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THURSDAY 1ST JANUARY 2015
The episode begins with
Mick sitting alone in the Queen Vic, which still remains in tatters following his meltdown after the Christmas revelations that rocked the family. He nurses a large whiskey, failing to notice
Stan coming to sit beside him. "You planning on opening up today?" he enquiries, earning a stern glare from Mick. "Look Mick, I know you've had a shock, but people will expect this place to run. It can't have been easy finding out about Linda, and Shirley but these things will get better."
"How? How they possibly get better?" spits Mick, failing to comprehend Stan's attitude.
"I asked myself that question thirty years ago." Stan looks into Mick's eyes before continuing. "Your mum, Shirley that so, brought you home from the hospital and I could stop looking at you. Soppy cow couldn't handle it, she was only a kid herself. So me and Sylvie thought it would be best if we raised you. Shirley couldn't deal with that. She said that letting you grow up without knowing would be worse than if she gave you up for adoption. So, she took you into the bathroom and tried to drown you. I stopped her and told she was making it worse. And I was right all along. Look at you now. You're a father to three wonderful children, you have a partner who loves the bone of you and you've got me. Mick, regardless of whether I'm your dad or your grandad I've raised you and I love you like a son. It's got to mean something."
"I've got a partner who I couldn't protect and a brother who attacked her. You left that out."
Mick states before pulling himself up and beginning to tidy the pub.
Stan looks on, contemplating how things got so bad for his family.
Meanwhile, at The Arches,
Phil is locked in a heated phone conversation with an unknown caller. "I don't care what she says!" he snarls into the phone. "Tell her that if she doesn't pay up she can expect a visit from me!" he snaps, clearly angry. A tired looking
Jay walks into
Phil's office, and exhales. "No luck getting that car payment then?" he asks. "She won't pay up. We'll have to go round there." Phil explains, getting his coat. He ushers
Jay to the door, and the two bring along an anxious looking
Ben. "Dad, maybe we should just leave it" Ben tries to reason, clearly hiding something from his father. " Ben, she brought her car in, we fixed it. She only gave us half the money. All we're doing is collecting the rest. Nothing else" Phil explains, climbing into the car. The trio set off, with
Ben looking extremely uneasy.
At an upmarket home outside of Albert Square, a blonde woman is fiddling about in her kitchen. A male voice can be heard on the phone, before it calls out to her. "Nic, did you get that car fixed?". "Yes" she calls back. This is the woman that
Phil is off to see. She begins to write out a cheque, and we see her name is
Nicola Harrison-Mitchell. The man she was talking to walks into the room. "Suppose I should ring Mum and tell her we're staying then." His tone is one that is instantly recognisable.
Nicola looks up and smiles at him. "At least we're not living on Albert Square!" Her laughter is soon joined by that of the man and we see his face for the first time. A face that belongs to
Grant Mitchell.
Back on the Square,
Liam is sat on a bench, holding his schoolwork. He glances up and sees
Cindy walking towards him. He breaks out into a grin as she sits down with
Beth. "I thought you'd gone to your Nan's? asks
Liam. "I came back early" responds
Cindy, trying to disguise the fact that she is delighted to see her friend. "I was wondering, if you had nothing on, if you wanted to catch a movie later? Dad could look after Beth, it'd just be mates watching a film. No dating crap"
Cindy rambles.
Liam breaks out into a smile, before slinking his hand into
Cindy's. "Yeah, I'd like that" he smiles, before the young couple share their first kiss.
Finally, there is an air of nervousness as
Phil,
Jay and
Ben approach
Nicola's house, unaware that she is married to
Grant.
Phil angrily bangs on the door, and
Nicola, looking unimpressed answers it. "Yes? Can I help you?" she asks, sarcastically. "You owe me money."
Phil growls.
Nicola looks at
Phil before calling out to
Grant. "Sweetheart, could you get my chequebook? I seem to owe an ogre some gold!" She calls out, clearly not aware of just who she is insulting.
Phil grows furious, slamming his way into the house. "What did you call me?!" He yells in
Nicola's face, unaware that
Grant has stepped into the hallway. "A troll. She called you a troll."
Grant states, before
Phil turns round, and not noticing who it is, punches him in the jaw.
"Thanks for that."
Grant states, standing up and rubbing his jaw.
"Grant?!" Exclaims
Phil in shock.
Grant grins, before responding with a simple "Hello bruv!" [\CENTER]
[center][spoiler]POST CREDITS SCENE
Nicola looks at
Phil and
Grant before exclaiming "Will someone tell me what the hell is going on?! [\CENTER][\SPOILER]
