Lauren is watching her father and Stacey kiss on the wedding video. She is devastated and keeps replaying the video. She picks up her phone.

Max and Tanya are at the play wishing Abi luck. Max’s phone rings and he puts off work. Tanya wonders who he is not working! Dot is running around, and the actors for the Christmas nativity are out of sorts. Ben forgot his beard at home, and Abi calms him.

Stacey stops Lauren and asks her for any ideas she might have for a Christmas gift for her parents. Stacey says it’s the least she can do to thank them for all they’ve done. Lauren looks at her with hate and tells Stacey, “You’ve thanked him already.” Stacey looks perplexed as Lauren walks off to greet Peter. He tells her he got her message. She tells him not here, and they walk off.

Jack and Ronnie discuss where he’s been. Jack wants her to guess and finally tells Ronnie he’s been in the Scottish Highlands. He wonders where Phil is. She tells him Phil hasn’t blown anywhere, but this has to end. He tells Ronnie he comes in peace and wants to put an end to the bad air between them. Ronnie invites him to dinner at the Vic. He tells her to go easy on the salt with Phil’s blood pressure and all. Ronnie tells him he needs to watch his and all.

Ian asks Jane if she’s spoken to Steven. She wonders why. He tells her that Steven is gone. He’s packed his bags and left Walford. Jane wonders how he knows. He tells her that Stacey told him. Jane is happy about it all and says that they can look forward to Christmas. Jane is relieved, and Ian looks sad.

Billy is on the phone with the council. They’ve been thrown out of the flat, and all their belongings are in the street. Billy tells Honey the council is on it. She wonders if they’ll be able to get in a flat tonight. Billy tells Honey that the council closes at 5 pm so hopefully. Peggy walks up and is shocked to see them on the street. She didn’t expect them to be out on the street like refugees. She tells Honey to bring the kids to the Vic, and they can stay the night if they need to. Honey tells Peggy she isn’t coming without Billy. Peggy tells her, of course, he’s welcome. Billy tells Peggy off asking her if he will be expected to drop to his knees to beg forgiveness. Peggy tells him no not at all. He tells Peggy they are sorting themselves out and he doesn’t need her patronizing them. Peggy apologizes to Honey. Honey tells her they’ll be alright, but her face says otherwise. Billy thanks Honey and she snaps at him and tells him to get back on the phone and find them a place. He asks to use her phone as he is dead.

Ronnie is preparing dinner. Ben and Roxy come in looking for his beard. Ronnie tells him his Dad is stuck on the A13. Ben is disappointed. Roxy cheers him up and convinces him to go on with the play.

Lauren wants to tell Peter but can’t. She tells him her dad has made a mistake. Peter says maybe he can put it right.

At the play Max is quiet, and Tanya asks him what is going on. He wonders if they’ve made a mistake leaving Lauren home alone. Tanya tells him he’s going soft in his old age.

Ben makes it back and Abi compliments him on his costume. Another girl makes fun of Abi in her donkey costume, and she runs off. Dot needs help, and Abi steps in to read the words so that Dot doesn’t have to.

Stacey is finishing on the store while talking to Sean. She tells him that Gus was not happy about him staying in his apartment. She tells Sean that he wonders how long he’s meant to be staying with Gus. Sean invites her out to a drink. Stacey tells him maybe. He wonders why she’s said maybe. She tells him she can’t help it as she keeps feeling like he’s waiting for it all to go wrong. He tells her that he wants her to be happy. She tells Sean that she wants him to be happy for her. Stacey tells Sean this is the first time she’s been properly happy since she was a kid. Sean asks her what she needs to do to prove to her. She invites him to Christmas dinner at Tanya and Max’s.

The play continues with Abi saving Ben as he’s forgotten his lines. Meanwhile, Lauren and Peter discuss the situation. Peter wonders why she can’t tell her Dad she knows and give him the chance to explain it or make it right. Lauren tells him that her Dad will probably make it seem like she didn’t see things right and pretend like nothing ever happened.

The play continues with Abi stealing the show.

Steven looks at his phone. Ian walks into the bookies and tells Pat that Steven is leaving. Pat reads him the riot act about how he’s treated, Steven. Ian defends himself. Pat tells him that Steven thought Ian was his Dad. She wonders why Ian is so afraid to care for him. He asks Pat where Steven may have gone.

The play finishes to rounds of applause. Peggy and Roxy celebrate Ben’s success. Max and Tanya are excited for Abi. Max is feeling full of love for his family. Tanya relishes the moment.

