Stuart headed to WRCW to find Tad. His path crossed with Marian, who was en route to find her daughter. Marian dashed to the phone and called the clinic to see if she'd missed out on Liza's procedure. Stuart worried that Liza was sick, but Marian assured him that Liza was okay. Stuart looked curiously at Marian. She wore another of her atypical dresses and Stuart wasn't used to not seeing Marian's knees. By that he meant that usually Marian wears very short skirts. Marian, still believing that Stuart loathes her, worried that Stuart didn't like her "knobby knees." Gillian suddenly burst into the room and demanded to speak to Liza. Marian politely told Gillian that Liza wasn't in the office and offered to take a message. Gillian badmouthed Liza as the woman who pays Ryan "slave wages." Marian wasn't thrilled with the manner in which Gillian spoke to her. Nor was she willing to listen to Gillian speak poorly of her daughter. Gillian blamed Liza for not being able to land the weathergirl position and claimed to be an innocent victim of Liza's tyrannical ways. "If you're innocent," Marian quipped, "then I'm Martha Washington." In another of her funny little misunderstandings, Gillian didn't know who Martha Washington was. "Who?" she asked. "Oh, the woman of good living." She, of course, was thinking of Martha Stuart! Marian ordered Gillian leave. The princess called Marian "uncouth" and left in a huff. Stuart giggled and praised Marian for "striking a blow for democracy" by showing Gillian that her royal lineage means nothing in America. Stuart stopped mid-sentence and asked Marian when she decided to put a bun in her hair. Marian corrected Stuart. She wasn't wearing a bun, she was wearing a "French kiss." Marian thought about what she'd said for a few seconds and quickly corrected herself. French twist. That's what it's called. Stuart told Marian that he needed to tell her something. Marian still hadn't figured out that Stuart was in love with her. Everything he said---the clothing and hair comments---made her believe that he was picking her apart. Marian said that she knew what Stuart wanted to tell her. She never let Stuart have another word. She told him that there was a new man in her life, one who made her very happy. Stuart tried to say something, but Marian cut him off. She told him that she wouldn't allow him to treat her like her former lovers. Stuart was glad that Marian had found someone new. He told her that he, too, had found something to occupy his time "Watson-ing" to Tad's Sherlock Holmes. Stuart held the shark tooth found at the cabin in his hand. Had Marian seen it, she might have remembered that Lee had been wearing a necklace made up of the same teeth. Stuart, however, didn't show Marian and left the office without discussing his secret investigation in any more detail.
Ryan had barely finished his business when he began asking for payment for services rendered. The receptionist told Ryan that he'd need to wait for the check to be drawn up first. Tad suddenly burst into the clinic and asked if he could speak to Liza. Tad was out of breath from his mad dash to "save" Liza. Inside the cubicle, Liza's nerves started to get the best of her. Jake tried to calm his friend down by telling her to envision a more relaxing environment. He even told Liza to imagine how anxious her egg must be to fulfill its role in conception. The egg wants company so badly, Jake said seriously, that it's "baked a cake and put out the welcome mat." Liza couldn't help but smile. Tad suddenly burst into the room and told Liza to stop the presses. Liza thought that Tad was upset because she had allowed him to sit with her during the insemination process. Jake and Dr. Fisher tried to remove Tad from the room, but Tad refused to be moved. Tad told Liza that her donor was "lacking in ethics and morals." Liza shook her head and again asked Tad to leave. When Tad didn't budge, Liza began reciting all of her donor's good qualities---his intelligence level, good looks, and more. Tad didn't argue that the donor was attractive, but with a grimace on his face he insisted that the donor was a "shallow con-man." Explaining that Pine Valley wasn't a big town, Tad asked Liza to think of all the six-footish, blue-eyed blonde, crooks she knew. Liza thought for all of a second before determining that 517 was actually Ryan Lavery. Liza rushed to the door and was so geared up to confront Ryan that she actually smacked into the door before she was able to open it! Liza stopped short of mowing Ryan down, but she immediately asked him if he was Donor 517. Ryan's eyes squinted slightly as he wondered how Liza had found out that he was a donor. Tad advised Ryan to take a look at Liza's examination gown and draw his own conclusion. Ryan still believed that Liza was doing some undercover work for WRCW. Eventually, though, he realized what was really going on. He congratulated Liza on becoming a mother, unaware that she'd halted the process when she learned that she was to receive his sperm. "This clinic promised me the epitome of perfection---the gold star," Liza growled. In Liza's eyes, Ryan definitely didn't measure up to those high standards. Tad commented that "someone oughta fix" Ryan. Gillian stumbled into the clinic and blasted her husband for having distracted her during her audition. Liza rolled her eyes and remarked that she was having "one of those days." Liza told Gillian that Ryan wasn't the reason for her flop of an audition. She vowed that Gillian would never get within fifty feet of a weather map. Gillian pushed Tad out of her way and waltzed in Liza's direction. She looked at Liza's gown and incorrectly assumed that the gown was part of Liza's wardrobe. Gillian snapped that no one with Liza's fashion sense should be giving orders. The doctor interceded and told Liza that she could return to the examining room for the insemination process to begin. Liza laughed and stated that she would never let a two-bit crook be the father of her child. Gillian came to her husband's defense and blasted Liza for not appreciating Ryan. "You don't deserve his bodily essence," Gillian snarled. If Gillian was such a staunch supporter of Ryan's "essence," Tad wondered why she wasn't at home with Ryan trying to conceive a child of their own. Liza got dressed and she and Jake left with Tad following closely behind. Ryan still expected to be paid for his donation, but that wasn't going to happen. Dr. Fisher handed Ryan his walking papers---he'd been booted out of the donor program. His pseudo-criminal background had been his undoing.
