Investigating a domestic-violence call, Kevin gets beaten up by the wife; nobody seems to care that Simon's about to leave for college; Ruthie and Peter work on a school project; Martin Brewer enters the Camdens' lives.

Lucy signs up for the police department's husband-and-wife softball team; Cecilia starts dating someone new.

The high-school principal has a strict rule about only parents visiting the school; Eric informing her about a family that wants an exception leads to the school board investigating the principal.

Matt wants to drop out of medical school after Sarah leaves him. Rabbi Glass talks to Matt about Sarah. Kevin's ex-wife is in town and wants to have dinner with him and Lucy. Martin's aunt wants Martin to move with her to New York.

Eric tries to help Paris' ex-husband Vic, who wants to be part of her and Peter's lives again; she doesn't want him back and Peter is afraid it would affect his relationship with Chandler.

Martin wants to drop out of school when a sports team recruits him. Lucy wants to move out after an argument with her mother; Kevin tells her to apologize and be more active in their finances. Chandler is the executor of his father's estate.

At a Camden party, Roxanne and Betsy get into an argument about the war in Iraq. When Martin's father shows up, Roxanne is attracted to him. The twins want to spend more time with Ruthie.

A school project gets Ruthie and Peter in trouble as they write a newspaper article about two presidents containing false information. Annie's half-sister visits to discuss information about their father, but Annie does not want to listen.

Matt and Ruthie get together to share a special anniversary date for something they share, but Matt does not want others to know he is in town. Martin takes Cecilia on a date. Vic wants to spend time with Paris because he wants to propose.

Love and marriage seems to be on everyone's mind as Annie's sister is planning her wedding, a mentally challenged couple wants to get married after just one date, and a couple has their premarital counseling with Chandler.

Annie's father has died, but Annie seems upbeat. Perhaps she is in the denial stage of grief. Chandler is still upset over losing his own father, and breaking up with Roxanne. Eric suggests he adopt a child.

Lucy and Kevin look for their first home as does Chandler; turns out they are looking at the same place. Eric and Annie decide to buy their house from the church; Ruthie plans to move into the garage apartment when Lucy and Kevin move out.

Chandler has Jeffrey for the night since his grandmother is in the hospital. Lucy and Kevin celebrate their wedding anniversary and discuss starting a family. Cecilia makes plans for going to college and discusses her relationship with Martin. Peter gets caught drinking.

Ruthie and Peter get separated from their classmates on a field trip. Kevin and Roxanne go undercover for a police assignment. Chandler struggles as a new parent.

Lucy thinks Kevin's partner is keeping secrets from him, such as she is trying to become a detective. Matt is having problems in his marriage. Martin learns that everyone thinks he is having sex with Cecilia.

Cecilia breaks up with Martin because she wants to be with Simon. Matt continues to run into a former girlfriend and is concerned about his marriage falling apart. Ruthie's foreign exchange student visits and is now living with the Camdens.

It's a big day for the Camden's as the twins start kindergarten. Lucy is pregnant but does not want to get maternity clothes yet. Simon and Georgia may be having sex. Ruthie gets in trouble at school.

A pregnant Lucy & Kevin learn they are going to have a girl. Simon tells his parents he is having sex with Georgia and is on probation at college. Eric decides to set up an abstinence pledge group at church, and Ruthie signs it.

Lucy is promoted to Associate Pastor at the church and faces the task of writing her first sermon. Simon starts going to a therapist and realizes he has been suppressing his guilt of a previous car accident. Ruthie wants to go on a date.

Simon is still an emotional mess, but is ready to return to school when he meets Justin Smith, the brother of the boy he accidentally ran over. He finds he's finally off drugs and even grateful that the trauma repaired his family rift; closure becomes possible before he moves to college. Harry is determined to let the Camden parents tell Ruthy it's over. He decides to find a family of his own by marrying a girl in the Social Services home they're both desperate to get out of. Both Kevin and Martin play the protective big brothers. There's also a bird which fell out of the nest; Ruthie's responsibility just because she found it. High-pregnant teenager Leanne wants Eric to choose an adoptive couple to be parents for her baby, but goes in labor early. Lucy finds both candidate couples utterly selfish. Eric finds the father, Charlie Bates, still prepared to do he right thing provided Eric helps him with his parents. Charlie's parents fear he would throw away his own future for a girl they did so much for, and then split up. Leanne's lousy, virtually absent mother gives Annie a hard time just to visit her offspring in hospital.