Billy and Honey are still outside. Honey asks him what number he gave the council. He tells her his. She says, “the one that’s dead?” She tells him to give her phone to her as she’s going to call her Dad. He tells her not to as she knows what her Dad thinks of him. Honey yells at Billy that the kids are cold. He tells her, “go on! make me feel worse!” He hands her the phone over and tells her if she’s going to listen to her Dad say, “I told you so!” then she ought to go stay with Peggy. He screams at her to face it as he’s no good for her. Honey slaps him and tells him never to say that again!

Phil arrives home and wonders how Ben took it. Ronnie tells him it went well. Ben, Peggy, and Roxy come in, and the celebration begins. He apologizes for missing the play. Jack comes in, and Peggy tells Phil that they are celebrating and he can stay.

Downstairs Denise and Kevin are celebrating their impending homeownership with Carly. Sean comes in, and Denise and Kevin are not happy. Stacey comes in, and Sean tells her he will be at dinner.

The Brannings come home, and Lauren is sour. Bradley notices, and he goes to talk to her. He asks Lauren how she’s managing to adapt to the new little brother they have. They discuss Max and Bradley tries to get her to see he’s not bad and cares about them. Max walks up and asks Lauren to join them. She runs up the stairs.

Honey is holding Janet and tells her they will be just fine. Roxy sees Honey as she looks out the window. Peggy and the Mitchell clan settle in to eat dinner. Jack and Phil banter back and forth. Roxy wonders if they can’t get Honey and the kids inside. Peggy tells her that she asked him earlier, but he wouldn’t apologize. Ronnie reminds her they don’t do grudges in the family, and they are better than that. Peggy tells Phil to fetch them and bring them in. Phil won’t leave with Jack there. Peggy asks him she has to go and Phil sets off.

Ian runs after Steven and catches him at the tube. Ian tells him that Stacey told him what he was going to do. Steven reckons it wouldn’t have hurt anyone and they’d have been better without him. Ian tells him that he’s wrong and he’d thought him a weak little coward. Ian grabs his backpack. Steven wonders what he’s doing. Ian tells him he’s coming with him.

Billy and Honey are outside, and it’s 5 pm. Honey wonders if the council is going to leave them stranded. Billy tells her they won’t. She reminds him that they are closed until Monday now. Phil walks up and tells them it’s gone on long enough now, and they need to come back to the Vic. Billy tells him to get stuffed. Phil wonders what he said. Honey wants him to think about what he’s said.
Billy goes on a tirade about family. He wonders why they want him now. All they ever want to do is talk down to him. His own family didn’t want him and wished he’d been flung in a sack and the river. He never hears anything from them except how he’s messed things up and gotten things wrong. They never acknowledge how hard he tries. Billy breaks down in sobs and Honey comforts him.

Ian brings Steven back to Pats. She asks him if he was just going to bunk off. Ian and Steve discuss his situation. Steven says all he’s ever wanted is a normal family. Ian strikes back saying he thinks normal went out the window when he kidnapped him and held him hostage. Ian tells him he’s an intelligent young man; why did he have to hurt him. Steven tells him that he never meant to hurt Jane. Ian tells him he knows. Ian tells him the funny thing is that it would have made his Dad hear from him.

Billy thanks Peggy for dinner. Honey says she needs to get the kids settled as it’s been a long day. Jack asks Ben if he likes fishing. Jack tells the story of Big George. He talks about this fish that was in the pond who’d gotten fat and lazy and then came Jack, and he caught him. Phil is steaming mad.

Lauren is watching the video again. She pushes a button and burns the dvd.

Gus comes home. Sean tells him he’s been waiting for him for ages. Sean makes nice with Gus.

Abi walks into Lauren’s room. Lauren shuts the computer. Tanya comes in and tells her they are having fish and chips for dinner. Lauren says she doesn’t want any. Abi tells her she can’t have hers and runs out. Lauren finishes the video transfer onto the DVD.

Jack tells Ronnie that they are going to do the cleaning up. Phil says fat chance. Jack compliments Phil on Ben. Phil says it’s all in how he’s raised him. Jack mentions that Ben must miss Louise. Phil wonders what he knows about Louise. Phil tells him he is not going to involve his kids. Jack tells him he can help him find his daughter.

Ian tells Steven he needs to get some goals and get his life on track. Ian tells him that he wants him to stay. He wants him to get back on his feet and help him. Steven wonders if they are able t do father and son stuff. Ian says yes.

Jane comes to see Tanya. She wants to hold the baby finally. Abi is recreating her play for them. Upstairs Lauren writes “Happy Couple” on the DVD and puts it in an envelope for Bradley. She looks angry.