"He had a right to live," said Brooke of her late fiancé. Dimitri pointed out that had Jim not been killed he might have harmed Jamie. Brooke argued that she could have called the police and had them intercede. Dimitri asked Brooke what would have happened if the police hadn't arrived in time to prevent Jim from flying off to Pigeon Hollow. Brooke was clearly looking for a way---any way---to punish herself. She kicked herself for not having shot Jim in the leg or arm to prevent him for leaving. Why did she have to shoot him in the back? And why did she have to unload five shots? Dimitri reminded Brooke that she wasn't a sharpshooter and that she had no previous experience with handling a gun. Again Dimitri brought up the fact that he had had the opportunity to kill Jim and failed to capitalize on it. Hearing Dimitri state that he wished he could have been the one to kill Jim really didn't cheer up Brooke. Dimitri asked Brooke if she recalled the conversation she'd had with Eugenia the night he invited her to dinner at Wildwind. Eugenia had spoken of honor and how Alexi, her late husband, had always defended her name and honor. Brooke called Alexi's chivalry a "quaint Old World gesture" whose time had long passed. Dimitri related a fantastic tale of Nazi-occupied Hungary during World War II. Hungarians operated at two levels during the war, Dimitri explained. One of those levels was total cooperation with the Nazi government. The second, however, was a clandestine rebel faction that helped scores of Jews escape persecution. Eugenia, Dimitri said, harbored several Jewish families in the wine cellar at Vadzel. One night when the Gestapo showed up at the castle and asked to search the castle from top to bottom, Eugenia had to act fast to protect the lives of the families she'd been hiding. She led the Gestapo to the wine cellar---it was a one-way trip. Dimitri commented that Eugenia was hardly the type of woman to pack a revolver. Brooke failed to see the similarity between herself and Eugenia. Eugenia, after all, killed the Nazi in wartime. Dimitri explained that Brooke had been involved in a war of her own---a war against Jim Thomasen. "What is left when honor is lost," Dimitri said reciting the Marick family motto. Dimitri told Brooke that he knew all about lost honor after his actions of the previous year. What is left when honor is lost? Nothing, if you believe Dimitri. Brooke told Dimitri that his honor had not been lost because he was able to earn it back. Dimitri offered his help to Brooke should she ever need anything other than an attentive ear. Brooke asked Dimitri if he could fly Phoebe to Pigeon Hollow to pick up Jamie.
On his way out of the office, Stuart told Liza and Jake that he was headed to the cabin. Marian was relieved to learn that she hadn't missed out on the most important moment of Liza's life. Tad arrived a short time later and told Liza that Ryan's file had been torn up and that he would never be allowed to donate sperm again. Liza tore into Tad for having pointed her towards the fertility clinic. She reminded him how he'd told her that a fertility clinic was the perfect place to find a perfect father. Everyone agreed that the clinic needed a better screening process. Jake remarked that Liza needed someone she could trust to donate the sperm---someone she knew. Liza liked the idea, but had no idea who she could ask for such a favor. "How about me?" Jake asked.
At the cabin, Lee asked his daughter for hug. Camille was not surprised to see that her father was alive. She was, however, a bit surprised to see him in Pine Valley. Lee had apparently promised to stay out of Pine Valley, but he told his daughter that "things change." Camille knew instantly that her father had been behind the attacks on the Chandler family. She asked her father to halt any future attacks, but Lee made her no promises. Camille told her father that she no longer wanted to be part of his plan to enact revenge on the Chandlers. She felt that she'd fulfilled her duty by pulling off the illusions and trying to get Adam to confess. Lee told Camille that he doesn't blame her for not being able to get Adam to confess. Adam, he stated, was a very strong man. Camille said that she doesn't believe that Adam will ever confess because she no longer thinks that Adam killed Joy. In fact, Camille now believed that Adam loved her mother. Hesitantly, she asked her father if it was possible that Adam and Stuart were right and that he "beat up on Mama a little." Camille appeared afraid to accuse her father of anything. She really didn't know him all that well. Camille made sure to end her question with a "Could it be possible?" just to make sure that her father didn't blow a fuse. Lee called everything that Adam had said a lie and insisted that he would never lie to his daughter. Lee told Camille that he loves her just as much as he loved her mother. Under strong questioning, Lee confessed that he had been the one to move Joy's body. Lee didn't divulge the new location of Joy's body nor had he ever looked inside the coffin. He explained that opening his wife's coffin would have been a desecration of her memory. Camille repeated her refusal to partake in any more trickery against Adam his family. Lee lost his cool and hollered at Camille. "You will do what I say, Joy, or by God you'll regret it." The use of Joy's name was eerie---and that's putting it mildly. Camille didn't really draw a connection between her father's outburst and how he might have treated her mother. Lee blamed his use of the wrong name on a brain tumor that was slowly taking his life. The tumor, he said, had been the result of a beating inflicted upon him by Adam. Camille tried to explain to her father that he couldn't get a tumor from being beaten on the head, but Lee was convinced that he was right. The pair heard the sound of a car door closing and Camille raced to the door to see who was approaching. Lee ordered his daughter to "get rid of the simpleton or [he'd] slaughter him."
Mateo strolled aimlessly around the patio at Wildwind, haunted by the knowledge that selling Holidays had broken his wife's heart. Mateo recalled Hayley's reaction and how their marriage has been strained ever since he'd started having visions. Frederick, the psychic who had helped Maria and Edmund come to the realization that their child was not dead, made a surprise appearance at the castle. He opted to enter through the shrubbery so that he wouldn't run the risk of having Hayley answer the front door. Frederick had read of the explosion that leveled Hayley and Mateo's apartment in the paper. Since he knew that Mateo had been sensing danger, he wanted to be brought up to date on the matter. Mateo told the psychic that he had done everything in his power to alter the future including having Hayley change her dress for Janet and Trevor's wedding and selling Holidays. Frederick scratched his chin and drifted off into deep thought. He felt danger... and the danger was "very close." He asked Matt for more information about the sale of Holidays. Mateo left out few details as he told Frederick that a friend had offered to buy the restaurant from them. Since Albert had paid cash up front, Frederick's fear that the new owner could default on payment or be turned down for a loan were eased. Mateo's fears were roused again. If Frederick could sense that something was wrong, Mateo knew that he'd have to be very, very careful. As Frederick was leaving, Mateo decided to ask him if he felt any type of vibe about Camille. The older man repeated the name several times before developing a feeling for this woman whom he didn't know. Frederick said that he felt "danger, pain, and betrayal." There was a man, he continued, somehow tied to Camille. The man was filled with anger and rage, rage that will keep building "until it explodes."