As the presidential election approaches, Martin is too vocal in his opinions and Ruthie realizes she has none, Annie and Eric might be on different sides of the political ticket, and Lucy and Kevin have never registered to vote.

Lucy and Kevin see a new doctor for their pregnancy and they have different opinions of her. Ruthie becomes interested in Martin's friend and starts wearing makeup and acting older. Charlie, the new father of Leanne's baby, is having a hard time and wants out of parenthood, so Eric enlists the help of an old, dear family friend.

When Martin and Mac go play darts in the pool hall with Kevin, he naughtily leaves without telling they are being mistaken for new police rookies, so notorious Venus picks up physically mature Martin, who gives her a ride home on request -even stranding Mac- but stays aloof until they discover both their fathers are Marines on war theater missions. Lucy makes sure dad finds out so Kevin starts calling round for Venus's phone number, which starts the rumor he's two-timing Lucy, who stupidly takes it seriously even from an amused petty criminal Kevin just arrested, while Mac spreads one about Martin scoring at high-school, where Venus turns up the next morning as substitute teacher. Another utterly undeserved 'my-house-my-rules' lecture from sanctimonious liar Eric decides Martin it's time to get emancipated and move out, that very evening. Then he spots two marines with a briefcase.Meanwhile Ben's own lie to hide he spent three days camping with Dr. Miranda Pearson has its own unpredictable consequences.

Simon calls Lucy and Kevin to borrow money. They turn to Eric for advice. Simon has been told to leave the dorm after breaking rules by having his girlfriend spend the night in his room.

With Thanksgiving approaching, everyone seems to be planning something different. Lucy wants to host the big meal, Simon wants to stay at college, Mary is staying in Puerto Rico, and the others also have different plans. Annie is upset.

Shortly before Thanksgiving, Eric, Annie, and the twins are still not home; Eric has a cold and Annie already blames him for ruining the family Thanksgiving again. Simon has brought Georgia home but she refuses to tell anyone about her pregnancy until they tell his parents; later she tells him she lied so he wouldn't leave her. Pregnant Lucy is moody and takes advantage of her condition, driving Kevin and Matt mad; the weather cancels Martin's camping trip. Lucy gets Matt to take her to the supermarket where she faints, and Matt's limited medical-student knowledge bothers Dr. Klein. When Ruthie calls from Puerto Rico, lonely because Carlos' family is occupied with the baby, Martin assures her that Thanksgiving is celebrated in overseas territories too.

Lucy is home from the hospital but is irritable, confined to bed rest. Kevin tells her to finish her studies. Martin is having problems at school and Ruthie learns his father's tour of duty is extended. Wayne Newton makes an appearance.

Matt takes Lucy shopping so that she is out of the house. Annie prepares for the baby shower while she is gone. At the store, Lucy goes into labor. Matt & Lucy are stuck in an elevator. Lucy gives birth to a girl.

Lucy, Kevin, and Savannah move back to her parents' home where there is one mother too many. Annie tries to impart her mothering skills on Lucy, who has different ideas. Ruthie sees an opportunity to get a favor from Martin.

Ruthie is going on her first date, and everyone else is more worked up than she is.

The cast shows their singing skills as the express their feelings about Valentine's Day. Simon starts dating another gal. The twins celebrate their birthday.

Kevin meets the previous owner of his new home who seems to miss the memories of his former residence. Simon asks Matt to give him a prescription for birth control pills for his girlfriend.

The Camden kids panic about their cover-lie for "Simon's" (actually covering for fickle, unfaithful Mary's) secret after Annie phones with Carlos; she doesn't learn it yet, but decides to surprise-visit Mary in New York excited about the fictitious baby; the following family calls only weave the web of deception and misunderstandings ever tighter, even gold-honest Kevin gets ragged in; even when Eric's overhears an unclosed line, he keeps it secret for Annie but visits Simon, also on false pretenses. After dragging it out of Ruthie, Martin wisely abstains from compounded lying. Martin and Mac, who sort of hopes to get her on the rebound, catch Vincent dating another girl, but only to make Ruthie jealous, who brushed him off with a lie, next Vincent goes make up with her.

Lucy seems to only have time for Savannah, and Kevin feels left out. Vincent's new girlfriend is a snob who looks for ways to insult others. Zoe confides in Ruthie that their family does not have enough money for food. The twins are sick.

