Dan is at a crossroads in his life. He must do something as he faces a disciplinary and may lose the only thing he has left in life: his teaching job.

Dan comes face-to-face with his replacement in the classroom, Miss Clarke, and the kids don't take his departure quite the way he hopes.

Dan struggles to get his 'news' taken seriously, Brian meets the woman of his dreams, Nesta has a big problem to deal with, and 'Daddy' takes things up a gear with Dan.

Dan tries to keep his plan to emigrate to the USA moving, but with the complicated issue of a visa to negotiate he knows he needs to draw on all his inner strength.

Dan shares the shocking news of his adoption with his best mates and embarks on a search for a life that could have been. Brian's children are bored and a trip to the beach with Jo and Dan sounds far more exciting than their father's dull plans. But will Brian take the risk of getting sand in his beloved Renault Scenic and, more to the point, expose his kids to a day out with his ever-irresponsible friends? Cultural awakenings and jeopardy await.

Having resigned his teaching post Dan is having a leaving party but it gets cancelled when the venue, Jo's shop, is repossessed whilst Daddy spitefully arranges to take Mum away for the weekend so that she will miss it. Brian has his own bad news but when there is a family crisis Dan and Nesta ally to put Daddy in his place and circumstances contribute to Dan changing his mind about emigration - even in the light of news from Emma.