Max calls Adam to tell him to leave Kirsty alone, but Adam hangs up on him. When Max tries to call back, the calls keep going through to voicemail. Kirsty tells Max that she just wants to ignore Adam, but Max isn’t sure that this is the best way of dealing with the situation.
Later, Max confides his troubles in Jack and the Branning brothers come up with a plan to get both Adam and Carl out of the picture. Max visits Adam and makes it clear that Carl should stay away from Kirsty, but Adam reacts angrily and punches Max.
However, Jack then appears and helps Max out. With the brothers now having the upper hand, Max orders Adam to tell Carl that Kirsty is not interested. Back on the Square, Kirsty gets upset over Max’s decision to see Adam, knowing that her troubles are far from over.
Elsewhere, Lauren tries to improve her behaviour by making a surprise breakfast for the family, finishing off her essay and helping Tanya out at Booty’s! When Whitney comes into the salon for a manicure, she spitefully points out for Lauren’s benefit that she’s going out with Lucy that night. Although hurt by her exclusion, Lauren tells Tanya that she doesn’t mind as she’s going out tonight with Hannah, a friend from college.
Later, Lauren consumes a bottle of wine at the allotments and Patrick joins her for a drink. When Lauren confides in Patrick, he urges her to go home and speak to Tanya. As Lauren arrives home, she confesses that Hannah doesn’t exist and the reason she drinks is because she knows she can’t live up to Abi in Tanya’s eyes.
Lauren adds that she can’t remember the last time she went a day without alcohol, and the scale of her daughter’s drinking problem comes crashing down on Tanya.
Meanwhile, Ray realises that he needs to be with Sasha permanently and quits his job at the Vic. Kim is then devastated when Ray explains to her that he is leaving Walford, but he invites her to come with him. To Ray’s surprise, Kim jumps at the chance!
Also today Sharon approaches Phil assuming they can go back to how they were but Phil isn’t having any of it.
The day of Lexi’s final court hearing has arrived! Although Phil tells Lola that Sharon won’t be attending the hearing, she suddenly walks in to the court building. Phil orders her to leave, but she insists that she is sorting herself out and wants to be there to support Lola.
When Lola tries to stick up for Sharon, she accidentally lets slip that both she and Billy knew all about Sharon’s drug problem. Phil is disgusted that Lola knew and still left Lexi in Sharon’s care. He storms out and Billy races after him begging him to make sure that Lola gets Lexi back.
Later, Lola fears the worst when the hearing begins without Phil. However, things seem to be going well when Sharon paints Lola as a brilliant mother to the judge.
Suddenly, Phil walks in and Lola and Billy are both petrified about what he might say. What will Phil do? And what will the judge’s decision be?
Elsewhere, when Kirsty takes another pregnancy test and discovers to her dismay that she still isn’t pregnant, she decides that it’s time to tell Max the truth. Later, she tries to talk to Max, but is distracted when she receives a phone call from Adam, the brother of her ex-boyfriend Carl.
Kirsty explains to Max that Carl is being released from prison and wants to see her. After Kirsty has played Adam’s voice message, Max assures her that he will protect her and the baby from any harm. Will Kirsty still go ahead with telling him that there is no baby?
Meanwhile, Tanya and Jack decide to address Lauren’s drinking problem by sitting down and talking to her together. However, Lauren assures them that she is trying to get over Joey and is now determined to focus on her studies. Tanya seems happy with Lauren’s explanation, but not for long as she soon finds her daughter’s notebook and discovers that she hasn’t done any more of her essay despite her promises.
Also today, Alice secretly takes Scarlett to meet Michael in the park, while Carol is upset when Masood cancels their latest date because he has to urgently visit Syed.
A shocked Phil takes the unopened bottle of pills away from the reach of Lexi before trying to wake a seemingly unconscious Sharon up. When Sharon comes round, Phil tells her to count the tablets to see whether Lexi could have taken any. Fortunately, they realise that there are no missing tablets.
When Phil starts to question Sharon about the pills, she denies having a problem. However, her assurances aren’t good enough for Phil and he makes Sharon admit that they are the same pills that she was on before.
Sharon tries to prove to him that she doesn’t need the pills and tells Phil to throw them away. However, a suspicious Phil tips out her handbag to reveal even more tablets inside.
Phil knows that he has everything he’s ever wanted now that he’s with Sharon, but also realises he can’t put Lexi at risk or jeopardise their chances of keeping her from going into care.
Although Sharon protests that they’re meant to be together forever, Phil kicks her out and leaves her with nowhere to go.
Elsewhere, Ava and Billy’s date gets off to a good start. However, as the conversation between the pair flows, Billy is put off when he starts to realise that there is unfinished business between Ava and Dexter’s dad Sam.
Ava tries to get things back on track by leaning in to kiss Billy, but he can tell that it’s forced and suggests that they should take things slowly. When Billy questions Ava about Sam, there’s more disappointment ahead for him as she can’t deny that she may still have feelings for him. Are Billy and Ava over before they’ve even really begun?
Meanwhile, Jack tells Max that he doesn’t think there’s anything keeping him in Walford anymore. Jack hopes that his brother will talk him round, but Max fails to provide any reassurance. Things then get worse for Jack when Michael gives him the cold shoulder for leaving him to deal with the business alone.
Also today, Phil leaves Lexi with Lola while he deals with Sharon and she wonders what’s actually going on, Max is suspicious when Kirsty diverts numerous calls on her mobile, and Lauren tries to kiss Joey but he rejects her.
When in the square, Sharon discovers that her ex has returned to Walford and she decides to go and see him to assure him that there is no need for the pair to be awkward around each other, especially because she is now dating Jack’s enemy Phil Mitchell. Phil finds out Sharon has visited Jack and isn’t happy about it but Sharon protests her innocence.
Later in the Vic, Jack and Sharon seem to be getting on okay, and he even tells Sharon that he is happy for her, however as the night progresses Sharon tells Jack that an apology is not enough to set right what he did to her and Dennis. Sharon then collects Lexi and returns home where she takes more pills! Phil arrives home to find Sharon has once again collapsed – but this time baby Lexi is playing with the bottle of pills…
Also today, Lauren hits the bottle once again when her friends do not seem interested in her and Kim wonders whether there is still hope for her and Ray.
