Packed to the Rafters

The birth of Julie's fourth child Ruby forces her to consider the concept of new life being like a blank page.

With all seemingly at peace in the Rafter world, Dave begins to wrestle with the dilemma of whether to tell Chel that her first love, his father Tom, is still alive

Ben is plagued with unexpected doubts about his ability in the sack, while a miscommunication between Dave and Julie in the bedroom department sends her into a frenzy of frustration.

Ted struggles with feelings of worthlessness when, returning home from a movie, he and Chel are attacked by a gang of teenage girls.

Rachel is forced to deal with the fallout when Alex reacts badly to the many changes that have taken place in the Barton household in his absence.

Julie has been uncharacteristically disconnected from the daily ups and downs of her family, focussing entirely on baby Ruby.

Nathan is forced to question his motives for wanting to donate a kidney, triggering a crisis of confidence.

Someone's watching the Rafter house and the surprise culprit leads to Dave and Nathan meeting Dave's dad Tom in prison for the first time.

Ben is forced to step outside his comfort zone when a moral stand clashes with workplace politics.

Rachel rides the ups and downs of happiness, struggling to find it in the frenetic pace of life.

Nathan faces a life-changing moment of truth- the operation to donate a kidney to beloved grandmother Chel.

Julie explores the principle of "live and let live" as she and others struggle to implement the philosophy in various areas of their lives.

In rapid succession, Dave's life teaches him that no human ever has total control of things and his easy going ability to roll with the punches starts to fail him.

When Melissa feels queasy during dinner, Ben immediately assumes she is pregnant and is beside himself with excitement.

Rachel's relationship with Jake is pushed to breaking point when her work and personal lives collide.

Ted returns with renewed spark from a rejuvenating break, only to find all is not well with his family.

A wild night in Kings Cross teaches Nathan not to judge a book by its cover. Meanwhile, Carbo is making big plans for his proposal to Retta, but Ben is determined to intervene.

Rachel takes a crash course in remembering to breathe as she juggles a toxic workplace and an estranged boyfriend.

Newly unemployed Rachel is seeing the world in a new light - as her oyster. But first what she'd love more than anything is a holiday with Jake.

Julie and Dave struggle to help their family rebuild their lives in the aftermath of the devastating tragedy as additional support comes from unlikely quarters.

With Christmas and Ruby's first birthday fast approaching, Dave searches for the words to put himself and his family back on track.