Three days had passed since Jimbo Branning had arrived in Albert Square, he still hadn't found a flat for himself, Danielle and son Eddie but he did have a job. Today he was set to begin his first shift as a barman at the Queen Vic. Strolling towards the pub he saw a car pull up outside it. Phil Mitchell emerged from the car yelling up to one of the windows. One was flung open and a frazzled and bedraggled Ronnie looked out. "Open up Ronnie!" Phil yelled. Ronnie rolled her eyes and slammed the window shut. "You must be Phil" Jimbo said as he approached Phil. "Yeah and who the 'ell are you?" Phil grunted. "James Branning" Jimbo extended his hand, Phil shook it. "So you're a Branning then?" Phil asked as the pair entered the pub as Ronnie unlocked the doors. "Yep one of Max's boys" Jimbo said warily. Phil looked surprised. "Mornin' Ron" Jimbo greeted the still frazzled Ronnie who yawned. Roxy appeared a few minutes later. "Wakey, wakey Sleepin' Beauty" Roxy swore at Phil. Jimbo coughed. "Now you two, this pub should be open its half ten in the morning" he stated.
A van drove into the Square it read on it's side "James A. Branning Plumber & Decorator" it was parked outside Number 5. A wiry young man got out of the driving side of the van and banged on the side. "We're here!" the man said. The back doors opened and out came a young blonde-haired woman in her arms was a sleeping red-haired four-year old boy. "Seems a nice place Gareth" she said yawning. "Well Dani, I better get the keys back to Jim you know what he's like when his van's involved" Danielle smiled fondly. "Can I help you?" Tanya called from the door. "Yeah, we're looking for Jimbo Branning" Danielle said. "I'm Danielle..." Tanya looked somewhat surprised and then smiled brightly and then said. "Come on in, Jimbo'll be here soon he'll be on his break" Danielle asked. "Where is he?", Tanya pointed towards the Queen Vic. Gareth turned towards the pub. "Hey Gareth lock the van, will you?" Danielle grinned at her brother's look of disbelief.
Tanya busied herself in the kitchen, while Danielle looked around the living room. "See this Eddie" she whispered to the sleeping boy in her arms. She looked at the couch which Jimbo had been sleeping. "That's Daddy's bed, lets put you down darling" she cooed as she laid Eddie down on the couch, Tanya joined her. "So you're Danielle?" she asked. Danielle smiled as Tanya offered her a cup of tea. "I'm Tanya, Jimbo's step-mum, he's told us a lot about you and little Eddie" Tanya smiled at the sleeping Eddie. "Pleased to meet you. Jim always said you weren't to blame..." "Blame for what?" Tanya asked intrigued. "Oh...for his parents marriage failing, he always said that his dad was angry with his mum for them leaving him with Gordon" Tanya looked stunned at the information Danielle had revealed.
In the Vic Jimbo was serving Patrick Trueman and Minty Peterson. "'ere you go lads" he said handing over one pint of lager and a generous measure of rum. Minty gave him a five pound note. "Keep the change Jimbo" he said. As Patrick and Minty left the bar to sit down, Gareth walked up to the bar. "Is there no end to your talents Jimbo?" he grinned. Jimbo grunted. "Well Gareth, plumbing and decorating jobs aren't paying well, because people are wanting to cut down the prices of the jobs..." Ronnie looked at Jimbo surprised "...when I've gotta make a living, so a barman job seems to make sense living on this square" Jimbo said dryly. Gareth laughed loudly. "Who's this?" Ronnie asked. "Ronnie Mitchell meet Gareth Jones, or the Mad Welshman as I like to call him" Jimbo drawled, Ronnie laughed as she shook Gareth's hand. Gareth took the van keys out of his jeans pocket and Jimbo took them. "Cheers mate, Dani and Eddie here?" Jimbo asked. "Aye my dear sis is over at your step-mum's place, Eddie's worn out poor little guy" Gareth answered. "You stayin' for a bit then?" Jimbo probed. Gareth shook his head. "Nah Dad'll want me back in Telford, he's still a bit shaky after Mum and everything" he explained somewhat darkly, shaking Jimbo's hand he left the pub and Walford behind.
Meanwhile back at Number 5 Danielle and Tanya were enjoying a bottle of wine together and comparing Max and Jimbo's approaches to romance. "Well the closest Jim...came...to a rom-man-tic me...eal was...er...never!" Danielle slurred. Tanya erupted into a fit of giggles as Max walked in, took one look at the scene before him and left the house muttering, "Bloody women".
"So Gareth's your girlfriend's brother?" Ronnie asked. "Yep, decent guy he is, always there for Dani and me, though he is a bit mad, hence the nickname" Jimbo sighed. "You didn't say you were a plumber..." "Well I felt I needed another job, you know so I had something to do. Ronnie nodded. "Get me a whiskey son" Max sat on one the barstools. "Alright Dad?" Jimbo asked."Well I was...until Tanya and I assume your bird cracked open the wine" Max grumbled. "Blonde about my height, locket around her neck?" Max nodded at his son's summing up of the young woman he had seen. "Aye that's my Dani, her bruv just left as you came in" Jimbo grinned.
Meanwhile on the outskirts of Walford a young, scruffy and severely malnourished man was staggering towards Albert Square, a person Jimbo and Danielle thought they would not see again his name was Lockwood, Jimmy Lockwood.
Danielle and Tanya were now sobering up as Stacey and Bradley were heading over to meet Danielle and Eddie, Bradley was keen to see his nephew once again. Eddie was waking up when Bradley knocked on the door. "Tanya!" Bradley called. The door creaked open, Eddie's head popped around it. "Uncle Bradley!" he squeaked. Bradley scooped his nephew up. "Hey little man!" Bradley beamed, Eddie gave Stacey a wide smile. "Are you my Auntie?" he piped. "Yes I am," Stacey felt a bond with Eddie straight away, and the idea of her own little child in her arms became more of a reality. "are you two coming in?" Tanya asked breaking the moment between the three.
Danielle stood in the living room stroking her locket fondly remembering her adopted mother Lizzie telling her all about her "locket mummy" the young girl who had clearly loved her otherwise the locket would not have being given to the Joneses, she hadn't told Jimbo she had tracked her real mother down to the very place his family lived. She said the name she had being given by the adoption agency under her breath. "Veronica Mitchell".
Jimbo and Max were now heading towards Number 5. Max noticed the van. "That yours son?" he asked. Jimbo smacked him on the head. "'Course it is how many James A. Branning's do you know?" Max rubbed the back of his head still surprised by his son's action. "You really live up to your name" Max chuckled as the pair entered Number 5. "'ello, Tan, Dani?" Jimbo called. A excited squeal came from the living room. Jimbo ventured into the doorway, Max behind him. Eddie tumbled off his mother's lap and waddled over to his father. "'ello son" Jimbo said kissing the top of Eddie's head. "Branning's back" Max quipped.