Camille wondered how she could get rid of Stuart. It was, after all, his cabin that she'd been staying in. Lee ordered Camille to think of a way---or Stuart was "as good as dead." Lee hid behind a wall and waited patiently, er, impatiently for his daughter to get rid of Stuart. In his hand he clutched a small knife. His fist turned white from holding the knife so tightly. Stuart casually walked into the cabin with a basket of fried chicken and biscuits. Camille's face was white as a sheet. Stuart worried that Camille was frightened or scared. She laughed nervously and told Stuart that his spontaneous arrival had taken her by surprise. She tried to embellish her lie by claiming that she thought he might have been a wild animal. Camille's hand fidgeted wildly by her side. Stuart cocked his head to one side and watched the young woman's hand wiggle back and forth. Stuart announced that his hands have a tendency to flop around when he's nervous, too. Camille brushed off Stuart's observation and told Stuart that she'd reached an important decision. She told him that she was leaving Pine Valley. Since her arrival, Camille felt that she'd done nothing but make people miserable. People whisper things when she walks down the street, she said; everyone believes that she is trying to kill innocent people. Stuart tried to change Camille's mind, but Camille had thought long and hard about her decision to uproot herself. Since no one would be staying at the cabin, Stuart wanted to board up the windows. He started to walk towards Lee's location. Luckily, Camille managed to jump in front of Stuart and convince him that she could board everything up for him. Camille asked Stuart to say goodbye to Tad for her. Stuart nodded slightly and assured her that he'd pass along the message. The two shared a hug, one that did not go unobserved by Lee. Lee fiddled with his knife before ducking back into hiding. Camille promised to forward a postcard once she'd settled down in her new home. The two embraced one final time before Stuart left for good. Camille closed the door and turned around to face her father. Lee threw the knife point-down into the table. The force caused the blade to imbed into to table, the knife sticking straight up into the air. "You're a slut Joy," Lee yelled. "Letting Adam Chandler touch you like that?" Without warning, Lee brought his open hand against Camille's face. If she hadn't realized that her father had beaten her mother, she did now. Camille enjoyed telling her father that he hadn't really killed her mother. Joy, she said, was alive and well thanks to Adam and Stuart's help. Camille smiled wickedly as she boasted that Lee could never again lay a hand on her mother. Lee's anger bubbled over. This time, with a closed fist, Lee punched Camille square on her jaw. Camille tumbled to the ground and hit her head on a pile of boards. Seemingly without a care in the world, Lee picked up the pile of boards and began boarding up the windows.
At Holidays, Trevor and Janet searched high and low for Hayley. Hayley finally came out of hiding and asked the newlyweds how they managed to find her. There was really no secret reason: Hayley owned Holidays and that was a logical place to look for her. Plus, it was the end of the month and Janet usually balanced the books at the end of the month. Hayley told her uncle that he was her cover since she wasn't supposed to be at the restaurant. She explained that she and Mateo were no longer owners of Holidays. Janet and Trevor exchanged confused looks and asked for an explanation. Albert strolled out of the kitchen and Hayley told the pair that Albert was the new Mr. Holidays. Again, the married couple looked at each other in confusion. They wondered how Albert, a man who could barely pay for a decent meal, was able to purchase a restaurant. Albert struggled to come up with a lie. Hayley carefully planted a seed that Albert's Great Aunt Mitzy had left him a sizeable inheritance. Albert desperately wanted the lie to be believable. So much, in fact, that he overdid his lie. He claimed that his aunt had opted to leave her entire estate to him. Mitzy, he added with a straight face, liked to wear her underwear on the outside of her clothing and to dress her dog in suits and boots. Janet and Trevor both knew that Albert was lying. Hayley suggested that Albert keep Janet on staff as the accountant. Albert liked the idea and he and Janet went to a side table to discuss business. Trevor pulled his niece aside and asked her for the real deal. Hayley tried to convince Trevor that his many years as a cop had made him needlessly suspicious of everyone. When her tale didn't cut the mustard, Hayley prepared to tell Trevor the truth. First she made him promise that he wouldn't tell a soul what she was about to say. Hayley confessed that she hadn't really sold Holidays and that Albert was a front man for Adam. Trevor was amazed that Adam had done the right thing for a change. Trevor didn't understand why Hayley had to sell Holidays in the first place. Hayley wasn't exactly sure herself. She explained that Mateo hadn't been himself since waking from his coma and that she didn't want him to regret the decision to sell somewhere down the road. This way, Holidays was still readily available to be "bought back." Across the room, it was becoming apparent that Albert lacked any kind of entrepreneurial talent. He was clueless about cost, overhead, and profit. When Janet began to press him about whether he was sure he wanted to run a business, Trevor stepped in to save the actor. Trevor and Janet headed for home while Hayley tried to give Albert some assistance in making mixed drinks. Albert flubbed on the names and ingredients of nearly every drink that he tried to make. When Lee entered, however, he seemed to be a natural around a bar. He was able to whip up a drink in seconds---complete with a side-show of twirling the glasses in the air. Hayley called Lee a "life saver." Lee had high praise for Hayley as well. He commented that he thought of Hayley as a daughter. Then as he stared at Hayley, he began to "see" Camille's face instead.
Over at WRCW, Marian was the first to voice her approval of Jake's offer. Oddly enough, she was also the last. Liza was surprised that Jake would make the offer. She asked him if she was sure he wanted to go through with the process and reminded him that he'd have absolutely no parental rights to the child. Jake nodded his head and stated that he had friends from med school who had donated sperm. Liza allowed Jake to have a few minutes to think about his offer. Tad yanked his younger brother into the hall and called his decision to help Liza "the stupidest thing" Jake had ever done. Tad countered Jake's comment about having friends who had donated sperm by pointing out that those friends had no idea if their donations had ever been used to create another life. Jake, of course, would know right away if Liza had become pregnant. Tad wondered how Jake could help create a life and then walk away. Surely he'd have to have some kind of feelings for the child and being the baby's godfather was bound to complicate things. Jake claimed that he could separate the clinical and emotional aspects of the process. Tad wondered what Allie would think of Jake's offer. Jake was sure that Allie would like the idea since Liza had helped pay off her student loans. Tad couldn't help but wonder if Liza's offer to pay of the loans was a bribe or payment for Jake's donation. Tad informed his little brother that he had turned down Liza's request to be a donor because he knew that he couldn't agree to the "no paternal rights" part of the deal. In a misguided attempt to make a point, Jake reminded Tad that Ray Gardner, Tad's biological father, had dumped Tad in a park and then walked away without so much as a second thought. Tad wasn't keen on Jake likening himself to Ray Gardner. The point of Jake's statement got lost somewhere, but the gist of the comment was that it was possible for him to allow Liza to raise the child the way that she wanted. Back in Liza's office, Marian cooed about the wonderful gene pool that a Jake-and-Liza child would have. The Martins are the finest family in Pine Valley, she boasted. Liza smirked and said that according to Phoebe, the Tyler family is the top family in town. Marian asked her daughter who she could possibly want to father her child instead of a young, intelligent, and attractive member of the Martin family. Liza, fumbling for a pencil, opened her desk drawer and came face to face with a picture of Adam. Liza was unable to reply to her mother's question. Her eyes fixed on the picture. Liza shook the cobwebs clear and reached for a thermometer. Liza hoped that when she took her temperature would be a bit higher than usual, signaling that she was still ovulating. While she had the thermometer in her mouth, Adam barged into the office and asked Liza if she'd seen Stuart. He saw the thermometer sticking out of Liza's mouth and worried that Liza wasn't feeling well. Marian, meanwhile, was on the phone with the police filing a missing person's report on Stuart. Adam blasted Marian for involving the police. Liza plucked the thermometer from her mother and scolded Adam for yelling at her mother. Liza asked Adam why he felt a need to barge into her office without an appointment. Adam, of course, didn't think that he needed to announce his arrival. Jake walked into the office unaware that Adam was inside. By the time he saw Adam, he had already blurted out that he was All Liza's if she still wanted him. Adam's neck swung back and forth as he looked at both Liza and Jake. He assumed that they were "carrying on" again and left in a huff. Jake told Liza that he'd decided to keep his offer on the table. Liza thanked Jake for being a friend and accepted his offer. The two hugged, with Marian joining in.
