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.

Kevin makes a fine Father Christmas and knows the ideal gift: a dog, but Lucy insists to wait till after the holidays, then sneakily goes to the asylum herself, only to find their tastes in canines differ greatly. Heathen Rose has no clue what Christmas has to do with Nativity, so she 'tests' the twins, but in the process makes them doubt if either Santa or Jesus really exist. Sandy isn't keen either to participate in the parish's nativity scene. In the end, things work out as by Christmas magic.

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.

Annie and Eric are delighted with Matt and Sarah's surprise visit in time for Simon's wedding--and not just because they announce they're expecting. Simon is relieved that he and Rose aren't expecting, therefore marrying purely for love; but the next minute he gets cold feet, at which Lucy eagerly pokes. More visitors, like Matt's one-time bride-to-be Heather, stir further reminiscing and speculations; Rose's ex Umberto even asks Eric's permission to sabotage the wedding. The big day is full of surprises, including from Matt and Carlos.

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 finalmente ha decidido contarles a los niños sobre su condición cardíaca. Él y Annie están volando a Escocia, por lo que Ruthie está frenética, no quiere regresar a casa sino quedarse "normal", no como la hija de un predicador. Lucy se comporta como una diva para no ser informada antes y ahora se niega a escuchar a Kevin, quien una vez más se ve atrapado por todos lados. T-Bone y las chicas fingen tener miedo y quieren quedarse en la casa de Kevin mientras los Camden están fuera, pero Kevin no se lo cree; de hecho, Jeane se está escondiendo de su esposo, un soldado de campo de entrenamiento con el que se casó hace solo tres semanas por los beneficios. Margaret tiene malas noticias para T-Bone. Sandy llama a Lucy diciéndole que fue una locura declarar su amor al compañero de clase Daniel, ahora quiere que el padre de su bebé, Martin, regrese...

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. ...

Ruthie's run-in with airport security delays the family's return home. Angered that her one-way ticket triggered a search during a layover in New York, Ruthie sarcastically remarks, "I'm a terrorist," which causes Officer Keaton of the Port Authority police force to detain Ruthie, Eric and Annie for questioning. At home, Lucy finds the Camden kitchen overrun with casseroles and flowers from parishioners concerned over Eric's health. Fortunately, Lucy's calm confidence and positive attitude about Eric's heart condition lessens the anxieties of church members. While Margaret and the twins plan a musical "welcome home" for Eric, T-Bone and Jane brainstorm a special gift for him. In New York, Officer Keaton confides in Eric that his fiancée of five years, who's flying to London that night, refuses to marry him because she's afraid she might lose him in the line of fire. Later, Lucy inspires the family's neighbor, Mrs. Beeker, with her faith and strength, while Eric gives a speech at the airport, emphasizing the need to live without fear, despite the terrorist acts of September 11, 2001. In addition, he tracks down Officer Keaton's fiancée and performs a gate-side wedding ceremony. To her surprise, Sandy discovers Mac's "friendly" visit is actually a "spy" mission on behalf of Martin, who wants to know if Sandy is dating Simon, which she isn't. That evening, the Camdens arrive home to a rousing chorus of "This Land is Your Land," performed by Margaret and the twins. Up in their bedroom, Annie and Eric are surprised to find T-Bone and Jane's gift: an adjustable bed, donated by a parishioner.

Kevin feels that Lucy is too lazy to grocery-shop as she keeps promising to do; she hates that he buys wholesale and throws out everything officially past its expiration date, and he is pragmatic about his New Year's resolution to save money before they have a second baby. The twins spend $50 of their savings to help Darfur through Nicodemus, a Sudanese refugee who once helped Ruthie get home from a school field trip. The reverends oppose several old deacon votes Lou informs them of on matters from office furniture for Lucy (the selfish priority openly disgusts Kevin) to whether Darfur is too political a cause to get the parish's financial support. Ruthie arrogantly pretends her Scottish political talks make her an expert on all world problems compared to T-Bone, who never traveled overseas and doesn't even own a computer, but he soon finds that Margaret has doubts about the material Jane gave Ruthie, and in mere hours he learns more than she knows. Kevin tries to educate the girls, who react emotively and show generosity.

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...

T-Bone needs a drivers license to have some privacy with Ruthie, so he asks Kevin to give him practice lessons, but gets a torture version. Annie doesn't believe Lou's announcement the deacons want youth-friendlier church services because of a $16,000 budget deviation, and even a publicity swap with a car dealership; ultimately the twins solve the accounts discrepancy. Mac needs a job to pay his part of a place with Margareth and Jane, so T-Bone gets him hired as ticket colleague.

