As Jane and Ian buckle up to head home from hospital, Jane tells Ian that Kathy isn’t coming too – she’s said goodbye. Before they can get away, Kathy clambers at the door and begs Ian to believe her that Gavin forced her into everything that happened. Kathy attempts to consolidate this claim by rolling up her sleeve and showing Jane and Ian severe bruising. As Sharon and Kathy arrive back on the Square, Sharon asks Kathy to give Ian some space.
Sharon receives a text from Jane stating, ‘she can come now’. Despite Sharon’s protests, Kathy exits the car and heads towards the Beales’. Inside the house, Ian is adamant that he’s ready for answers and asks Jane to let Kathy in. Kathy attempts to apologise to a dazed Ian and assures him that her disappearing wasn’t his fault. Kathy explains how Gavin got into financial trouble, got desperate and asked his sister to sort out a life insurance policy. Later, Kathy overhears Ian in the kitchen, claiming that he knew Gavin. Kathy intercepts and explains that Gavin could put on a charming show, but that she was terrified of him. Kathy claims that she left to protect Ben – Gavin threatened to kill them both.
Kathy begs Ian for a chance to let her be his mum again. As Ian heads upstairs, he pauses to hear Jane berating Kathy for making promises that she can’t keep; Jane claims that Kathy can’t stay, she’s supposed to be dead. Ian bolts back downstairs and calls the police – stating to Kathy that he’s not going to lose her again. Jane grabs the phone from Ian and ends the call. As a panicked Kathy starts to back away, Jane demands that they all sit down as a family and talk to find a way through things. When Jane can’t get hold of Sharon, Kathy asks that she ring Ben; she needs to see him. The trio are startled when Bobby arrives home – Kathy meekly greets him. Jane hurriedly glosses over Bobby’s questions and sends him upstairs.
As Ben arrives, Jane sends Kathy into the living room. Ian tells Ben straight – Kathy’s alive. Whilst Jane suggests that Ben doesn’t have to meet Kathy immediately, Ian undermines her by calling Kathy into the kitchen. Kathy braces herself and enters to a shell-shocked Ben. It’s too much for Ben to handle and he bolts outside. Jay and Abi leave the Vic to find Ben violently throwing up in the street. Back at the Beales’, Kathy tells Ian and Jane that she’s going to come clean and hand herself into the police. At the front desk of the police station, Kathy asks to report a crime – but merely states that her bag has been stolen. After Jay and Abi fill Sharon in on Ben claiming to see Kathy, Sharon apologises to Ben and informs him that she warned Kathy to stay away. Kathy leaves the police station and tells Ian that she’d rather walk home. Realising that Sharon and Phil have kept Kathy a secret, a broken Ben storms out of the Mitchells’. In the playground, Kathy meets Gavin who reminds her that to keep Phil alive they must stick to their plan...
As Jay, Abi and Ben continue to get drunk, Jay’s phone goes; it’s Lola – she’s dumped him for Dexter. As Ben and Jay have a drink at the bar, Jay questions Ben over what’s wrong, commenting that he’s been down all day. Having been filled in by Ben on Phil catching him and Paul, Jay suggests that Ben be honest and come out. When Ben heads to the bar for a round of shots, he crosses Paul and assumes that his sombre mood is due to what happened between then. An aggrieved Paul snaps that he’s not upset because of Ben – it’s because it’s his late father’s fortieth birthday. Ben finds a cold Paul in the Vic toilets and asks him about his dad, claiming he might be able to help. Paul opens up to Ben and explains that he and his dad were close – he misses him every day despite him dying eleven years ago.
Ben attempts to empathise, opening up about Kathy’s death. Ben admits that he messed things up and suggests that the pair of them go for a drink in Hoxton. Paul agrees and they arrange to meet later. As Jay’s party leave the pub, Ben gets an urgent phone call from Ian. Having witnessed Ben break down over the revelation of Kathy being alive, Abi finds an upset Ben sat in the Square Gardens. As she comforts him, Paul exits the Vic and clocks the scene; his face falls. Show less