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As Mick pulls Lee off Dean, Aunt Babe runs over calling for help. Shirley, Dean, Mick and Lee rush to Stan’s aid, who gasps that his legs gave way. Dean wants Mick’s help to get Stan inside but Mick doesn’t want him in the Vic. Inside, Stan refuses to go to hospital. Mick pushes Dean, ordering him to leave. Dean retaliates and Lee squares up to him. Sylvie asks Stan if they’re still going away. Dean leaves but vows to return to check on Stan. Nancy warns Dean never to come near them again. Stan protests as he’s ushered upstairs, waving away help. He instructs Shirley to sort the family out. Shirley protests she can’t fix the Dean and Linda situation and berates Stan for his plan with Sylvie. Stan admits he wanted to take Sylvie away because she doesn’t want to live in a home. On Linda’s advice, Mick opens Shirley’s birthday present, revealing the signed football programme. Tina pleads their dad needs them. Shirley insists she’s taking Stan to Patrick’s and Mick has no say.

Tina’s disgusted but Mick sadly agrees – Stan’s not his dad. Tina protests they always thought Mick was family and begs him not to push them away. Mick bins Shirley’s present and states Stan is staying with him. Shirley drags Babe and Sylvie upstairs, determined Mick should know the whole truth. Shirley’s adamant her mum remembers what happened. Sylvie snarls she should have aborted Shirley. Shirley explains she met Buster when he worked with Stan at Billingsgate and didn’t realise she was pregnant until she was four months gone and Sylvie walked in on her getting changed. Sylvie snaps Shirley did it on purpose. Shirley shouts Sylvie never told her anything - she thought she was dying when she got her first period. Sylvie claims Shirley tried to murder Mick before he was born by throwing herself down the stairs.

Babe reveals Sylvie told Shirley Stan would kick her out. Stan objects. Shirley blurts that she didn’t throw herself and Sylvie denies pushing her. Mick thinks Sylvie’s evil. Shirley insists she wanted to keep Mick but wasn’t allowed. Babe defends she did what she thought was best and berates Stan for his treatment of Sylvie. Shamefaced, Stan can’t deny hitting Sylvie. Shirley swears she didn’t agree to Babe and Sylvie’s plan, and when she started to show she was taken to Ramsgate. Stan blames Babe for trying to break them up. Babe protests she was saving his marriage. Shirley remembers it rained all day when she was in labour, and wasn’t allowed to hold Mick - Sylvie said she’d never see him again if she told anyone. Stan remarks their plan didn’t work – Sylvie still left. Babe accuses Stan of putting Mick and Tina in care because Sylvie left. Mick’s appalled by Shirley’s story, but questions why she didn’t tell the truth later. Certain she only confessed because she thought he was going to kill Dean, Mick declares he doesn’t need a mum, and orders Babe and Sylvie to leave.

Shirley flees to Patrick’s and falls into Dean’s arms. Babe wishes Sylvie had stuck up for her. Sylvie sneers Babe’s always been jealous. Stan kisses Sylvie’s hand, insisting they had some good times, but Babe marches Sylvie away. Mick finds Linda’s retrieved Shirley’s present, the card signed ‘Love, Mum’. Alone, Stan listens to ‘Unforgettable’. Tina finds Mick staring at the football programme and thinks it shouldn’t make a difference who Shirley is – she’s always been there. Mick heads to Patrick’s and tells Shirley he can’t forgive her or think of her as his mum, but he loves her, and as long as Dean keeps his distance, they’ll keep theirs. Mick leaves a worried Dean with a parting shot - he and Linda have been to the police. At the Vic, Tina tries to comfort melancholy Stan; they’re relieved when Mick reports he’s sorted things with Shirley. Stan asks Tina and Mick for help – he wants them to help him die.

Linda’s distressed that Lee won’t look at her. Venting to Nancy, Lee can’t understand why Linda didn’t tell anyone about the rape. Nancy thinks she was protecting them and fears the baby isn’t Mick’s. Later upstairs, Linda begs Lee to look at her - he leaves, but then bolts back in and kisses her on the head. Linda smiles.