Tegan, Andrew’s sister, will arrive on Home and Away in the UK the following week, but will she be granted her wish to take Andrew to live with her?
When Andrew’s (Joshua Hewson) sister arrives in Summer Bay, it should be a joyful occasion as the family member has been missing for a long time, but there is unease all around.
It’s perhaps understandable that the vulnerable teen would be wary of a new family member. After all, it was Margot Dafoe (Mandy McElhinney), the head of the infamous Vita Nova cult, who showed up when neighbourhood cop Cash (Nicholas Cartwright) claimed that Andrew’s long-lost mother had shown up.
After several failed attempts to free Andrew from the group’s compound, Justin (James Stewart) and Leah (Ada Nicodemou) have been attempting to convince him that he is now safe. Vita Nova appears to have split up now that Margot is in jail.
In the meantime, it has been discovered that the real Esther, Andrew’s mother, had in fact died over ten years ago, with her body hidden inside a suitcase in a storage facility. But Andrew was unaware that Tegan (Sophia Forrest), his half-sister, existed in the outside world.
Having been informed that Andrew had been found, after he was kidnapped by his father as a four-year-old, Tegan was stuck working overseas and unable to come to Summer Bay.
Next week, Justin receives a call from Missing Persons to say that Tegan is now back in the country and on her way to Summer Bay.
Having learned from their past errors, the police have conducted a DNA test this time, which has confirmed that Tegan is in fact Andrew’s half-sister. However, Justin still wants to get to know Tegan before granting her access to Andrew.
Meeting Justin at the coffee cart, Tegan explains that she’s been based in Antarctica, working in a research unit for a university environmental science department.
Tegan knows what the cult was like and she is aware of the reason why Justin is screening her, but after reminding him of the DNA test, she feels as though she has waited long enough.
Back at the house, Andrew is anxiously awaiting the arrival of Tegan. What if she isn’t who she claims to be?
When Tegan and Justin arrive and she finds Andrew waiting for her, wondering whether he remembers her, it’s a difficult moment for her.
a frightened When Tegan tries to hug Andrew, he doesn’t say anything and backs away.
He turns to Justin and asks, “Why did you bring her here?” before leaving for his room.
Taking a walk with Leah, Tegan tells Leah that she can’t give up on Andrew, she hopes that forming a relationship with her brother will help them both move on… and have a life together as a real family.
Leah is taken aback, not realising that Tegan’s hope is for Andrew to come and live with her.
As Leah and Tegan return to the house, Tegan is able to find an avenue of conversation with Andrew as she sees him observing the CCTV system he set up, explaining that they use similar ones in Antarctica.
Leah tells Justin about Tegan’s wishes, but Justin isn’t too concerned—it has to be up to Andrew, and there’s no way Andrew would leave with a perfect stranger.
Tegan then shows Andrew a photo that she’s kept with her over the years; it’s the original photo that appeared on Andrew’s missing poster, depicting him as a three-year-old with his teddy bear.
Tegan explains that she was there when the photo was taken, and Esther had given it her to keep. When Tegan asks Andrew if he remembers his bear, Ted, it’s all the confirmation Andrew needs.
After spending the rest of the afternoon talking with Tegan, Andrew heads to grab a takeaway pizza with Theo (Matt Evans), who asks him how he’s feeling now that he’s been reunited with his sister.
Andrew simply states that he’d like to get to know her better.
Meanwhile, back at the house, Justin has already been onto Missing Persons for them to double-check the DNA results, and is worrying about what could lie ahead. As Justin tells Tegan that he feels she’s moving too fast, she replies that she’s not going to let anyone get in the way of her and Andrew again.
Justin doesn’t believe that Tegan fully understands what she would be committing to—given Andrew’s upbringing, and the help he will continue to need as he adapts to a society he’s been hidden away from for most of his life.
Her intentions may be good, but if she lets Andrew down, it could destroy him.
Tegan believes that Justin has already made his mind up about her—will he stand in the way of her hope to live with Andrew as a family?
There’s a further family connection with the introduction of Tegan, albeit off-screen.
Sophia Forrest, who plays the newcomer, is engaged to fellow Home and Away alumni Zara Zoe, who is of course the sister of Nicholas Cartwright (Cash)!
Zara starred alongside Nick last year, when she portrayed Millie Hudson.
