As the joint 16th birthday of best friends Jane Harper and Della Wells dawns, parents Natalie and Roxy are preparing for a spectacular party. Meanwhile, Jane has been receiving threatening text messages.
Roxy struggles to get her head around having another baby; Sam is at risk of losing guardianship of his sister Lucy when she tries to sabotage a meeting with a social worker, and Jane receives more creepy text messages.
Jane visits runaway teen Josh, whom she has also been romancing, at the Halfway House; she discovers that he has a secret cell phone, leading her to suspect he is the source of the messages.
Della feels lost without her best friend; Natalie thinks Jane is a drama queen for not coming home, and Sam's aunt Rachel shows up. Roxanne is concerned about Jane, and Della asks Holly if she's seen Jane.
Tom has a big secret which comes to air when he and Jimmy run down Thornton Street naked while Alex listens in as Roxanne and Natalie talk about Jane's disappearance.
Concern continues to grow for Jane as her whereabouts remain unknown, and Della decides to befriend Frankie. Later, Natalie starts seeing flashbacks of Jane from the days before she went missing.
Duncan and Natalie receive a visit from the police regarding Jane's disappearance, as the cops take the case more seriously. Ryan feels he can't do anything right in his mother Natalie's eyes, and nightmares are plaguing Alex.
When the police discover a body, Natalie is faced with the possibility that her daughter may be dead. At the same time, Holly and Josh discuss what they know about Jane. Later, Della decides that the police should know about Josh.
The police question Josh over his relationship with Jane; Natalie tries to come to terms with the fact that it seems the daughter Natalie knew, and the real Jane are far from the same person.
Natalie accuses Fiona of having an affair, but her suspicions are proved wrong. Frankie is embarrassed when she assumes Sam wants to sleep with her, and Josh confronts Alex about Jane.
Frankie has her first kiss, Della spies on Josh, and Will has a secret crush on Roxanne. Elsewhere, Rachel and Fiona meet. Later, Roxanne and Alex row.
Mike and Will both quit their jobs and decide to go into business together. Della seeks out Josh for someone to talk with about Jane, and Will isn't happy that his daughter Frankie has a boyfriend.
Natalie and Duncan have a lead on the whereabouts of Jane. But are they being conned? Ryan upsets Natalie when she learns he spoke to a journalist, and Natalie and Duncan discover they can't pay the ransom.
Duncan and Natalie have been conned; Will uses his daughter Frankie as an excuse to spend time around Roxanne; Della and Josh continue getting close; Rachel causes trouble for Fiona, and Natalie confides in Roxanne.
Natalie isn't coping with not knowing the whereabouts of Jane. Dennis still doesn't trust his stepfather, Alex. Della and Josh become more than friends, and Rachel plots to get Fiona fired from the school.
A face from the past, Steph McKenzie, returns to Thornton Street, to take up the role of the local vicar, but Natalie, who is far from happy, makes her hatred of Steph very clear.
As Christmas approaches, Natalie reminisces about Christmases past, including Sam's parents before the crash, Jane and Alex as they are about to embark on their affair, the breakdown of Will's marriage and Jane getting an abortion.