Selling advertising space isn't an easy task. Take it from someone who is avidly seeking advertisers for this web site. Ryan somehow managed to increase ad revenue in every area during his first few months at WRCW. He presented Liza with a profit report and remarked that his outstanding work warranted a bonus. Liza casually glanced over the numbers and tossed the paper on her desk. The numbers, she said, might be good enough anywhere else but at WRCW the numbers weren't gonna cut it. Liza instructed Ryan to head to the Human Resources department to pick up his final check. He was fired. Ryan's mouth dropped. He tried his best to insinuate that the real reason Liza was dumping him was because of the fiasco at the fertility clinic. Liza argued that Ryan was nothing more than a "crook" who had tried to bilk the station's advertisers out of thousands of dollars. Ryan didn't attempt to hide that fact that he was guilty of accepting kickbacks, but he swore that his thievery was behind him. Liza didn't budge and showed Ryan to the door. Ryan bowed his head and let out a deep breath. He told Liza that he was sorry it "had to come to this." Liza's neck snapped back as she asked Ryan what he meant. Ryan announced that if his employment was terminated, he would sue Liza for sexual harassment. He had the entire scenario laid out in his mind. In his version of the situation, Liza was a lonely, desperate woman yearning for a child. She had begged and pleaded for Ryan to be the father of her child, but when he refused--she fired him. Liza couldn't believe what she was hearing. She knew that she had been the one who'd turned down Ryan, not the other way around. Ryan offered Liza a chance to avoid all the negative publicity by saying that he'd forgo the court case if she gave him his job back. Ryan walked slowly towards the door, stopping on several occasions to look over his shoulder at Liza. Liza had returned to her work and could easily have forgotten that Ryan was even in the room. Ryan left and closed the door behind him. He popped back only a split-second later to ask Liza if she was sure that she wanted to do battle in a court of law. Stone-faced Liza didn't flinch. "I don't do blackmail," Liza sneered. "Been there, done it, done it way better than you." Ryan nearly fell to his knees. He done such a good job at keeping his poker face that he was frazzled that Liza could see through to the truth. Ryan admitted that he never planned on taking Liza to court. Instead he opted for a more direct---and honest---approach. He told Liza that he needs his job at WRCW to pay off the bills that Gillian's racks up on a daily basis. He pledged never to tell anyone about Liza's trip to the fertility clinic or how close they come to parenting a child together. Liza knew that she'd probably want to kick herself later, but she agreed to give Ryan his job back. She wasn't doing it just because Ryan needed the money. She was doing it because Ryan does a bang-up job selling airtime to advertisers. Ryan praised Liza as the "sultan of swindle" for seeing through his scheme and the "guru of great." The flattery set off an alarm and Liza asked Ryan what else he wanted. Ryan was again amazed that Liza could read him so well. He told Liza that it would make him very happy if Gillian were given the weathergirl job. Liza had no intention of hiring an inexperienced and indiscernible woman for the part. Ryan tried to make Liza see that Gillian would be a hit with the male viewers, but his argument carried little weight. Smiling slightly, Liza ordered Ryan to scram before she re-fired him!
At Chandler Mansion, Adam tore into Jack for his inability to track down Camille. Jack explained that he had no reason to haul Camille into the police station because there was no proof that she'd committed any crime. Adam was furious and tossed Jack out of his house. Stuart popped up out of nowhere and assured his brother that he didn't have to worry about Camille. Adam really wasn't in the mood to hear Stuart laud Camille's goodness. Stuart again stated that Camille was not responsible for the accidents that had been plaguing their family. He also added that Camille was leaving town. Adam was stunned to know that Stuart had seen Camille and said nothing about it to him. Stuart smiled innocently and told Adam that not only had he seen Camille---but he'd been hiding her! Needless to say, that didn't sit well with Adam. Adam was prepared to descend upon the cabin until Stuart told him that Camille had already boarded up the windows and left town. Adam called Stuart's decision to harbor Camille "the stupidest thing" he'd ever done. Hayley appeared from behind and scolded her father for telling at Stuart. Adam was only just beginning. He blasted Stuart for first falling in love with "the busiest tramp" in town and then become the "best friend [of] a psychopath." Somehow Scott also managed to appear without warning. He ordered Adam to stop badmouthing his father. His defense of his father only infuriated Adam more. Adam thought that Scott's remarks showed that he lacked respect for his elders. Surprisingly, Stuart wasn't upset by his brother's angry remarks. "Ranting and raving is the only way Adam has to deal with his anger," Stuart said calmly. Adam announced that he was leaving town to head to Pigeon Hollow. Adam hoped that his trip to West Virginia would bring two positive results: returning his sister, Lottie, to her final resting place and bringing Adam Junior back to Pine Valley. Hayley knew that Adam's blood pressure was through the roof and she worried that the stress would cause him to have another mini-stroke. She encouraged her father to travel to Pigeon Hollow, but asked that when he returned home he would attend Holidays' grand re-opening celebration. The entire family would be gathered together along with friends and loved ones. Adam's face turned a bright shade of red. He asked Hayley if she had "been in a coma along with Mateo." Adam explained, or rather yelled, that any gathering of Chandlers would result in tragedy. The stalker, whom he still believed to be Camille even though he didn't mention her name, would revel at an opportunity to take the entire clan out in one swoop. Hayley urged her father to calm down, but Adam was too riled up to think logically. He insisted that he would be the one to save his family---even if it killed him. Adam stormed out of the mansion and headed for his car. Hayley and Scott offered to take Stuart out for a bite to eat or a walk in the park, but Stuart declined. He knew that the pair was trying to make him feel better after Adam's insinuation that he was stupid. Stuart admitted that he wasn't as smart as Adam---but only in the financial arena. In other areas, Stuart stated that he was a lot smarter than his twin. Stuart knew that a wild turkey has gold feathers on its back that are only visible when the bird is in flight. It was these distinct areas of expertise that allowed them to compliment each other so well. Hayley was moved to tears by her uncle's ability to see the positive side of any situation. They shared a hug, with Stuart promising to join Hayley at Holidays for its grand re-opening.