When Simon visits home to write a paper, the twins are just happy, the sisters speculate what trouble he's in; dad guesses his Bible reading is a pact with God for a clear bill on his venereal disease test. Zoe convinces Martin to join her watching a meteor shower for an astronomy assignment, but he leaves his cell phone afraid to tell Eric as it's at night, and thus misses a persistent caller- from Iraq. Lucy wants to return to parish work, but Kevin refuses to dump their baby on her ma, even prefers doing night-shifts or becoming a home dad. Ruthy's ex Peter Petrowski's parents George 'Vic' and Paris ask Eric to remarry them. Ruthy's boyfriend Vincent is offended she nags about Peter saying not to feel anything for her anymore.

Cecilia's dad George Smith tells Eric that he and his wife Gwen are looking for a foster-son, about 10 years old, to fill the now empty-feeling home, with the hope of adopting. The enthusiastic reverend immediately thinks of orphanage boy Danny Davies, who proves charming and eager. Danny expects to that his sisters will be adopted too. It's only fair that Eric helps put that straight, which proves even more complicated then it sounds. Carlos tells Matt he's leaving New York for his dad's firm in Puerto Rico because 'mother' Mary makes no marital effort at all, having cheerfully signed over custody of baby Charlie. The twins are sad that Martin, and in time all their siblings seem to leave, even Lucy now. Kevin presses her to finally choose a house, then concludes the mother is the one who pushes fledglings out of the nest. Simon's girlfriend Rose wants to dump him unless he gives a good reason why they still don't have sex. Vincent pushes Martin to help him break up with Ruthie, in case he meets a girl while on vacation with his grandparents on Hawaii.

Eric hides Mary's divorce from Annie, and Simon's romance heats up. While the Smiths brace for a custody battle over the Davis kids, Simon arrives home for an overnight visit with his girlfriend Rose (Sarah Thompson), whom Annie finds "condescending and rude." Annie's intuition tells her Rose is pushing Simon for marriage, and that something's up with Mary and Carlos. Although Eric knows Mary has filed for divorce, he avoids sharing that information with Annie just yet. Since Vincent doesn't have the guts to break up with Ruthie, Martin takes it upon himself to reveal the truth. Lucy is surprised by Annie's erroneous assumption that Carlos and Mary are still together. Meanwhile, Simon hears from Kevin that Rose had led Annie to believe they're engaged. When Simon confronts Rose, he reiterates that, even if they discussed the possibility of marriage, he didn't actually propose. Visibly upset, Rose walks off. The Davis kids are stunned to learn their mom is refusing to relinquish custody. As much as they want to be adopted by the Smiths, the children fear that if they testify against their mother in family court, she'll wind up turning to drugs and alcohol. That's not a risk they're willing to take. Later, Ruthie asks Vincent to never call her again, and Rose asks Simon what he wants from their relationship. To Kevin's delight, Lucy puts an offer on a fixer-upper house next door! The Smiths and Davises reach a compromise: George and his wife won't push for adoption, but Mrs. Davis will allow them to become the kids' foster parents. Minutes after Eric shocks Annie with the news of Mary's divorce, Simon and Rose announce they intend to get engaged "in the near future." That evening, the Camdens join Martin as he welcomes his father home from Iraq. .. _

Eric tries to avoid telling his parents about Mary's divorce. Simon's fiancee wants him to move up the wedding date. Lucy learns the difficulties of being an associate pastor.

After a scary arrest which could have gone fatally wrong, Kevin decides to leave the police before someone gets hurts as he can no longer concentrate on anything but his young family. Ruthie brings over Meredith and her presumed boyfriend Jack, who proves a natural with babies and a nice senior - too old, so - and is on to her plan; Meredith actually is more interested in the other good boy, Tyler, who agrees with a demure kiss to date. The colonel arrives, winking to Martin about his Iraq veteran dad's gardening job and to Eric's surprise already knows about Charlie - even got and believes Mary's version that Carlos cheated on her, but Carlos explains she just 'caught' him dining with Cecily, the nanny he had to hire because Mary was never home. Simon first scolds, then consoles his ex Sandy for having seduced and made a baby with Martin. Eric spoils the twins fun playing cowboys with granddad because he bans all gun toys and is told to bother about real problems. Lou Dalton tells Eric most parishioners want Lucy fired as his associate pastor.

