Jessie and Emily are preparing to fly off to Madeira for Christmas, where they'll meet up with Margi. Since Nikki has declined the invitation, Jessie has arranged for Ray to stay in the bungalow over the festive period to keep an eye on her.
It has to be said that Jessie was less than impressed with the state of the kitchen after Nikki's little tantrum the previous day and rather bemused when a chirpy Nikki subsequently declares that she *will* tag along on the holiday after all.
Jessie can't understand why Nikki is so much happier all of a sudden and Nikki tells her that Luke has finally admitted to spiking her drink and to having raped her. As far as she's concerned that whole thing is now over. Jessie doesn't quite see it that way:
"He's not getting away with it," she declares.
"Leave it, Nan. I don't want any more trouble. It's finished. What happened last night hasn't changed what happened; it hasn't made me forget but it's made me get me head round it."
Leo's still hounding Mick about the state of the decor. It looks like no more progress has been made since we last saw the living room several days ago (well, before the new telly arrived, at least!). Nor does Leo like the colour of the paint proposed for the walls:
"I'm not bringing my mates back to a pink room."
"It's plum," corrects Mick, who's more concerned with what's on the telly than with Leo's witterings.
His attention is diverted later though, when he gets a strange phone call. "What? Nah, not our Gemma, no way," he's heard to say. Apparently, Gemma is being sent home early from Barbados after having been found smoking pot. Mick is sure that there must be some mistake.
Jerome is hanging around Mick's having delivered some Christmas presents on behalf of his mother. He dithers about whether he ought to go and see Nikki but by the time he does decide to go, he finds that he's too late and that she's gone off on holiday.
Across the Close, Mark and Vic turn up, congratulate Jacqui on her engagement and end up having lunch with her and Ron. It's no surprise that Ron makes a show of himself.
Mark drops a glass of orange juice and wanders outside for some fresh air as Vic tries to play the incident down. She then takes a call on her mobile and has to break the news to him that his mother's died.
Katie storms round to Luke's demanding to know why he left her in the club. Luke tells her about Nikki turning up and that she got so pissed that he took her home, intending to be only ten minutes. Katie buys this story, but then she doesn't know just how far from the truth it is.
Luke tells Katie that he's thinking of going away - maybe to Ireland. He wants her to go with him, but Katie doesn't see why it should be Luke who's driven away when he's innocent. Seeing Nikki walk past the house, Katie decides to tackle her.
Nikki quickly realises that Katie doesn't know the full story and suggests that she has another word with Luke. She does and he tells her about following Nikki onto the roof of the club, how she was threatening to throw herself off it and how she was going on about having been raped.
"So I told her it was me."
"You what?"
"Well, that's what she wanted to hear, isn't it? That Luke Musgrove raped her."
"Are you stupid?" asks Katie, incredulously.
"You do believe I didn't do it, don't you?"
"Do you really think I'd have slept with you if I thought you were a rapist?" says Katie as she falls into Luke's arms.
Hmm!
Episode written by Sue Mooney
Summary © 1999 Graeme Selway
Brookside and all related materials are © Mersey Television 1982-2001