At Fairwinds, Barbara and James are as giddy as schoolchildren as they talk about their plans to get rid of Carly, Emily, and Rose. Barbara wants James to fill her in on his plan, but he tells her, "the less she knows the better." He gives her a book, The Wheel Spins (an homage to Alfred Hitchcock's The Lady Vanishes?) as a gift. "Let everyone think I'm out of the country. When Paul finally moves out, fire the gardener and house keeper so my movements in and out of here will be harder to track." Just then Jack knocks at the door. James whispers, "I'm in Canada," as he slips into the shadows. Barbara puts on a new face and greets Jack. Jack thinks he is delivering fresh news and tells Barbara James left town. Barbara says, "Yes I know. He's in Canada." Jack is puzzled how she knew where he was, as he only heard James was out of the country from his police scanner just moments earlier. Barbara says James was around earlier and that she and Paul both told James to get out and never return. Jack doesn't think it's over since James didn't get what he wanted even though he's not sure what it was he wanted. Barbara has had enough saying, "I don't give a damn about his motivations. Paul and I are safe." Ever suspicious Jack doesn't buy Barbara's new routine and fakes a coughing attack to manipulate her out of the room. While she fetches him some water, he snoops around and finds the book. He's not sure what it means, and he doesn't have time to check it out. Babs returns with the water catching him snooping around. Jack tells her to get in touch in case James turns up. Barbara droops her eyes and winds up for a zinger, "I'll call. You can let yourself out." Once Jack was out of the way, James returns staring at the door Jack just exited from, "Do-gooder! What a nuisance."
Lisa tries to get Kim to hold her hospital benefit for the Burn Unit at Java Underground. Kim thought it would be a good idea to get Barbara involved. Lisa says she is just not the same person she used to be. Kim says that she needs to get out of that house and back into life or "else she'll drift off into Never-Never Land." Around the corner, Isaac and Bonnie continued their mating dace by working each other's last nerves.
At Molly and Jake's apartment, Holden tries to ease Molly's fear that Nick is trying to manipulate Abigail against her. Molly asks for Holden's help to set Abigail straight. Molly regrets that she didn't tell Abigail everything about the past in the beginning. Holden starts to leave to go find Abigail, but Molly stops him saying that will only compound Abigail's fear and insecurity in those she trusts. Holden calls the Munson household. Will tells Holden that Abigail is not there. After Molly finds out that Jenn was in Europe, she knows Abigail must be with Nick and she charges out to rescue her daughter.
Kim calls Barbara and asks if it was alright to stop by for a visit. Kim tells Barbara of the hospital benefit and asks for her help. James only hears half the conversation, but the wheels of his mind are spinning. Barbara hangs up and isn't sure if helping out with the benefit is such a good idea. She starts to wrap herself up in her veil again, but James stops her. Taking the veil from Barbara, he says, "I want the world to see you for what you're about to become."
Abigail confronted Nick with Molly's newest version of the truth and asked him if he and Molly ever slept together. Nick drew Abigail further into his web, and told her with an innocent face that he and Molly never slept together. Abigail's fragile latticework of trust in her mother crumbled, and Nick was there to comfort her, hiding his sledgehammer behind his back. Nick pumps Abigail for more information. "What else did she say about me?" Abigail told her Molly's version of how the robbery and arrest went down, and Nick was shocked. Soothingly he said, "Can we talk like adults?" Nick said he thought he was into Molly at one point, but he was going with another girl, so there was no way he would get involved with Molly. Abigail remembers that Molly tried to take Chris Hughes away from her and this made her furious she was trying to do the same thing again. Abigail cries some more. Nick tells Abigail he learned to paint in prison and was particularly attracted to angels. He told eighteen-year-old Abigail she was a beautiful woman. "You may not be an angel, but you're as close to heaven as I'll ever get." Abigail was touched as no one has ever called her an angel before. "You say I'm a woman - so treat me like one." She leans in to kiss him and he turns away. She stops Nick, grabs his chin, and pulls his lips to hers. They start to really make out when there's a knock at the door. "I know you're in there Nick!" Molly screams. "Open this door right now!"
Jack returns to the station with all the hair on the back of his neck standing on end. He tells Margo about his visit with Barbara and his fear that James is up to something. Margo tells him she trusts his instincts, but to try to forget it.
Lisa gets Isaac involved trying to convince Kim to hold the benefit at Java Underground. He professionally says Java would make the party convenient and worry-free. Seeing that Isaac is sinking fast, Bonnie comes over and accentuates all the things Kim needs for a successful event. Kim is sold on the idea and books Java. Isaac returns Bonnie's favor by putting her in charge of planning the party.