Rosie moves in with Simon and remodels his studio, while keeping her apartment as a front, but that proves unpractical. Simon insists on telling their parents they'll get married, but after graduation. When Simon announces that he is going to come and bring bad news, dad and Lucy falsely 'hope' it's their break-up. They disagree on what to offer single women, except a 'church social', which Martin accepts and brings Meredith as their first date. Kevin eagerly accepts Joanie's invitation to her 'mom and I' class, where the sensitive hunk is an instant hit. The parents disagree whether to forbid Ruthie going out with 'too mature' Jack, so she gets Martin to set her up with honor student Sam Walker.

Simon bursts his startled parents' malicious bubble: he's not dumping Rose, she moved in. When Simon accepts 'too easily' to give Rosie her marching orders -which she ignores- as they pay for the apartment, they hoped he wanted an excuse to break up and be with Sandy, who they prefer, this time partially true. The twins announce they have each found true love. Ruthie tries to get rid of Sam Walker, but neither Eric nor Martin agree to do her dirty work. After church teenagers class girl Lizzie Wheeler admits an unwanted pregnancy, Lucy doubts her decision to stay in pastoral work and envies Kevin's obviously excellent home parenting, then Lizzie changes her story. Rosie sets an ultimatum. Martin tells Lucy he'll become a father.

Kevin was happy to perform at a kids party in a Riverton rat costume, but when Mat hears Lucy is visiting Simon, prods him along to spy and soon finds Eric is doing the same, alas equally clumsily. Rose knew Lucy came for Sandy, so Martin's secret gets spread. Meredith gets Ruthie to find out if Martin disconnects his cellphone because he has another, while he is considering his options whether to play baseball full time in his senior year semester as he already has enough credited courses.

After Sandy has Braxton-Hicks contractions, she admits that a miscarriage would simplify her life, but Simon's fear that the truth is about to come out seems ever more warranted. Kevin and Eric worry as Lucy keeps insisting that nobody else should meddle with her 'client' Sandy. They must tell her who has already found out and Kevin must physically stop her from assaulting Sandy's alcoholic dad, Edward Jameson. Eric fears that George Smith is about to find out too. Ruthie lies about her new date being 16 as Martin says his team's huge shortstop Brian is 18.

Ruthie tackles a new project and Martin confronts his father. Sandy's estranged dad Ed stops by church with $3,000 he wants Lucy to give to his daughter. Angry with Simon for buying Rose's diamond ring, Eric refuses to loan him $100 to pay his phone bill. Ruthie announces she's collecting Campbell's soup labels to raise funds to buy a computer for the school newspaper. Knowing Martin dreams of joining a minor league baseball team after graduation, Meredith promises to wait for him until they're both ready to settle down. To aid Ruthie's cause, all the Camdens start eating lots of soup. Simon tries hitting up Matt and Kevin for money, but they decline. Ruthie tells Annie she hopes to date Jack, an 18-year-old "hottie" from school. During a conversation about Ed's unexpected gift, Sandy surprises Lucy by saying she once slept with Simon. Fortunately, Sandy assures Lucy that the baby she's carrying is Martin's child. While Martin tries to summon up the courage to discuss Sandy's pregnancy with his father Bill, Ruthie is thrilled when Jack confesses he'd like to date her, once her parents allow it. Later, Martin asks Eric to help him break the bad news to Bill. Although Bill claims everything will be okay, Martin disagrees, stating, "My life is over!" before walking out. Both Bill and Eric wonder how Meredith and Ruthie will react when they find out about Sandy. The next day, Ed, an admitted alcoholic, returns to church. He's just lost his job and wants his money back. Lucy lies, saying she's already wired the funds to Sandy. Eric vows they'll support Ed...if he goes into rehab. Over at school, Kevin urges Martin to come clean about Sandy with Meredith and Ruthie. When Simon reveals his sister Mary lent him $100 to pay his phone bill, Eric hangs up on him. .. _

The mixed joys of fatherhood way heavy. While Annie tends to the flu patients, Eric feels no better after learning that the haughty Colonel sired him before marriage. Martin's dad needs all his paternal love and self-control to patiently push the boy to step up to his upcoming paternity. Sandy's parents tell the Reverends to butt out, then refuse any responsibility for Sandy and disown her. Martin discovers an excellent reason that Ruthie shouldn't date Jack.

Ruthie becomes the subject of a shocking rumor.

