourite cafés first. They had eggs with toast and smoothies and coffee and sat outside, enjoying the morning sunshine.

"So, is everything organised for the big day then?" Charlie asked.

"Pretty much," Bianca said. "The church is all arranged and we'll be going in the night before to decorate it."

"The restaurant is all organised for your reception," Joey added.

Bianca smiled, grateful to her friend for helping her organise all of that.

"So, you guys will come over to mine in the morning on the day and then we can all get ready together? Me, you two and April."

"That sounds good," Charlie agreed.

"And my mother is not invited so I've asked Irene to give me away," Bianca said.

"Oh, that's so nice," Joey said. "I mean, not that you're on bad terms with your Mum but that you and Irene are so close."

"Well, Irene has been so amazing to April and I since we moved here," Bianca said. "I honestly don't know what we would have done without her."

"Won't your Mum be upset?" Charlie asked.

"My Mum isn't exactly maternal," Bianca said. "I've told her about the wedding but I've told her not to come. I just… we're not really speaking right now. I don't want her here."


Roo took a deep breath and knocked on Gina's door. She was upset not to be on good terms with Hugo's mother anymore. That was the whole point of coming here, although the strong reconnection she had made with her father had made it worth it too. She couldn't help but feel a little threatened by his relationship with Joey. But actually, she had grown to quite like her. And she had developed a relationship with her Dad on her own.

But as for Gina, she hoped that she would be able to persuade her that she was trustworthy. She hoped that she hadn't ruined things between them.

"Hi, Roo," Gina said, opened the door. "Come on in."


April went for a walk along the beach. Today, she was supposed to be going with Bianca to collect her wedding dress and the bridesmaids' dresses with Charlie and Joey. She had given her excuses but in reality, she just hadn't wanted to go.

She hated that her sister was marrying Prince Vittorio instead of following her heart and giving her relationship with Liam. She didn't understand why she was being so stubborn and so stupid. It was obvious to April that Liam was the right one for April. For starters, Vittorio had cheated on Bianca with a waitress at their engagement party. How could she want to be with a guy like that? She had no idea. It certainly wasn't something she would put up with from a partner. If Xavier treated her like that, he would be gone! She was very glad that she had her own mind as she didn't think that Bianca was setting her a very good example of a strong, independent woman.

She stopped when she saw Liam sat on the beach with his guitar. He looked pensive.

"Hey," she greeted.

He looked up and smiled weakly.

"Are you okay?"

"Nina left town," he told her.

She tried not to look pleased.

"How come?"

He shrugged.

"Where does that leave you and Bianca?" she asked directly.

"Well," he said, strumming his guitar dramatically. "She's still marrying Vittorio so I guess… nowhere."


"Well, whatever you need, we're here," Charlie said. "Bridesmaids Honour."

Bianca smiled. She knew that they weren't convinced that marrying Vittorio was the right thing to do. She knew they thought that she was better suited to Liam. She suspected that they were probably right. But she appreciated that they, unlike her sister, were being supportive anyway.

"Yep, no matter what it is, we're there," Joey agreed. "It's getting very close now. Very exciting. And yay! I get to wear a dress!"

Charlie and Bianca both laughed.

"Speaking of," Charlie said, finishing her juice. "We should probably go and collect those dresses."

They all agreed and began to sort out paying the bill.


The atmosphere in Gina's lounge was very serious as Roo pleaded her innocence. She admitted that she herself was indeed having money troubles but that that was not connected to the situation with Hugo and Martha; it was merely coincidence.

"So, you just so happen to be in financial trouble at the same time as Hugo and Martha are desperate for cash?" Gina asked sceptically.

"Gina, you read the letter from Hugo…"

Gina looked down. She had the letter in her hands. She had checked it against old birthday cards from her son. The writing did match.

"Maybe you're in it together," she suggested.

"I'm not trying to con you, Gina," Roo insisted. "I swear to you, I'm just trying to help my daughter."

"And how are you going to get the money to her?"

"I'll take it to her myself," Roo said.

"Convenient," Gina remarked.

"And then my plan was to move back here permanently," Roo said.

"I thought you didn't like Summer Bay," Gina pointed out.

"I didn't," Roo admitted. "But being back here… it's reminded me of the parts of it that I once loved. And I'm worried about my Dad and everything he's going through here. He needs me."

Gina nodded. Everyone was worried about Alf right now.

"You swear to me that this money is going to my son and to Martha?" she asked seriously.

"I swear," Roo said.

Gina sighed.

"Then I need to call a family meeting," she said. "And you need to attend."


"Okay, I'm not a dress kind of person but you look absolutely beautiful in that," Joey marvelled, as she and Charlie watched Bianca step out of the changing room in her wedding dress.

Charlie smiled and agreed that Bianca looked stunning. Bianca blushed and thanked them.

"Are you absolutely sure?" she asked nervously.

"You look beautiful," Charlie and Joey both confirmed.

"Try yours on?" Bianca requested.


Marilyn had been at home all day recording messages to individual DVDs. She had left messages for each of her loved ones, wanting to have last words for each of them to remember her by.