Mateo received a frantic call from Albert about how much food and drink to have on hand for the re-opening. Mateo coldly told Albert that the restaurant was now his business and hung up the phone. Gillian strolled onto the patio and apologized to Mateo once again for the way that Ryan carries on around Hayley. Mateo saw no need for an apology. He also didn't see Ryan as a threat to his relationship with Hayley. In fact, Ryan actually strengthened Mateo and Hayley's bond, if that's possible. Mateo said that whenever he and Hayley hit a rough patch, they just look at Ryan and Gillian's sham of a marriage and realize how lucky they really are. Lee, who was still known as John Lee to Mateo and Hayley, appeared in the doorway with a elegantly wrapped package in his hands. He handed the gift to Mateo and said that it was intended for Hayley. Mateo told Lee that he didn't have to buy Hayley a thank you present. Lee felt it was necessary to show his thanks to Mateo and Hayley for the way that they'd befriended him in the hospital and also for getting him a job. In a mildly humorous comment, Lee stated that he'd probably be living in a cabin in the woods if he hadn't landed the job at Holidays. Something about the offering or perhaps something that Lee said caused Mateo to drift off into a far-away place. Lee left the present on the table and headed off to work. Gillian could see that Mateo was definitely somewhere else and asked him what was wrong. She never received an answer. Later, on his way to the airport, Adam told Mateo that Hayley was planning on attending the re-opening of Holidays. Adam ordered Matt to prevent Hayley from attending. Mateo was in complete agreement: Hayley must not attend the celebration.
At the gym, Allie worked out on an exercise bike. It was a good thing she was sitting down because Jake was about to hit her with the news of his decision to father Liza's baby. Jake started off by telling Allie that it would be nice of them to be able to repay Liza for all her help. First she'd help get David Hayward out of their hair and then she paid off Allie's sizeable student loan debt. Allie smiled and said that being godparents to Liza's child would be a great way to show their thanks. Jake said that he had more than being a godfather in mind---he wanted to help Liza conceive her child. Allie was stunned. Up until this point she'd been pedaling like crazy on the machine. Now, she came to a dead stop. "I don't know what to say," Allie replied. Like Tad, she commented that most sperm donations are usually done anonymously. She wondered if it would be possible for Jake to help create a life---and then have no emotional attachments to the child. Jake again used the word "clinical" in defense of his ability to give up his paternal rights. The process was little more than "a biological thing" if you were to listen to Jake. "When I hear daddy," said Jake, "it will be from our child." Allie was caught off guard by the apparent amount of thought Jake had put into the matter. Jake asked his ringless fiancée if she was willing to back his decision. "If it's okay with you," Allie said weakly. Jake pulled Allie close and gave her a big hug. He was unable to see the tears that were streaming down Allie's cheek.
Erica toted two bouquets of flowers to Mike's hospital room. She commented that a hospital bed was no way to recuperate from surgery because the sheets aren't of a high thread count. Mike said that he hadn't had time to worry about the substandard bedding because he'd been planning a skydiving trip for the two of them. Sometime in their past, Erica must have told Mike that she wanted to go skydiving before she died. Mike remembered the remark and was willing to fulfill the fantasy---and probably more. Erica told Mike that she'd have to run the idea past Jack before she made any plans. Mike blinked several times and reminded Erica that Jack had broken off their engagement. Erica nodded in agreement, but explained that Jack just needed some time to cool off before he was ready to resume their relationship. If Jack needed to cool off, Mike suggested that the district attorney spend the next ten years in an igloo. Mike then pointed out that Erica couldn't possibly love Jack because she hadn't stabbed him yet! Erica did her best not to crack a smile while insisting that Jack was the only man for her. Mike offered to return to Linden with Erica so that they could devise a plan to win Jack back. Erica walked towards the door and motioned to someone. She told Mike that he was never going to be returning to Linden. She'd made arrangements to have all of his belongings packed up and shipped to the hospital so that when he was released from the hospital he could leave town---alive this time. "I am not the mindless, vulnerable ninny you thought I am," Erica purred. Erica waltzed out the door. After she'd left, Adrian slipped inside and asked Mike what was going on. Mike told Adrian that, in addition to two pints of blood, he'd lost Erica. Mike asked Adrian for his help in winning Erica back and keeping her. Adrian didn't understand why Mike would go to such lengths for one woman. Surely there was someone else. "I have an itch only Erica can scratch," Mike said with a slight coo. Neither man knew that Erica was listening from the other side of the door. Mike told Adrian that Erica was acting peculiarly and hinted that she might be up to something. Erica burst into the room to halt the conversation. She immediately recognized Adrian as the "kidnapper" and apologized to him for stomping on his foot. Adrian smiled broadly and assured Erica that she hadn't hurt him. Mike introduced Erica and Adrian. Jack entered the room and asked Erica why she'd left a message for him to meet her in Mike's room. Mike looked nervously towards Adrian and then to Erica. Erica told Jack that she wanted him to arrest her for assault with a deadly weapon and attempted murder!
Liza continued working at her desk. Allie appeared at the door and Liza motioned her into the office. Allie closed the door behind her. Liza asked Allie if she had gotten the new about Jake's decision to help her conceive a child. Allie masked her anger with a smile. "Oh I got it," Allie said, rolling her tongue around the inside of her mouth, "you bitch."
Dimitri, Phoebe, and Jamie returned home from Pigeon Hollow. Dimitri warned Brooke that Jamie was unusually quiet and that he seemed very disturbed. When Jamie entered the room (The role of Jamie Martin is now being played by Zachary Kady), he shied away from his mother. Brooke hadn't seen her son in months and wanted to give him a big bear hug. Jamie pulled away, his head lowered. Jamie did, however, speak to his Aunt Phoebe. He asked her if she could help him get a glass of orange juice. When the two left the room, Brooke nearly broke down in tears. She told Dimitri that her son could barely look at her. Brooke didn't know what to do or what to say to make things better. Thigns were even further complicated because Brooke couldn't find Tad anywhere. She'd been paging him and phoning all over town with no success. Dimitri told Brooke that he'd scour the town in search of Jamie's father---anything to help out Brooke. Brooke looked like a huge weight had been lifted from her shoulders. She also looked as though she was falling more and more for Dimitri.
