Strong family bonds ensure that traumatised Ben receives warm support as he takes his first steps back into the work-force.

Slowly he learns to smile again, embracing a newfound interest in gardening and a growing friendship with his boss's daughter Emma, which might hold the promise of something more.

Julie and Dave, meanwhile, are forced to deal with the consequences for Rachel and Jake of a dangerous accusation flung at him by a drunken woman on a rugby weekend away.

Rachel's feelings for Jake are tested to the limit, especially when her boss throws into the confusing mix the chance of a lifetime to work in New York.

Tom's never quite predictable manipulations ultimately force Dave to take a heart-breaking stand, and cause him to initially misjudge the intentions of his half-brother, Matt.

Coby confides in Jake that he is struggling with Rachel moving in fulltime, and Ben’s positive façade is questioned when his emotions bubble to the surface.

As Council Clean-Up Days looms Dave gets the clean-out bug, chucking stuff out from the big and small sheds.

Guilt-ridden about invading Coby's private garage space, Rachel compounds her sin by inadvertently offering his artwork as part of an advertising campaign.

Meanwhile, Carbo and Retta continue to suffer as Rita descends further into loneliness, driving her neighbours mad with dirge-like Greek folk music.

A vacancy at the local child care centre sends Ruby's baby-sitters Ben and Ted into a spin, and they become locked in a comic competition to prove their baby-sitting worth.

The aftermath of Jake's ill-fated rugby weekend is fully felt as Julie realises how much perception and misperception can affect the lives of her family and friends.

Rachel's woes are mixed when her boss, Paul Morgan tells her he expects her to deliver a contract signed by Coby as the main artist for their new alcopop campaign.

Ted meanwhile reveals to Julie that he's developed a crush on a beautiful Chinese woman, Mai who has been teaching Tai Chi in the park every morning.

When Nathan starts to receive dodgy emails and phone calls, he finally realises his mistake and gets angry with Ben for letting him make a fool of himself.

Tensions rise next door when Carbo's feelings are hurt at having not been asked to be a part of Nathan's car spares business.

Dave leaps at the chance when his successful friend Warney, offers him a shot at the contract for a big office rewiring job.

Retta begins to feel the pressure of wedding preparations, but things get worse when Carbo brings his livewire cousin Voula, in to help.

Julie eventually convinces Dave to take a much-needed break, but he is unaware that Matt has been hired as a replacement worker.

Meanwhile, Ben agrees to go to the movies with Emma, knowing that so long as other friends go with them, there's no pressure of the evening feeling like a date.

But when Retta gets food poisoning and cannot go, and Carbo refuses to leave his wife's side, it means that for Ben, the pressure is back on: it's now a date.

[8] When Ben and Retta discover Carbo sleepwalking due to wedding stress, they decide he must tell his parents he's already married before he hurts himself.

When Carbo and Retta return from the honeymoon from hell, Ben and Emma head out to a restaurant and enjoy a perfect evening.

Steve Wilson's arrival sends Matt into a star struck spin, but it's Nathan who gets the biggest surprise with some disturbing news from his ex-boss.