She was just finishing her final recording when there was a knock on the door downstairs.

She got up and hurried down the stairs, smiling when she opened up the door to Sid. He was holding a bouquet of flowers. On the ribbon, was a key.

"Will you move in with me?" he asked.

She was delighted.


"Come on… come out," Charlie coaxed. "I bet you look gorgeous."

"In a dress?" came the somewhat grumpy reply from behind the changing room curtain.

"Joey, I did ask you if wearing a dress was okay," Bianca said. "And you did say yes."

"I didn't want to be awkward because the other two were wearing dresses," Joey replied.

"Well, you're being kind of awkward now... sweetheart," Charlie pointed out.

She herself was stood on the other side of the curtain in beautiful, floor length, one shouldered, turquoise dress. Personally, she loved the opportunity to get all dressed up. She loved her dress.

"Fine," Joey said.

She opened the curtain, wearing a frown and a matching dress. Charlie's breath caught.

"See! I said I'd look stupid!"

"You look beautiful," Charlie insisted.

"You really do," Bianca said. "I mean, you look desperately uncomfortable and I'm really sorry for that but you look stunning."

Joey felt a little blush creeping into her cheeks.

"Are you sure?" she asked.

"Definitely!" Charlie and Bianca both agreed.

Charlie stepped in and kissed her.

"You look gorgeous," she said.

"Thank you for doing this for me," Bianca said earnestly. "Both of you."


Xavier, John, Gina and Roo sat in the Austin lounge, with John and Xavier both wondering what they had been summoned for. They were shocked when Gina carefully explained the whole story from start to finish.

"So… we need to somehow get all that illegal cash to them in the States?" Xavier said. "I thought the whole point was that we weren't supposed to touch that money? That it was wrong to do that? Because of how Hugo got it? What he did to those people?"

"I know," Gina agreed. "I still believe that."

"But?" John said.

"But they're in trouble," Gina said. "I'm more worried about Martha than Hugo."

"Martha made her choice," John reminded her.

"I know she did," Gina agreed. "But regardless, they're suffering and they've asked for help. They've asked Roo and they've asked me."

"You've spoken to them?" Xavier asked urgently.

"No," Gina said. "But he wrote me this letter. Roo passed it onto me."

She handed it over. He read it eagerly, his heart pumping.


Liam wasn't feeling terribly comfortable sitting in Bianca's house. But April had persuaded him to give her guitar lessons and it felt like a good idea to occupy himself. She had assured him that Bianca was out all day so they wouldn't bump into each other.

They hadn't been working on their lesson for longer than ten minutes however, when Bianca, Charlie and Joey burst through the door with Bianca's wedding dress and three bridesmaids' dresses. The situation was immediately awkward.

"What… what are you doing here?" Bianca managed.

"Um… April asked me for a guitar lesson," Liam said.

"Oh."

"I should… probably go."

"No!" April said. "Why? Look, not everything is about you, Bianca."

She ignored the fact that she had set the whole situation up. And the fact that she knew Charlie and Joey had seen right through her.

"No, I um… I have to go anyway," Liam said, picking his guitar up. "See you later."

He hadn't stopped staring at the wedding dress the entire time. April was disappointed that her plan at putting Liam and Bianca in the same room seemed to have backfired. The girls watched him leave. She turned towards her sister.

"Why can't you just see how much he loves you?" she asked.


Gina, John, Xavier and Roo had a plan. John was to hire Roo as his US Consultant for promoting his business. That way, he could legitimately pay her a wage, with which she could do as she pleased, including passing money onto Hugo and Martha. That way if they were to get seen to be sending money over to America, then there would be a genuine reason as to why. It had taken a lot of discussion but eventually, all four of them felt as comfortable with the plan as they could be.

"Right," Gina said. "We'll get Hugo's money transferred into your business account then and then we can get started. Plus we can book Roo's ticket back to the States."


Charlie and Joey were driving back home.

"That was pretty uncomfortable," Joey remarked.

"If ever there was a wedding that shouldn't happen…" Charlie sighed.

"She won't be told though," Joey agreed. "I mean, we've tried. Now all we can do is just be supportive."

"Oh, I totally agree. It's just that if she and Liam didn't still have feelings for each other, that wouldn't have been so difficult," Charlie said. "But it was excruciating."

"And I swear April timed that on purpose," Joey added.

"Oh, absolutely," Charlie nodded.

"I just don't want Bianca to be unhappy," Joey fretted. "And I really think she's going to be."

"Me too," Charlie said. "I don't want to be a horrible, unsupportive friend but I don't want her to make a massive mistake either. I mean, what on earth are we supposed to do?"


Bianca and April weren't really speaking. They hadn't exactly fallen out but the atmosphere in the house wasn't exactly positive. Their awkward silence was interrupted by a rapid knocking on the door. Before they even had a chance to open up, the door burst open and to their utter shock, their mother stood in the doorway.


Next time… Charlie and Joey visit Ross and Morag, Gina cancels the school formal and Angelo takes on a new project…