While Eric sneakily prowls for pie, Ruthie tells off Jack, who indignantly rebukes Martin's insinuations as just that, and even gets his and Eric's apologies. While Simon can finally just rest, Rose stresses that he shouldn't find out her dad's fourth marriage is breaking up like her mother's third, which is why he's selling his house, which she's hoping to get for herself and Simon. Kevin says Martin needs a good beating, if not from his father than from him, but both basically-good boys feel relieved after rolling around in the grass letting off steam by fisticuffs.

When Ruthie's new black classmate Alex insists on doing his 'Famous Americans' report on his idol Martin Luther King and no other, although his day was the week before, baseball teammate Martin Brewer's innocent remark that it's not worth risking his sports career for has absurd consequences, as if he, not the teacher, changed the assignment to reports on 'African-Americans' only, which annoys everybody who already wrote on classics which return every year. Someone is so pissed off that Martin's car gets vandalized with racist language, which the model of fairness refuses on principle to clean up a coward's mess. Kevin gets his former colleague Phil, now the officer in charge of hate crimes, on the case, while emotions run high throughout Glenoak.

Martin refuses to drop baseball training to go to Sandy who is giving birth, although Eric begs him; Martin also gets a full-scholarship offer from nearby Sequoia College. Kevin patiently convinces Lucy that his 'husband at home' dreams squares ideally with a second-child wish. Martin finally visits his newborn son in the hospital, where both grandfathers commit to help each other and their offspring.

Eric welcomes Kevin's invitation for a Valentine's dinner with the whole family at the anniversary and in the restaurant of his proposal to Lucy, doubling as the twins birthday party. After all, Annie made a drama about the twins wanting a store birthday cake, not her traditional home-made ones, and Sam being by little Rachel without soon jealous David spells trouble between both them and their parents, as Eric wants to let them decide what to do together and tries to compensate by taking just David for ice-cream during Sam's play-date. Ruthie keeps dreaming about Martin dropping Sandy, the baby and college for her, yet finds some solace in a daily 'job' Eric got for her, helping old Ms. Rusnak to get used to a new bike, or rather for the company. As if his parents weren't unhappy enough about bride Rose, she even refuses Simon to get married in Eric's church. Lucy manages to embarrass herself in a daring dress at the restaurant, but nobody else enjoys dinner anyhow.

The kids, except for Sam and David, have been away for several months. The parents feel awkward, especially stay-at-home-dad Kevin. He's an amazing all-around help and thinks of starting a house-renovation business with enthusiastic Annie. Lucy is having a hard time after losing their twins and endlessly-patient Kevin always bends over backwards trying to help her, even when she goes too far in public. Martin makes a go at turning his life around to be a father to his son with Sandy, who insists that he should live his own life and let her live hers. Martin calls Sandy a Lucy-clone who still hopes Simon will take her back; meanwhile he's jealous of her date Daniel.

Reverend Eric Camden feels old after the twins' young teacher mistakes him for their grandfather and being unable to keep up physically with wife Annie's sexual appetite. Martin gets in trouble with Sandy when she overhears him in the baby-phone thanking Kevin for the -mis-understood- advice to seduce her by cooking for her. Lucy worries what it means about his sexual appetite now Kevin has stopped cooking elaborate dinners after talking to lonely young teenager movie theater tickets clerk T-bone, who considers her highly desirable. Kevin selflessly worries about all of them.

Lucy tells two girls that they won't get access to the pregnancy-home apartments, neither through her nor Annie, but such cheap rent remains a prize worth fighting for. When Eric's car breaks down, he learns that T-Bone, the movie-ticket seller who has a crush on Lucy, is actually a courageous abandoned kid. When the girls come the Camden house, they recognize T-Bone as "Theodore." Eric lets them stay for one night until Annie returns, even after discovering that they smoke pot, but Annie returns early and leaves it to the pastors to find a solution for the girls. Sandy makes Eric listen over the phone to her boyfriend Daniel, who she now believes to want only loveless sex and housekeeping comfort; as he states upfront intentions, Martin barges in. T-Bone insists that he can't stay or he'll spill the beans as long as Eric hasn't told the family about his heart problems, which he guessed after witnessing Kevin's sacrificed trousers . Eric only tells Annie about his intention to keep home-schooling the twins.