Nick asks Abigail if he should let Molly in and she says it's OK. Molly storms in and is set to lay into Nick when she sees Abigail. Molly is hurt that Abigail went to see Nick after she said she wouldn't, and Abigail is angry that Molly is checking up on her and interfering again. Molly decides that she will deal with Nick later and tells Abigail to come home with her, "Right now!" Abigail stops dead in her tracks at the sound of Molly barking orders. She is of age now and is torn with the choice of doing what her mother says, and being her own woman. Abigail reluctantly chooses to go with her mother.
Ben and Jessica arrive at Java and Ben darts behind the counter. He likes tending bar and fixes Jessica a drink. Just within earshot, they hear Bonnie and Isaac continue to go at it. Jessica calls it "round fifty-seven." Jessica takes Bonnie off to the side, and Ben takes Isaac. Both tormented lovebirds get advice to just admit that they like each other already. Bonnie's mom tells her she knows why she came back to town when she could have gone off and become the next supermodel. Bonnie admits she likes Isaac but doesn't think he likes her. Ben tells his brother that he should just drop the charade and ask Bonnie out to find out where this thing will lead. But both Bonnie and Isaac resist the truth.
Kim and Lisa arrive at Fairwinds and ask Bar Bar to help out with the benefit for the burn center. Kim says, "Just think of the hope you can give to so many others." Barbara is unsure and nervous about appearing in public. Kim and Lisa practically beg Barbara to get back into life. Barbara assuages them out the door by telling them she would think about it. James thinks it's a good idea for her to help out. "But James, I don't think I can do this." "You have to Barbara in order for our plan to work." "You're asking me to be the centerpiece of a freak show!" Giving Babs a few more bread crumbs, James says, "I need you to be in full view and occupied in public, for this will give you an alibi." Barbara understands and relents. She will call Kim in a few days to accept her proposal.
Nick talks on the phone with his accomplice saying that everything is going according to plan.
Molly and Abigail get back home and a tear-fest ensues. Abigail says Molly isn't taking her feelings into account. "What about what I feel for him? You are the one that's hurting me. Not Nick! He would never do anything to hurt me and that's one reason why I LOVE HIM!" Molly finds out Nick has told her he loves her too. Molly pleads for Abigail to open her eyes to this con man saying that he'll only hurt her in the end. Abigail will hear nothing bad about Nick and tells Molly that she is "nothing like you!" That is the last straw for Molly. "I will send you back to your adoptive parents if you continue to see him." Abigail couldn't believe that her mother was abandoning her like this. Her adoptive parents recently moved to Europe. Abigail cried and ran to her room. Biological father Holden shows up and he and Molly plot to stop Nick. Molly desperately threatens she would even kill Nick to keep him away from her daughter.
Carly gets a message from a famous fashion designer asking her to meet him in Paris about a job. Craig tries to convince her to immediately fly to Paris and take the job, but she insists on speaking with Paul first. Craig then tries to persuade her to leave BRO behind and let him accompany her to Paris, but Carly leaves to talk it over with someone whose opinion she values: Jack. When she arrives at his doorstep, she finds Mitzi leaving after spending the night talking with him.
Molly fills Kim in on Nick's relationship with Abigail, prompting Kim to fire him from the station. Meanwhile, Bonnie advises Abigail not to let her mother dictate her life. When Abigail learns that Nick has lost his job, she immediately goes to see him and tells him she does not care what Molly thinks of them.
Bonnie eases Bob's concern about hosting the hospital benefit at Java Underground by promising that a famous artist would attend. Later, she admits to Isaac that she lied to Bob and does not have anyone famous booked for the event.
At Java Underground, Billy sees Jen in a magazine ad and smiles. Adam walks in and is greeted by Lisa who asks him about Abigail. He tells her that they broke up and then walks over to Billy's table. Adam apologizes and tells Billy he messed up because he cheated on Abigail. He says he feels like a hypocrite but Billy isn't angry with him. He is, however, surprised that Adam and Abigail broke up because they seemed so close. Adam tells him all about Nick. Yet, Adam says, " He didn't force me to cheat on Abigail. It's my fault we broke up - not Nick's." Billy asks about Brandy (the girl Adam cheated on Abigail with) and Adam says he hasn't heard from her. He also says the situation is weird because she is a beautiful senior and he's just a freshman. The more he thinks about it, the more he wonders why she would go after him.
