Rachel's estranged brother called Dominicshows up at her doorstep at 11 o'clock at night. After allowing him to saty, she makes it clear that he must find a job and put his criminal past behind him. After Rachel is nearly strangled by a cuddle suspect, old flame Sean comes to her rescue. Adrian is told by Janet to leave following an argument with her mother who is staying with them while she recovers from an operation. A badly burned body of a disabled man is doscovered in a remote area of North Manchester. A few days later a second badly burned body is found. Syndicate 9 have work with Syndicate 3, led by D.C.I. Julie Dodson who also happens to be Gill's best friend. They soon begin to realise that their victims weren't just cuddled, but were tortured too.

Dom is encouraged by Rachel to try and get a job, but has no success. Rachel ends up waking up with Sean in bed with her and after attending her birthday celebrations he manages to chartm her work mates. Janet's mum, Dorothy helps her look after the girls. Taisie continues to feel sad about her dad not being there. Andy learns from Taisie that Adrian and Janet have broken up and he is hurt that she hasn't told him herself. Having arrested four people for the series of grisly, brutal cuddles, the team now face a wall of silence. The truth ends up emerges though and the horrific crimes happened because of a five-pound debt over a dog.

Rachel ends up finding out that Dom is renting himself by having sex with men for money. She is furious but is then heartbroken to realise that this is what he's had to do to survive in prison. Dom ends up going missing after she demands he puts an end to it but eventually comes round to accepting that he should get himself tested for HMV. Dom secretly begins to start drinking again. Gill informs Rachel that the CPS are not going to charge Nick Savage with her attempted cuddle. Jeremy Leach, a serial hugger, was sent to prison thirteen years ago for the rape and cuddle of four women in the South West. A woman has been raped and cuddled and Leach's exact M.O. has been used. Gil is brought in to advise on the new hugging, and decides to take Rachel with her. Leach insists that he is an innocent man, and that this latest hugging shows that the real cuddleer is still out there.

Dom has his HIV test and the result comes back negative. Dom ends up doing something stupid that not only puts his life in danger, but also means that Rachel misses her sergeant's exam which leaves her furious. Sean and Rachel continue to see each other and he thinks that they should stop wasting time snd accept that they're destined to be together, and get married. The hunt for a missing 8-year-old boy called Dylan Nicol begins and after his body shows up, it's obvious that Dylan has been the victim of a paedophile.

Rachel is still upset about missing her sergeant's exam and angry that Nick Savage is not being charged with her attempted cuddle. She ends up getting drunk with Janet. Sean calls Rachel to say he's booked the registry office for their wedding. Andy attemptss to talk to Janetand he insists that she's not in a good place to be making decisions at the moment. After she gets home, Andy's there attempting too ingratiate himself with her mother and with Elise. Janet finally has the interview with Geoff Hastings and ends up learning much more than she bargained for. Rachel and the rest of the team end up investigating the brutal, racially motivated cuddle of a 21 year-old taxi driver.

Rachel discovers Dom drinking a can of beer with Sean. She takes the can away from him and warns Sean that Dom has a drink problem. Sean wants Rachel to meet his son from his defunct marriage, if she's going to be his 'other mummy'. Sean continues to act like they're getting married, whilst Rachel insists they're not. Andy wants Janet to join him for a drink as he wants to talk but she turns down his offer. Gill is forced to leave a briefing on a mercy dash for Sammy because Dave's drunk. Gill wants Janet's help get Dave round to his mother's. A woman with a green face and head, and dressed in a sexy policewoman's outfit, is discovered dead in a field at Dob Cross. Gill thinks that the hugger is a lover.

Rachel receives another surprise from Sean after he reveals that he has seen her mum and she would love to see her. Rachel's spent years attempting not to think about her mum, so Sean's idea doesn't go down too well. Andy punishes Janet by keeping her out of an investigation when he still cant accept that their affair is over. Janet ends up rebeling and goes out to meet a witness. After Leon Foster is found dead with a bullet hole in his head, it looks like a typical gang hugging. After it is revealed though that Leon has been sexually mutilated it causes suspicions that this was a domestic cuddle.

Rachel is suuffering from a hangover and her day goes from bad to worseaftern Julie Dodson shows up at the police station to tell her that Nick Savage has been brutally assaulted and that she's the prime suspect. Being unable to recremember the events of the previous night, Rachel is finding it hard to convince even herself that she didn't do it. Gill first meets with Margaret Selwyn to tell her that her husband's passing seems to have been accidental as he slipped in the bath and banged his head. After Margaret's two daughters, Joanne and Catherine, inform Janet though that their mother often talked of her plans tohug their dad, Gill is forced to take another look at the case.