Misery all the way while Eric stubbornly keeps hiding his heart problems for Annie, the only one he wanted to know ever, even after a misunderstanding brings paramedics rushing, but ends up telling the truth to Kevin who manages to make him take his long-delayed cardiology check up. T-bone proves a second Robby, as helpful as an angel and a butler, yet incredulous Annie can find him a home, at 17. Meanwhile the bitchy girls can't wriggle out of accepting the burger-joint jobs (ironically, they're vocal vegetarians) Annie arranged for them. Tyler's baby's mother Sandy is in love again with Daniel.

Eric has finally decided to tell the children about his heart condition. He and Annie are flying to Scotland, so Ruthie is frantic, she doesn't want to return home but stay 'normal', not a 'preacher's kid'. Lucy plays the drama queen not to be told earlier and now refuses to listen now to Kevin, who once again is caught from all sides. T-Bone and the girls pretend to be scared and want to stay in Kevin's house while the Camdens are away, Kevin doesn't buy it; indeed Jeane is hiding from her husband, a boot-camp private she married only three weeks ago just for the benefits. Margaret has bad news for T-Bone. Sandy calls Lucy she was crazy to declare her love to co-student Daniel, she now wants her baby's dad Martin back...

At home, Kevin has a hard time teaching the twins pets like their hamsters are for life when they want to dump them on him; Lucy ultimately finds out their motive: they think daddy needs help. Mother Annie is furious to learn in Edinburgh, like Lucy earlier over the phone, selfish Ruthie has no interest in leaving her Scottish luxury life and privacy, even plans a Swiss ski trip, but cardio-terminal dad Eric declares he's allowed to be selfish and orders her home. T-Bone is furious when a phone-call from the girls gets his selfish mother on his trail, live- Kevin recognizes her as a whore he once arrested, but she consents with Lucy's advice to neglected son Theodore: get him legally emancipated, i.e. early majority in a court procedure. Martin's mate Mac is back, as best man for the wedding, but makes Sandy consider whether they're getting married for the right reason, love, not jealousy, an excuse to leave Daniel, etc. ...

While Eric and Lucy sneak off fishing, pretending it's for a 'church stuff' seminar, Kevin must give advice -which he does in scary terms- to poor T-Bone, whose snooty girlfriend Ruthie (ab)uses him to cause jealousy with her sort-of-ex Mac, who gets himself invited to stay at the Camdens after moving back in town only to find his reuniting parents' condo has only one bedroom, and his best friend -and other semi-ex- Martin, who gets bitched at by his baby son Aaron's unmarried mother Sandy after Mac arranged for them to to double-date with T-Bone, Margaret and Jane...

Colonel John Camden and his wife Ruth are staying over on their way to Hawaii, unannounced. Fearing they will spill the beans, Lucy wants to skip town with Kevin supposedly to help Simon, asking Sandy to cover church service, so she stays in their place with baby Aaron; she's warm to boy-friend Dr. Jonathan Sanderson, chilly to Martin. T-Bone needs help for his first Valentine's day with a girl-friend, Ruthie insists they get matching tattoos, despite his and Margaret's reluctance for permanent markings, having to hide them for the Camdens and a serious needle-phobia. Mac is happy moving into the trio's apartment means 'adult' independence, the girls see domestic misery. When Jane gets her divorce papers from soldier Jack, she wants to wait till after Valentine's day. The grandparents overhear the twins with their parents, and suggest they may soon move for good. Lucy changes her minds and turns up with Kevin.

T-Bone feels insecure to learn the only thing stopping Ruthie from having her tattoo with his name removed by a doctor is lack of money; her parents firmly refuse to help pay and she is reluctant to take a job for her skin-integrity. When T-Bone generously offers to pay, 'feeling somehow responsible,' Annie and Eric are lividly disgusted when she agrees, taking money he needs for college, and they order her to take a job immediately and pay every cent herself. Meanwhile, Lucy and Kevin discover that the church of their potential parish, Crossroads, is inside the bar/grocery/school annex, there are 27 inhabitants, and Kevin would be the sheriff. The Asian doctor who runs the church complex explains that the parish gets about 100 worshippers of different denominations from four churchless counties and the minister couple should act as their 'group parents.' Mac blurts to Haley that Martin has no game that day so she makes him admit that he lied to have a day off; she also reproaches Martin for neglecting his son. Jane learns that Margaret is helping Mac with his English assignment and seems interested in him. Eric tells Margaret she should concentrate on going to college and assures T-Bone that he's not obliged to stay with selfish Ruthie unless he wishes to, or to take responsibility for her own stupidity. Kevin is eager to move to the challenging parish, Lucy feels overwhelmed, and the locals hope they will move in.