Meanwhile Nick has walked into Java Underground (after having a conversation at home with the "mystery woman" about how close they are to making cash and once he gets what he wants, he doesn't care what happens to Abigail). While Nick is sitting at a table for two, Brandy (the beautiful senior) walks in and goes over to his table. Nick tells her to leave but she threatens to tell Abigail how she was "hired" to sleep with Adam. Nick tells her it could be dangerous to get on his bad side. She looks alarmed and walks over to the bar. Billy sees Nick and Brandy talking to each other and points it out to Adam who decides to talk to Brandy. She is surprised to see him. Adam says he didn't know that she knew Nick Scutter. Brandy avoids his questions and tries to get rid of him. Brandy gets up to leave and Adam goes over to Nick who denies any connection with Brandy. Adam thinks it is too much of a coincidence that Brandy is the girl who was interested in him and now he sees the two of them together.
Molly and Abigail continue to argue over Nick. Abigail is upset because Molly had Nick fired from WOAK. She threatens to run away with Nick. Molly tries to reason with her daughter and says that it was Kim's idea to fire Nick. Abigail says Kim is Chris's mom and this brings up bad feelings for both of them with the mention of Chris Hughes. Abigail tells Molly to stop trying to run her life and that she can spend as much time as she wants with Nick. She feels that everyone has hurt her. Molly gets very upset when Abigail says that her parents (the Williams) have a right to have an opinion because they earned it. Molly, she says, is trying to make up for lost time. Abigail says that she is not Molly's baby -and she never was. She leaves to go see Nick at Java Underground. Jake comes home, calms Molly down and convinces her not to call the Williams' yet because she could lose Abigail. Jake says he is not giving up on their family.
Abigail arrives at Java Underground to see Nick and Adam talking. She walks over to them and hears Adam yelling at Nick, saying that he was "set-up." Adam realizes that it was all part of Nick's plan, to send Abigail looking for Adam when he knew that Adam would be with Brandy.
Carly goes over to Jack's house to ask for his advice on whether she should take the position with BRO or go to Paris to meet Jean Claude, which was orchestrated by Craig. Jack feels she shouldn't get involved with either but then says it would be better for her to go to Paris because the further away from Oakdale, the better it is for her. He doesn't want to tell her what to do but he feels she will be safer and happier as long as she is far away from James Stenbeck. Carly says she has some kind of radar that helps her to see through Craig and his schemes. She thinks he is sincerely trying to help her. Carly asks Jack if there is anything to keep her in Oakdale. Jack's answer is Molly and her friends. One friend, Carly says. They continue to talk and Carly says Jack could protect her - he's never failed her. But Jack says he did fail her and Carly says they failed each other. Jack says he misses talking with her and making plans. For them, it was best only to plan for the "next five minutes." Jack says she shouldn't owe anybody anything. He says he'll miss her but Carly says she'll miss him more. They say good-bye and Carly leaves with tears in her eyes.
Craig asks Paul to come over. He tells Paul about Jean Claude and the pending contract in Paris. BRO is beneath her Craig says and, "I won't let you hold Carly down." He wonders what will happen when Barbara comes back. She'll only tolerate Carly until the company rebounds completely. She won't share the spotlight with anyone. Paul says that Barbara supports Carly working at BRO and tells Craig that he can offer Carly something that will change her life. Carly walks in and overhears Craig and Paul talking. She is angry with Craig and tells both of them that she will make her own decisions. She makes Craig leave and then tells Paul that he was fair and honest and gave her a chance when no one else would but that she cannot accept his offer. Paul tries to change her mind. He too tells her that she'll owe Craig. Carly says she is not Barbara and Paul reminds her that his mother once said she wasn't Sierra. Paul says that Craig caused more damage than the explosion and that Craig made Barbara bitter. Carly says that the one person she wanted to tell her to stay in Oakdale, told her to go to Paris, so her decision is to not sign with BRO.
Paul makes one last effort to persuade Carly into signing for BRO, but she turns him down. Later, Carly lays into Craig about trying to control her and informs him that she has decided to go to Paris, but without him. Craig attempts to change her mind, but is unsuccessful.
James informs Barbara of Carly's job offer in Paris. Barbara begins to wonder exactly what he is doing to help her get rid of Carly, Rose and Emily. Paul then arrives to tell Barbara that Carly has turned down the offer and suggests they lure Carly to BRO with a full partnership in the company. Paul eases up on the idea after Barbara gets upset. Later, James urges Barbara to bring forth information to Carly that would ensure she would make the trip without Craig.
Lucinda warns Paul to back off his pursuit of Rose. Later, Paul sees flowers that Rose receives from a secret admirer.