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.

When they realize that Ruthie has a secret and T-Bone won't talk, the Camden parents fear that her sudden religious interest means something bad, even if their denial of sex is sincere. After some prodding, the twins tell Annie, Kevin drags and bribes out of Mac, Lucy learns from Sandy, and even Eric gets from Margaret and Jane that it's just tattoos--just like Simon, Lucy, and Mary before her, supposedly all unknown to their parents. Again everyone tries to pretend to the others neither to know nor to have told; then the game shifts to guessing who knows what and who, if anyone, should tell Eric..

When a frantic Ruthie loses the tiny diamond from the promise ring that T-Bone gave her, she takes it as a sign that maybe they shouldn't be together and enlists the entire household to search for the missing stone. Meanwhile, Eric and Lucy independently come across a mysterious black bird and interpret it as a sign of bad things to come. Jonathan tells Sandy that he has strong feelings for her.

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 tries to reassure T-Bone there is no reason to move out, Ruthie doesn't hate him and her spending much time with Martin doesn't have to mean anything. Then a surprise takes priority: dentist Theodore Alan 'Al' Bonaducci rides on by Harley and assures T-bone 'junior' that was his nickname as a youngster, his ma just told him in Vegas he's the kid's father, alas 17 years too late... Dr. Jonathan Sanderson proposes to elated Sandy for marriage after her graduation in a year; she promises Lucy she can delay that now Kevin and she have decided to accept the Crossroads parish. Mac is in Margaret's kissing grace. Jane assures T-Bone that Martin is not into Ruthie but with her, yet Martin also accepts a serious talk with Sandy. Only when Ruthie hears T-Bone accepts to go away a whole summer with his dad, she tells her dad she hates their break-up...

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.

Kevin makes a fine Father Christmas and knows the ideal gift: a dog, but Lucy insists to wait till after the holidays, then sneakily goes to the asylum herself, only to find their tastes in canines differ greatly. Heathen Rose has no clue what Christmas has to do with Nativity, so she 'tests' the twins, but in the process makes them doubt if either Santa or Jesus really exist. Sandy isn't keen either to participate in the parish's nativity scene. In the end, things work out as by Christmas magic.

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.

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...

T-Bone needs a drivers license to have some privacy with Ruthie, so he asks Kevin to give him practice lessons, but gets a torture version. Annie doesn't believe Lou's announcement the deacons want youth-friendlier church services because of a $16,000 budget deviation, and even a publicity swap with a car dealership; ultimately the twins solve the accounts discrepancy. Mac needs a job to pay his part of a place with Margareth and Jane, so T-Bone gets him hired as ticket colleague.

Eric tries to reassure T-Bone there is no reason to move out, Ruthie doesn't hate him and her spending much time with Martin doesn't have to mean anything. Then a surprise takes priority: dentist Theodore Alan 'Al' Bonaducci rides on by Harley and assures T-bone 'junior' that was his nickname as a youngster, his ma just told him in Vegas he's the kid's father, alas 17 years too late... Dr. Jonathan Sanderson proposes to elated Sandy for marriage after her graduation in a year; she promises Lucy she can delay that now Kevin and she have decided to accept the Crossroads parish. Mac is in Margaret's kissing grace. Jane assures T-Bone that Martin is not into Ruthie but with her, yet Martin also accepts a serious talk with Sandy. Only when Ruthie hears T-Bone accepts to go away a whole summer with his dad, she tells her dad she hates their break-up...

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. ...

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.

When they realize that Ruthie has a secret and T-Bone won't talk, the Camden parents fear that her sudden religious interest means something bad, even if their denial of sex is sincere. After some prodding, the twins tell Annie, Kevin drags and bribes out of Mac, Lucy learns from Sandy, and even Eric gets from Margaret and Jane that it's just tattoos--just like Simon, Lucy, and Mary before her, supposedly all unknown to their parents. Again everyone tries to pretend to the others neither to know nor to have told; then the game shifts to guessing who knows what and who, if anyone, should tell Eric..

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.

When a frantic Ruthie loses the tiny diamond from the promise ring that T-Bone gave her, she takes it as a sign that maybe they shouldn't be together and enlists the entire household to search for the missing stone. Meanwhile, Eric and Lucy independently come across a mysterious black bird and interpret it as a sign of bad things to come. Jonathan tells Sandy that he has strong feelings for her.