When Ruthie asks T-Bone to help her get a job at his movie theater, to earn enough for an anniversary present reciprocating his engagement ring, he tells colleague Mac that he wants to use Eric's permission to break up with Ruthie but doesn't know how. Without asking, Mac uses T-Bone's cell phone to send Ruthie a text message meaning "I break up with you", and as if that weren't blunt enough accidentally copies it to the boy's entire phone-list, so everybody knows, only Ruthie doesn't get it. Lucy is furious at 'insensitive T-Bone', Anny blames Eric fearing his permission will overshadow the couple's own feelings. Margaret is furious, feeling used, when she hears Mac has taken full credit reading the Crawford English literature paper she helped him write; Jane says that kills her blossoming love for him, Mac feels an attack by lip contact is his best shot. Kevin is very eager to become sheriff in Crossroads, where he could make a real difference, but Lucy doesn't want to move and collects excuses, so they decide to ponder their choice a bit longer. Police captain Michaels tells Kevin the job pays great, but also offers him an alternative job without moving, now he's up for promotion to chief of police himself. Martin acts toward Jane as if they aren't together, but refuses Mac's suggestion to look for a more practical girl-friend, at his college. Ruthie considers dad's advice to leave T-Bone free to choose, true love comes trough anyway; T-Bone gets second thoughts...

Eric and Annie rush to the hospital after Eric wakes up with a good feeling about his heart condition. Unsure whether her parents are at the hospital due to good news or bad news, Lucy is a bundle of nerves, and it's up to Kevin to keep her thinking positively as they wait for news. T-Bone and Ruthie decide to get back together, but Martin hopes to change Ruthie's mind when he reveals that he's in love with her as well.

Now Eric is miraculously cured, the colonel sends him a celebration gift: an RV. He impulsively decides to take it on an unplanned maiden trip, for which the other residents soon sign on, the only limitation being one suitcase and three personal items each. Kevin and Lucy will get out in Crossroads, to decide whether to move there permanently, but wrestle with another terrifying doubt. Martin has another question. T-Bone only lifts along to join his dad's motor road trip.

Investigating a domestic-violence call, Kevin gets beaten up by the wife; nobody seems to care that Simon's about to leave for college; Ruthie and Peter work on a school project; Martin Brewer enters the Camdens' lives.

When Ruthie's new black classmate Alex insists on doing his 'Famous Americans' report on his idol Martin Luther King and no other, although his day was the week before, baseball teammate Martin Brewer's innocent remark that it's not worth risking his sports career for has absurd consequences, as if he, not the teacher, changed the assignment to reports on 'African-Americans' only, which annoys everybody who already wrote on classics which return every year. Someone is so pissed off that Martin's car gets vandalized with racist language, which the model of fairness refuses on principle to clean up a coward's mess. Kevin gets his former colleague Phil, now the officer in charge of hate crimes, on the case, while emotions run high throughout Glenoak.

Martin wants to drop out of school when a sports team recruits him. Lucy wants to move out after an argument with her mother; Kevin tells her to apologize and be more active in their finances. Chandler is the executor of his father's estate.

Eric hides Mary's divorce from Annie, and Simon's romance heats up. While the Smiths brace for a custody battle over the Davis kids, Simon arrives home for an overnight visit with his girlfriend Rose (Sarah Thompson), whom Annie finds "condescending and rude." Annie's intuition tells her Rose is pushing Simon for marriage, and that something's up with Mary and Carlos. Although Eric knows Mary has filed for divorce, he avoids sharing that information with Annie just yet. Since Vincent doesn't have the guts to break up with Ruthie, Martin takes it upon himself to reveal the truth. Lucy is surprised by Annie's erroneous assumption that Carlos and Mary are still together. Meanwhile, Simon hears from Kevin that Rose had led Annie to believe they're engaged. When Simon confronts Rose, he reiterates that, even if they discussed the possibility of marriage, he didn't actually propose. Visibly upset, Rose walks off. The Davis kids are stunned to learn their mom is refusing to relinquish custody. As much as they want to be adopted by the Smiths, the children fear that if they testify against their mother in family court, she'll wind up turning to drugs and alcohol. That's not a risk they're willing to take. Later, Ruthie asks Vincent to never call her again, and Rose asks Simon what he wants from their relationship. To Kevin's delight, Lucy puts an offer on a fixer-upper house next door! The Smiths and Davises reach a compromise: George and his wife won't push for adoption, but Mrs. Davis will allow them to become the kids' foster parents. Minutes after Eric shocks Annie with the news of Mary's divorce, Simon and Rose announce they intend to get engaged "in the near future." That evening, the Camdens join Martin as he welcomes his father home from Iraq. .. _