Tad took a rather long coffee break via Pine Valley Hospital. Actually, Tad confessed that he was more interested in learning how Allie had taken the news that Jake was going to sire Liza's child. Jake told his brother that Allie had taken the news well and agreed to let him help Liza. Tad couldn't believe his ears and surmised that Jake mustn't have told Allie yet. Jake insisted that he'd told Allie a few hours prior at the gym. Tad listened to Jake's explanation and determined that either Allie is the most understanding woman in the world---or she's just one hell of a liar. Jake rolled his eyes and told Tad that Allie, a former doctor, was able to see that the insemination was a matter of science and chemistry... nothing more. Dimitri suddenly stepped into the sun porch and asked Tad why he hasn't been checking his voicemail. Tad didn't want to answer to Dimitri, but when Jake walked out on him, he had no other choice but to answer him. Dimitri told Tad that Jamie needed him. Tad immediately jumped to the conclusion that Dimitri had somehow done something to upset Jamie. Dimitri explained that he had flown Jamie back to Pine Valley at Brooke's request. Tad still had no idea why Dimitri would have agreed to such a thing. When Tad learned that Jamie knew everything about his mother's murder trial because of Adam's careless slip of the tongue, Tad remarked that he now knows why someone is out to kill Adam!
Dimitri headed back to Wildwind to find Edmund. Edmund had just returned from a day trip to New York. Edmund had hoped that the trip would unearth some additional dirt on Jim Thomasen. It had. Edmund showed his half-brother a series of photos he'd found in Jim's former office area. To a casual observer, the photos appeared to be random city shots. Upon closer examination, however, each photo had a common theme. Jim had apparently hung around the Port Authority, New York City's main bus terminal, looking for young children who were just arriving in town. Jim probably hoped to entice a runaway or two---or possibly someone in search of stardom---into posing for his photographs. Dimitri was furious that Jim had preyed on so many innocent children. Edmund hinted that the photos could probably be used at Brooke's trial, but he wondered if they'd have the desired effect on a jury. Dimitri explained that most of the townspeople don't care about the kind of man that Jim was. But they did care about the method and manner in which Brooke had killed him. Edmund mused that his idea was much safer than Dimitri's way of bribing jurors.
Tad arrived at Brooke's house and immediately sought to help his son sort out some of his confusion. Jamie, who had still said less than five words to his mother, asked his father if he could spend the night at his house. Tad cast a concerned glance towards Brooke before telling Jamie that he would be spending the night with his mom and Aunt Phoebe. Tad encouraged Jamie to tell him what was on his mind. Brooke added that Jamie would feel better if he opened up to them. She added that there was nothing that Jamie couldn't tell them. Jamie was definitely confused about what he'd heard from Adam Junior. Brooke was supposed to be opposed to guns and violence. Jamie wanted to know why his mother had suddenly done a one-eighty. Brooke struggled to come up with an explanation. At one point during the conversation, Jamie tried to slip away to the kitchen for a glass of juice, but Tad asked his son to wait until after they were done talking. Brooke assured her son that she had tried to talk to Jim and that she even tried to call the police. Of course it did no good. "Jim did bad things," Brooke said softly. Being inquisitive, like most children, Jamie wanted to know what type of things Jim had done. Brooke looked to Tad for help. Tad didn't want to hide the truth from their son. He told Jamie that "Mr. Thomasen said that he would hurt you." Tad explained that Brooke had done the only thing she could to stop Jim carrying out his threats. Tad also made sure that Jamie knew that he wasn't to blame for anything that happened. Jamie sort of understood what Tad had told him, but he now worried that Brooke would be locked up in jail for a long, long time. Tad swore that Brooke would never be sent to jail. It was a promise that Brooke wished Tad had not made. In a few hours Brooke was due back in court for the opening arguments in her trial. Under other circumstances, Tad would have been at the courthouse with Brooke, but since Jamie was back in town he opted to watch his son instead.
Allie's outburst caught Liza off guard. "What did you call me?" Liza asked. "You heard me," Allie growled, adding that she'd be happy to say it again. Allie called Liza a "smooth liar" who had used her wealth to buy off Jake. Liza wasn't completely ignorant to the fact that Jake's sudden decision to donate sperm did look kind of bad. Liza assured Allie that Jake had made the decision of his own free will---and that she hadn't even asked him to help her. "When did you decide you wanted him back? Allie snapped. "I don't want him." Liza replied in frustration. "I just want a baby." Allie still believed that Liza had her sights set on getting Jake back. She rushed towards Liza with her arms out-stretched and seemed ready to strangle Liza. Fortunately, Jake entered the office as the right time and was able to pull Allie off of Liza. Liza stormed out of the office. She was confused by Allie's bizarre behavior and even a bit angry by what had transpired. Things weren't going to be any easier for Jake. He wondered why Allie had been for his idea at the gym, but had suddenly switched her position. Allie argued that she'd never said that she was okay with Jake's decision. Jake made it clear that Liza hadn't asked him to help her and asked Allie not to be mad at Liza. Allie continued her tirade, this time asking, or rather demanding, Jake to rescind his offer "I can't," Jake responded. Jake asked Allie why she was flipping out and acting very un-Allie-like. Allie felt that her feelings were no longer relevant to Jake. With one final demand that Jake drop his offer, Allie stormed out of the office. Liza returned after the fireworks had ended and told Jake that while she's thankful for Jake's offer, she doesn't want Jake's decision to ruin his relationship with Allie. Jake didn't want to back out. He told Liza to "leave Allie to [him]."