Abigail overhears Adam accuse Nick of setting him up with Brandy. As Adam and Billy come up with a plan to get Brandy to talk, Nick uses this as an opportunity and the two almost make love. When she expresses doubt about his involvement with Brandy, an "injured" Nick sends her home.
Bonnie tries to contact Macy Gray about performing at Java Underground for the benefit. Isaac is very impressed with Bonnie's ambition and drive and tells her so. Bonnie is worried that she can't keep the promises she made to Isaac about getting performers.
Paul reads the card on the roses sent to Rose at her office and wonders what the sender, Vince O'Malley, means to her. He asks Rose what Vince wants her to remember from their past. Lucinda worries about Rose because of James and warns both Rose and Paul that they should stay away from each other so that James won't try to hurt Rose. Rose expresses her concerns about Vince O'Malley to Mitzi.
Carly insists to Craig that he cannot go to Paris with her. He does his best to try to get her to change her mind and eventually she does. Carly warns Craig that he will have to leave if he ever interferes with her work. Craig begins to make living arrangements for him and Carly in Paris. Carly asks Hal if he will keep Parker and tells him she is going to Paris with Craig when he talks to her about she and Jack possibly getting back together. Hal is very concerned and asks Carly if she is out of her mind, but then realizes that Craig is responsible for getting Carly the job. Hal is even more concerned when he realizes that Carly is romantically involved with Craig. Carly defends Craig and tells Hal he needs to give Craig a chance.
Barbara has some information about Craig that she and James are sure will cause Carly to dump Craig. James urges her to use the information against Craig. Barbara shows up at Carly's apartment while Hal is there, and puts on her act about wanting Carly to stay in Oakdale and work for BRO.
Simon shows up at Java Underground and asks Bonnie to stash Katie in a corner should she arrive wearing a wedding dress. Katie, in disguise, is nosing around trying to find out what Simon is up to and tells Craig she will never forgive him if he leaves for Paris before he can give her away at her wedding. She goes to Java Underground and sees Simon meeting Lily. Katie spies on them and learns that Simon has arranged for Margo and Lily to be bridesmaids at the wedding. She is horrified and asks Bonnie to find out what else they are planning. Margo and Lily try to dissuade Simon from going by Katie's "dream book", but he insists that it contains everything Katie wants in a wedding. Katie asks Bonnie to help, so Bonnie presents herself to Simon as a wedding planner. Bonnie tells Simon that his wife would want something more contemporary, as in grown up. Simon goes to the bar and says out loud "is that what you really want"? Katie pops up and asks him how he knew that she was there. Simon scoffs and reminds her she is not the most subtle person in the world and asks her if what she really wants is just a church, a gown, and him. When she confirms it, Simon takes her hand and says, "let's go."
Mitzie and Rose try to find out something about Vince O'Malley, but no one in Atlantic City has seen him since last summer. Rose reminisces about how physically attracted she and Vince were to each other at one time. Mitzie asks her what she is going to tell Paul just as he walks back into the room. Paul lets Rose know that he overheard her talking to Mitzie and asks her if she is in love with Vince. Rose tells him no and says that she hasn't seen Vince since she came to Oakdale pretending to be Lily. She also tells Paul that she no longer wanted to see Vince after Lily came back and Rose's true identity was revealed and that she loves him and no one else. Paul kisses Rose and asks her to promise she won't laugh at him. He then hands her a small blue box which contains a beautiful red rose pin. Rose asks him to take her home and forget dinner.
Barbara tells Carly that she does not like her or want her at BRO, but she realizes that they need her. She also tells Carly that she can't let her walk off into the sunset with Craig because then he will be the winner. Barbara tells Carly she has no reason to distrust her and that it was Craig's doing that she went to New York to try to ruin the fashion show. Barbara tells Carly that Craig taunted her because he wanted Barbara to destroy herself and that was the real reason he went to New York. She also tells Carly that Craig waited until Barbara tried to ruin the dresses so that he could then warn everyone and rush in and be the big hero. Barbara warns Carly that Craig could have stopped her from going to New York. After she leaves, Carly calls Craig and tells him she has to see him immediately. When he arrives, Carly slaps him and tells him she knows what he was really up to in New York. Craig defends himself and again tells Carly that he loves her and wants her to be successful, rich, and famous. Carly is skeptical and tells Craig she thinks his real motive was that he got her. Carly gives Craig one last chance to tell her what really happened in New York. She warns him that if he doesn't and she finds out the truth elsewhere, they will be finished.
Barbara returns home to find more information from James left in the book she is reading. This time it's about Vince O'Malley, Rose, and Atlantic City.