When Martin and Mac go play darts in the pool hall with Kevin, he naughtily leaves without telling they are being mistaken for new police rookies, so notorious Venus picks up physically mature Martin, who gives her a ride home on request -even stranding Mac- but stays aloof until they discover both their fathers are Marines on war theater missions. Lucy makes sure dad finds out so Kevin starts calling round for Venus's phone number, which starts the rumor he's two-timing Lucy, who stupidly takes it seriously even from an amused petty criminal Kevin just arrested, while Mac spreads one about Martin scoring at high-school, where Venus turns up the next morning as substitute teacher. Another utterly undeserved 'my-house-my-rules' lecture from sanctimonious liar Eric decides Martin it's time to get emancipated and move out, that very evening. Then he spots two marines with a briefcase.Meanwhile Ben's own lie to hide he spent three days camping with Dr. Miranda Pearson has its own unpredictable consequences.

Ruthie tackles a new project and Martin confronts his father. Sandy's estranged dad Ed stops by church with $3,000 he wants Lucy to give to his daughter. Angry with Simon for buying Rose's diamond ring, Eric refuses to loan him $100 to pay his phone bill. Ruthie announces she's collecting Campbell's soup labels to raise funds to buy a computer for the school newspaper. Knowing Martin dreams of joining a minor league baseball team after graduation, Meredith promises to wait for him until they're both ready to settle down. To aid Ruthie's cause, all the Camdens start eating lots of soup. Simon tries hitting up Matt and Kevin for money, but they decline. Ruthie tells Annie she hopes to date Jack, an 18-year-old "hottie" from school. During a conversation about Ed's unexpected gift, Sandy surprises Lucy by saying she once slept with Simon. Fortunately, Sandy assures Lucy that the baby she's carrying is Martin's child. While Martin tries to summon up the courage to discuss Sandy's pregnancy with his father Bill, Ruthie is thrilled when Jack confesses he'd like to date her, once her parents allow it. Later, Martin asks Eric to help him break the bad news to Bill. Although Bill claims everything will be okay, Martin disagrees, stating, "My life is over!" before walking out. Both Bill and Eric wonder how Meredith and Ruthie will react when they find out about Sandy. The next day, Ed, an admitted alcoholic, returns to church. He's just lost his job and wants his money back. Lucy lies, saying she's already wired the funds to Sandy. Eric vows they'll support Ed...if he goes into rehab. Over at school, Kevin urges Martin to come clean about Sandy with Meredith and Ruthie. When Simon reveals his sister Mary lent him $100 to pay his phone bill, Eric hangs up on him. .. _

Lucy, Kevin, and Savannah move back to her parents' home where there is one mother too many. Annie tries to impart her mothering skills on Lucy, who has different ideas. Ruthie sees an opportunity to get a favor from Martin.

As the presidential election approaches, Martin is too vocal in his opinions and Ruthie realizes she has none, Annie and Eric might be on different sides of the political ticket, and Lucy and Kevin have never registered to vote.

Lucy and Kevin see a new doctor for their pregnancy and they have different opinions of her. Ruthie becomes interested in Martin's friend and starts wearing makeup and acting older. Charlie, the new father of Leanne's baby, is having a hard time and wants out of parenthood, so Eric enlists the help of an old, dear family friend.

While Eric and Lucy sneak off fishing, pretending it's for a 'church stuff' seminar, Kevin must give advice -which he does in scary terms- to poor T-Bone, whose snooty girlfriend Ruthie (ab)uses him to cause jealousy with her sort-of-ex Mac, who gets himself invited to stay at the Camdens after moving back in town only to find his reuniting parents' condo has only one bedroom, and his best friend -and other semi-ex- Martin, who gets bitched at by his baby son Aaron's unmarried mother Sandy after Mac arranged for them to to double-date with T-Bone, Margaret and Jane...