Jack didn't believe a word Erica had said. Why on Earth would she admit to stabbing Mike Roy with, of all things, a forklift. "[Because] it's the truth," Erica argued. Mike kinda shook his head behind Erica's back to signal Jack that Erica wasn't telling the truth. The only way that Erica could've been hauled off to prison was if Mike had decided to press charges. Since Mike was madly in love with Erica, he wasn't about to see Erica taken to the hokey. "Take me away!" Erica demanded. She claimed that she was distracted whenever Mike was near her and feared that she might try to kill him again. "Well better luck next time," Jack replied with a slight smile. Jack turned and walked away. Erica stood in the room for a few minutes so that she wouldn't lose face. Then she opened the door and scurried after the attorney. Erica demanded to know why Jack had walked out on her. Jack accused Erica of trying to pull off another of her famous stunts. She didn't want to be arrested; she wanted to beat Mike at his own game. Erica boasted that she hadn't just beaten Mike at his own game, she'd bettered him. That led to Jack's comment that Erica had no intentions of using her scheme to win him back or to prove her love; she wanted to get even with Mike. "I did it for you," Erica chirped, stomping her foot ever-so-slightly. Jack dropped his bombshell: He'd seen Erica and Mike kissing the day before. Erica didn't know how to get herself out of this latest jam. She tried to imply that Mike was kissing her, not the other way around. That didn't work. Jack quipped that perhaps Erica ad been giving Mike mouth-to-mouth resuscitation. Jack announced that he had more important matters to deal with and walked away. Erica turned and reentered Mike's room. She did her best bluff job while trying to make Mike believe that she ad Jack had reconciled. Adrian could see that his presence was no longer needed. Interesting to note, that while Erica and Jack were out of the room, Adrian told Mike about Palmer's secret room. Adrian was spellbound by the secret room, but Mike noted that every rich person has at least one secret room. When Adrian left, Mike told Erica that he knew that she and Jack hadn't patched up their differences. If they had, they have rushed home to have "make-up sex." Erica calmly stated that Jack had to run off to do work and that they couldn't go home together. She turned away from Mike and asked why he decided to return to Pine Valley. Her life, she said, had been perfect before he showed up. "I'm here to marry you," Mike replied.
Hayley, Lee, and Albert gussied up Holidays for the big re-opening party. Ryan showed up during one of his breaks and offered to lend a hand. He knew about Hayley's decision to sell Holidays to a fake buyer. After all, it was his idea. Hayley thanked Ryan for coming up with the idea. Mateo arrived and stormed into the restaurant. Hayley subserviently tiptoed across the room to her husband. Mateo blasted Hayley for breaking her vow that she'd never return to Holidays. Hayley called it a force of habit and asked Mateo if she could stick around and hang up a few more decorations. That was out of the question. Hayley warned Mateo that if he continued to issue her orders, she'd order him to appear in divorce court. Hayley backed off of that position, but she requested that she be allowed to help Albert. Across the room, Ryan was furious that Mateo was once again barking orders at his wife. Lee warned Ryan to "let Mateo handle his woman." "Woman are not belongings," Ryan shouted. "They are equal to men." Mateo asked Hayley while Ryan is always hanging around her. Hayley insisted that Ryan was harmless---just like Camille. Mateo grabbed Hayley by the arm and literally dragged her towards the door. Ryan had seen enough. He dashed towards the couple and pulled Hayley away from Mateo. Without warning, Ryan punched Mateo in the face. Mateo stumbled backwards and crashed into a table. Lee and Albert rushed over to him to make sure that he was okay, as did Hayley. Ryan immediately apologized for his actions. Mateo remained calm. Once everyone believed that he was going to turn the other cheek, he rose to his feet and lunged at Ryan.
Jamie wanted to be with his mother at the courthouse, but rules made it impossible for young children to sit in the courtroom during a trial. The stage was set for Brooke's trial to begin---this time without the need to investigate charges of jury tampering. Keith took to the spotlight and readied with his opening arguments. The assistant district attorney announced that he would prove that Brooke had planned to kill Jim Thomasen---pre-meditated murder. The phrase chilled the courtroom. Everyone knew that if found guilty, Pennsylvania law mandates that Brooke be sentenced to life in prison. "The victim's cries for justice are not muffled by the grave," Keith said. Brooke had appointed herself judge, jury, and executioner, according to Keith, and he asked to jury not to let Brooke's personal judicial system go unpunished. Brooke sat in her chair dazed and somewhat confused. She asked herself how she'd gotten to where she was---a woman on trial for murder. She remembered the very first time she'd introduced Tad to Jamie. Keith summed up his argument by quoting Neitzche. In short, he said, "He who fights the monster most not become one himself." Could Brooke have really crossed the boundary from slayer to monster? When Trevor began his opening round of commentary, he first announced that "and resemblance between [his] client and Godzilla is hooey." The remark elicited a loud chuckle from the gallery. Brooke was touted as a law-abiding citizen, a Woman of the Year and an operator of a homeless shelter. Trevor's comments lacked both the finesse and delivery of those of Keith. Trevor informed the jury that the law was on Brooke's side and that they would soon see that.
The first prosecution witness on the stand was the medical examiner. With the help of some charts, the examiner testified that Jim was shot four times, three of the shots in the back. His expertise led him to the conclusion that the first shot would have been sufficient to disable or even kill Jim. The bullet had lodged itself in Jim's spine and probably rendered him unable to use his legs. The second witness was one of the police force's forensic experts. He testified that Jim had been unarmed and informed the jury that Brooke could have shot Jim in the leg if, as she claimed, she only wanted to stop him from leaving the gallery. Brooke had drifted off into a netherworld of her own mind. Trevor picked up on Brooke's space out appearance and asked for a brief recess so that he could confer with her. Janet, Belinda, and Trevor all appealed to Brooke to come back down to earth. By doing so, she could focus on making the jury sympathize with her.
Finally the shroud of secrecy had been lifted. Mike's "top secret mission" was to get Erica to agree to marry him. Erica couldn't believe her ears, but oddly enough she wasn't upset. She wondered why it had taken Mike thirteen years to realize that he did want to marry her. Mike argued that he'd already done the hard part by coming back from the dead and surviving Erica's forklift assault. Erica tried to dodge her true feelings. She put her hand to her head and looked down at the floor. She insisted that her life had been perfect until Mike returned to Pine Valley. Perfection isn't plagued by "boredom and stagnation," replied Mike. Erica didn't feel that it was Mike's place to decide if her life had been boring. She was happy and that was all that counted. She remarked that Mike must be out of his mind to expect her to accept his proposal on a whim. Mike smiled and announced that he was out of his mind---and that Erica was too. In fact, all people who are "crazy in love" can relate to what they are going through. "Marry me, you crazy woman!" Mike chirped, a wide smile planted firmly on his face. Erica's composure was shaken. She stumbled for words to tell Mike that she needed time to think about what he was asking. Mike told Erica that she could have all of five minutes to make up her mind. Erica headed down the hall to find a nice quiet place to relax.
