Simon is still an emotional mess, but is ready to return to school when he meets Justin Smith, the brother of the boy he accidentally ran over. He finds he's finally off drugs and even grateful that the trauma repaired his family rift; closure becomes possible before he moves to college. Harry is determined to let the Camden parents tell Ruthy it's over. He decides to find a family of his own by marrying a girl in the Social Services home they're both desperate to get out of. Both Kevin and Martin play the protective big brothers. There's also a bird which fell out of the nest; Ruthie's responsibility just because she found it. High-pregnant teenager Leanne wants Eric to choose an adoptive couple to be parents for her baby, but goes in labor early. Lucy finds both candidate couples utterly selfish. Eric finds the father, Charlie Bates, still prepared to do he right thing provided Eric helps him with his parents. Charlie's parents fear he would throw away his own future for a girl they did so much for, and then split up. Leanne's lousy, virtually absent mother gives Annie a hard time just to visit her offspring in hospital.

Lucy and Kevin see a new doctor for their pregnancy and they have different opinions of her. Ruthie becomes interested in Martin's friend and starts wearing makeup and acting older. Charlie, the new father of Leanne's baby, is having a hard time and wants out of parenthood, so Eric enlists the help of an old, dear family friend.