Canal Street, Manchester. It's Thursday and that means nineties night in the Babylon Club. Phil hasn't pulled and nor has Vince, but Vince is being followed by a muscle man. Stuart has pulled and is just getting his admirer's phone number before they all head home. It's Nathan's first night on the scene. Nathan and Stuart spot each other and start talking. It's not long before they end up back at Stuart's. They are having sex when they are interrupted by a phone call from Lisa. Vince is getting acquainted with muscle man when Stuart phones and says he needs the car as ""It's happened."". Vince tells muscle man that his friend's mum is in hospital and leaves. Back at Stuart's apartment Nathan says it's time he was going anyway as he has college. It turns out he means school and is really fifteen years old. Vince meets up with Stuart and Nathan at the hospital. They go into a room containing women and a new born baby boy - Stuart's baby boy. They name the boy Alfred. Romee is the mother. N

Nathan tells his friend Donna that he fancies a male pupil, and had met and had sex with Stuart. She thinks it's great. Stuart meets a man at work who is married with kids, and they have sex. Marcie informs Vince that new recruit Rosalie fancies him. She arranges for them to meet in a pub after work. Nathan's mum is in his room and finds gay porn. Stuart picks up Romee and Alfred from hospital and is presented with legal paperwork about maintenance payments and insurance. Following a telephone call from Stuart, Vince wants to give him some support. Vince leaves his date, again using the excuse that his friend's mum is in hospital. They go for a drink and Nathan, infatuated with Stuart, turns up. Stuart leaves early, leaving Vince to look after Nathan. Vince calls for a cab to take Nathan home. Vince's mum has a new lodger, Bernard, so Vince has to move some stuff out of his old bedroom. Stuart contacts someone over the Internet for sex. Nathan turns up just before Stuart's date and is

Vince is trying to match Phil with Alexander, but Alexander returns from holiday with new boyfriend Lee. They met during the flight and Lee doesn't speak English. Nathan orders a cab for him and Donna on Stuart's account to impress her. Vince returns baby Alfred to Romey and she realises that Stuart has spent no time with his son. Vince then returns to Stuart, who rings a colleague that can translate what Lee is saying. It turns out he is a prostitute waiting to be paid. Stuart doesn't tell Alexander. Nathan admits to Donna that Stuart finished with him. Donna suggests that they go to Canal Street to get him a new boyfriend. In a pub that night Nathan introduces Donna to Vince's mum and Bernard. Vince bumps into Rosalie from work and pretends that he is straight and that it's the first time he has been in a gay venue. Vince returns to Stuart and says they are leaving. Before leaving, Stuart introduces himself to Rosalie and says Vince likes her. Bernard gives Nathan his membership card

Vince and Stuart attend Phil's funeral... in the quiet village where he grew up. Phil had planned the whole event meticulously; it is gloriously tacky, and at the same time deeply depressing, especially in the face of Mrs. Delaney's bewilderment. Vince is nervous because Phil nominated him for the reading; the lines to Phil's favourite song, D.I.S.C.O. At the wake Vince meets Phil's accountant Cameron Roberts and gets immersed in a painful, intense conversation with Mrs. Delaney. In her despair she is looking for something to blame and can't stop herself pointing to her son's sexuality. At school, Nathan tentatively approaches his classmate Christian. At home, his mother Janice finally confronts him. He rushes off in search of Stuart and ends up in Canal Street, eerily quiet during the day. He tricks a club doorman in to giving him Bernard and Hazel's address and heads off. If they don't let him stay, he'll leave for London.

Nathan wakes up with Daniel, aka Dazz, not much older than him but more experienced. Stuart wakes up with two more attractive strangers. Outside his house, Stuart finds his sister Marie who wants him to babysit for her two young sons that evening, as she has a date. Hazel has agreed that Nathan can stay with her until things calm down but she's furious with him for staying out all night. When Janice comes to pick him up for school it's clear that she is near breaking point. A world weary Vince perks up when Cameron asks him out on a date. Stuart instantly forgets his promise to his sister in favour of schmoozing a client and in retaliation Marie coldly tells her brother that their parents are getting divorced.

Stuart and Marie visit their parents. It's obvious that this is a rare occurrence and that, surprisingly, Stuart has never discussed his sexuality with them, which puts constraints on their relationship. Meanwhile Vince takes Cameron to meet his mum. Nathan's mother Janice meets Hazel, still trying to make everything all right for Nathan, but he is furious with her and walks out, in spite of Donna's efforts to make him stay. The following day Stuart goes to pick up Nathan from school, for once determined to sort out a mess that is largely of his own creation. But back at the Maloney house he comes face to face with Nathan's father Roy, and, after a violent confrontation, he and Nathan leave together. And Romey has more unwelcome news for Stuart, when he discovers that she has found another father for his son.

Stuart throws a huge surprise party... for Vince's 30th birthday. Things start to go badly wrong when Rosalie turns up. For reasons of his own Stuart has invited her, and he makes things worse by introducing her to Cameron. A distraught Rosalie leaves, Vince is furious and he and Cameron leave as quickly as possible. Stuart becomes inveigled into a complicated plot to discredit Lance, Romey's potential husband. In return for his co-operation, Lisa promises she will safeguard Stuart's access to the baby.

Vince is experiencing intense paranoia at work. Petrified that Rosalie has revealed his secret, he is convinced every peal of laughter coming from the women on the shopfloor is at his expense. The complicated plot to discredit Lance, Romey's potential husband thickens. Lance is led out by the police, handcuffed after assaulting one of the Home Office investigators. Romey accuses Stuart of being responsible but he denies all knowledge. Eventually discovering that Nathan was the informant, she, Stuart, and Lisa turn up at Hazel's house for a confrontation with Nathan. Cameron takes Vince to a function at an art gallery, unaware that Stuart is the PR. Vince covertly watches Stuart go through his chat up line once again. Stuart's world is about to fall apart. For the first time he experiences rejection. Unable to handle this he drinks himself to oblivion. Nathan however comes to the rescue. At home, Vince talks non-stop about Stuart, pretending he thinks he's shallow and image - obsessed,