Jamie's innocence began to shine through. That and the fact that he and his friends probably watch too much television. One of Jamie's friends told him that prisoners are forced to eat cockroaches and other icky foods while imprisoned. Tad reminded Jamie that his mother wasn't in jail. She was simply on trial. He again assured his son that Brooke would never be sent to prison. Jamie told Tad that Amanda's mother had been sent to jail for killing someone and asked how that situation differed from his mother's. Tad couldn't offer an explanation and while he thought of something to say, Jamie dashed off to play a video game. Stuart arrived a bit later and offered Tad some help in cheering up Jamie. Tad thanked Stuart for caring. The two got to talking about how Scott had clammed up when Cindy died. The two situations were a lot more similar that they appeared. Stuart warned Tad about making promises that he couldn't keep. Tad's face showed some concern as he realized that he'd been promising Jamie that Brooke would not go to prison. Stuart also told Tad about Adam's trip to Pigeon Hollow. The two men tried to think up another plan of action to collar the person or persons who'd been stalking the Chandlers. Stuart informed Tad that the shark tooth that they'd found at the cabin was actually a fake---nothing more than plastic. Apparently hippies used to wear similar teeth on necklaces. Tad pointed out that the person they were dealing with was not a hippie because hippies are supposed to make love, not war. After Stuart left, Tad looked to play a game or two with Jamie. Jamie, however, was nowhere to be found. When Tad noticed that the front door was ajar, he knew that Jamie must have run off.
Mateo pummeled Ryan and might have beaten him to death had Lee and Albert not stepped in to stop the fighting. Albert helped Ryan with an ice pack and announced that Ryan's nose had not been broken in the scuffle. Lee asked Albert if he was a doctor in addition to a restaurateur. "No, but I played one on TV," Albert replied seriously. Albert and Lee helped Ryan to the door and put him in a taxi bound for Wildwind. Hayley tore into her husband for flipping out like he did. She told Mateo that she was afraid of him. No longer would Hayley walk around making excuses for her husband's volatile temper. In Alcoholics Anonymous, Hayley said, she'd be called an "enabler," someone whose actions or lack of actions allow someone to continue their irresponsibility. She worried that Mateo might kill someone if his temper was not brought back in check. Mateo agreed to Hayley's suggestion that he receive counseling, but Mateo had a request of his own. He asked Hayley to sever all ties with Holidays---permanently. Hayley asked if she could cut her ties after the Fourth of July celebration. Mateo blasted his wife for not wanting to take the necessary steps to salvage their marriage. Hayley bowed her head and walked towards Albert. She told him that she was leaving. Albert asked her when she'd be returning to help with the final preparation for the grand re-opening. Hayley told the faux owner that she would not be returning and that he'd have to handle running Holidays on his own.
During the court recess, Brooke bumped into Dimitri in the hallway. Brooke told Dimitri that she was beginning to experience some strange feelings. When hearing the testimony, Brooke no longer envisioned herself as the one on trial; she believed that someone else had committed the crime. Dimitri assured Brooke that what she was feeling was one of the body's natural defense mechanisms. He also told her that he was going to be the next witness. On the stand, Dimitri did his best to say or imply anything that would help Brooke's case. Unfortunately, Keith was in tune with that and did an excellent job of cutting Dimitri off before he could offer much assistance to Brooke. The main point of the questioning was how and under what circumstances Dimitri had given his handgun to Brooke. Dimitri tried to explain that he'd given the gun to Brooke so that she could defend herself again Jim, but Keith cut him off. Brooke zoned off yet again, this time she fast-forwarded to the future. She imagined that she'd been convicted and sent to prison. On one of his visits, Tad told Brooke that Jamie, now a teenager, wanted nothing to do with her. In fact, Jamie had gone down the wrong path and was part of a gang of teenage thugs. Brooke sobbed. She had done everything possible to prevent Jim from ruining her son's life---and in the end it was her own actions that had seemingly doomed Jamie. Tempo's legal representative was called to the stand and testified that a contract had been drawn up between Brooke, Edmund, and Jim. In the event of one of the partner's deaths, the remaining two partners would split the late partner's share (about ten million dollars worth). For the defense's final witness, Keith announced that he'd be calling a hostile witness. That witness was none other than Phoebe Wallingford. On the stand, Keith tried to get Phoebe to admit that Brooke had toyed with the idea of offing Jim long before she shot him at the gallery. Phoebe flashed the feist that she's long been known for. She held her cane in her hand and pointed it at the assistant district attorney. She ordered him to back off of his questioning or she'd make him wish he had. "Now there's a threat," Phoebe stated. "But I highly doubt that anyone would expect me to shoot you!" The remark drew chuckles from the spectators. Brooke had another of her daydreams, this time of her son's funeral. Apparently, in this alternate reality, Brooke had opted to call the police instead of shooting Jim. Jim served only seven years in prison and after being released he returned to his familiar ways. Somehow, Jamie had gotten caught up in the sex and drugs and had presumably died of a drug overdose. Suddenly, Brooke snapped back into the real world and leapt to her feet. She began shouting that she had to kill Jim because it was the only way to protect her son. Brooke was nearly found in contempt, but fortunately Trevor was able to sweet talk the judge. Finally under pressure from Keith, Phoebe was forced to admit that Brooke had threatened to kill Jim. With that damaging blow, the prosecution rested its case.
Erica returned to Mike's room and found that the room had been filled with flowers and balloons. She wondered why Mike had suddenly decided to get festive. Mike told Erica that unlike Jake, he would never, ever walk out on her. He hinted that he'd made "big plans" for life with Erica and asked her to be a part of his life. He urged her to rewrite history. Erica agreed that there was a certain feeling of déjà vu surrounding them. Nearly a decade-and-a-half earlier, Erica and Mike were in a similar room at the hospital. Engaged to be married, Mike had "died" as a result of gunshot wounds. Mike implored Erica to let them have the happily ever after that they'd been dreaming of ever since. Erica and Mike leaned closer to each other and kissed. From behind, someone cleared their throat. The pair broke off their kiss and turned to see a reverend standing in the doorway. Mike told the man that he'd arrived just in time because he and Erica were getting married!
Adam stood over Lottie's grave. Presumably her body had now be interred in her proper gravesite. He pledged to find whomever was responsible for desecrating her final resting place. The sounds of footsteps approached Adam's location. "Some father you are," a familiar voice called out. Adam look up and saw Dixie standing before him. With a blue court order in her hand, Dixie vowed that Adam would "never get away" with his plan.
