Episode 4855 (15 May 2014)

Dean deliberately ignores Shirley as he addresses the rest of the Carters in the Vic. When Mick suggests that Dean and Shirley go upstairs to talk he exclaims that he doesn’t have a mum. Dean is annoyed at Stan who had told him that Shirley wouldn’t be there if he came to visit. Later, Mick finds an upset Shirley upstairs in the Vic distraught over the fact that Dean wouldn’t look at her. Mick tells her that she can either run away again, proving everything he thinks about her, or she can fight for him. Shirley runs into the Vic alleyway where she is spotted by Phil. She tells him that Dean is back but wants nothing to do with her. Phil tells Shirley that at least she knows where her son is and asks if she is really going to let herself mess up again. This spurs Shirley to head back into the Vic to try once more to have it out with Dean.

She tells Dean that she is going nowhere until they talk. Dean stands Shirley up in front of everyone in the pub and tells them exactly why she has been such a bad mother. He tells her that he is past hating her and that she means nothing to him. When he crosses the line and tells Shirley that he wishes she was dead, Mick punches him. Shirley pleads with Dean not to leave, but he tells her she left it too late to tell him that she loves him. Shirley is angry that it was Stan who made the call to Dean asking him to visit– he maintains that he just wanted them together as a family and that he was trying to help. When Shirley continues to argue, Stan brings up how he has to lied to Mick for her about his mum trying to drown him in the bath and threatens that they both know the real truth...

Peter apologises to Lauren after kissing her. She tells him that he has nothing to say sorry for as he is going through so much. Lauren assures Peter that Ian loves him and that they need each other. Peter heads to the restaurant to see his dad, who tells him that Phil has advised him to re-open the restaurant. The men share a teary embrace when Ian admits that he feels he should have protected Lucy. He breaks down as he tells Peter he is never going to be able to hold Lucy in his arms again. Ian suggests that maybe they should let the restaurant go. Peter disagrees – closing the restaurant would break Lucy’s heart. They agree to open up and make it work together and toast ‘Beale’s’.

Ritchie comes round and informs Phil that Ben was paroled to a half-way house after he was released, somewhere in London. Abi is confused when she heads to the Mitchell’s and hears Phil, angry on the phone. Phil storms out telling Jay that he knows people who will tell him where Ben is. When Phil returns, he tells Jay that all he managed to find out was that Ben’s half-way house was in Hackney, but that he had already gone and he doesn’t know where. He is gutted that he knows Ben is out but can’t be bothered to ring him. Jay suggests that maybe he is just getting his head together – but Phil states that he has let Ben down, hence why Ben doesn’t want anything to do with him. Sharon returns from work and can tell that something is wrong. Jay fills her in about Ben being out of prison and not getting in touch – Phil snaps at Sharon that she doesn’t care and that it doesn’t matter – she disagrees. Jay leaves the room and makes a phone call to Ben telling him to come home - Phil doesn’t know that he has seen him.

Lola comes over to see Abi and Jay with a bottle of alcohol and breaks down as she tells them that she has really messed up by selling the story on Lucy. Jay tells Lola that Peter is mad if he thinks she’s a waste of space. Abi gets jealous when she sees Jay utterly take Lola’s side and possessively takes his hand.