Episode 4952 (31 October 2014)

Synopsis
It’s Halloween and Lauren heads to the Vic for the party. As she hovers outside, she’s terrified when Whitney comes up behind her and scares her; she doesn’t see the funny side. Lauren storms off back home and arrives back to Abi having decorated the living room; she’s invited Ben over. When Lauren tells Abi that she doesn’t want to go back to the party because she thinks she’s being followed, Abi is initially dismissive but after feeling guilty tells Lauren that she can stay downstairs with her and Ben.

Ben arrives at the Branning’s and states how odd it was that Johnny mentioned he had a girlfriend. Ben clocks an awkward Abi and realises that it was her who had said something. Ben leaves for the Vic; annoyed that Abi thinks he can’t look out for himself. When Lauren suggests that Abi make some new friends now that she’s broken up from Jay, Abi’s riled; they’re her friends too. Lauren relents and agrees that she’s not the best person to be dishing out advice and the sisters agree to spend Halloween together, just the two of them. The door goes and it’s Emma, who’s let herself in. Lauren tells her she can wait in the house for Max to get back.

When Emma suggests that the girls go to the Vic for the party, Abi blurts out that Lauren thinks she’s being followed again. Emma desperately tries to reassure her – it was just a journalist and it won’t happen again. Lauren concurs and decides she will head out after all, leaving a dejected Abi alone. Emma texts Bryant telling him that she needs to see him, but instead tells Abi she’s off to meet Max. Lauren meets Whitney again outside the Vic, but when she gets a prank call and panics, Whitney gives up on her and heads back into the party alone. As Lauren turns to face Bridge Street, she sees someone in a weeping angel mask watching her.

As the figure tears off, Lauren follows. Lauren runs into Walford Park, where the figure reappears watching her again. Lauren corners the figure and rips off the mask – it’s Abi. In the Vic, Ben asks Johnny for a word. He tells him that he doesn’t have a girlfriend and that it was just a phase. When Johnny suggests that Ben’s gay, this angers Ben and he tells Johnny to back off. Emma meets Bryant in the café and firmly tells him to stop following Lauren, assuming that he’s doing it to win her back. Bryant reels, telling Emma it’s got nothing to with her and swiftly leaves the café.

In the Vic, the Halloween party is in full swing and is doubling up as Ronnie and Charlie’s engagement party. Yvonne arrives and expresses her concerns about Nick to Charlie – Charlie assures her that he’s gone. Dot tells Sharon and Ian how adamant she is that she saw Nick. The pair try to convince her that it was just her imagination but she’s convinced. Dot admits that she hasn’t told Charlie about what she saw; he’s got enough on his plate. Ian and Sharon manage to convince Dot to go over to the Vic to join the engagement party.

Dot arrives at the party and sits with Yvonne – Dot confesses that she wishes it was her and Nick’s engagement party, she wishes she’d been at their wedding. As Fatboy tells a spooky story to Johnny, the pair are oblivious to Dot overhearing. Dot decides she needs to go home – Ian walks her back. Sharon fills Charlie in on Dot thinking she saw Nick from her window the previous night. Charlie and Yvonne head back too and question Dot over what she saw. Charlie calls Nick and tells him to meet him so that they can sort things once and for all. Fatboy finds Charlie outside and summons him in for a speech.

Charlie gives a heart-warming speech declaring his love for Ronnie – even Phil looks as though he is warming to him. In the kitchen, Yvonne tries to calm down Dot. Dot smells a rat when Yvonne suggests that it was a good thing that Charlie stopped her from seeing Nick in his coffin – how does Yvonne know? Phil approaches Charlie and Ronnie and confesses that he may have caused them a problem with Nick.

Charlie arrives back to a distressed Dot and tells her the truth; Nick’s alive. Dot demands to see Nick and Charlie agrees that he will find him and bring him home. Yvonne and Charlie leave Dot alone to go and meet Nick. However, with Dot alone, Nick calmly emerges from the living room and lights her cigarette – ‘Happy Halloween’!