Susan found Alison at Java and shared the good news that Rick Decker had been fired by Paul and was back in prison. Alison was comforted that Rick was gone, but her relief was short-lived. Susan handed Alison a package from her father, Larry McDermott, and Alison was stunned. Alison did not know why her father was contacting her after so long, but Susan said it was up to her daughter to decide whether or not she wanted to open it. Aaron arrived to meet Alison and Susan left the two to talk.
After deliberating with Aaron about whether or not to open the package, Alison decided to see what her dad had sent. She opened the box and found an unsigned note congratulating her on attending nursing school, and a bracelet. Alison was not sure what to make of the gift and wondered why her father had abandoned her. She did not know if she wanted to wear the bracelet, but decided to give it a try.
Alison decided to go for a jog around a local track to help relieve some stress and, after a few laps, found herself winded. Chris had come to the track for a little exercise and noticed Alison bent over and gasping for air. He offered to help her learn the right way to run and said she needed to start by relaxing and stretching. He started to massage her shoulders and then the two began stretching together. After a while, Chris told Alison she was ready to run and asked her if she wanted any company. The two laughed and talked as they jogged, but stopped when Aaron showed up. As Alison was talking to Aaron, she got light-headed and Aaron had to help her off the track as Chris stepped back and watched. Alison recovered while Aaron got her some water. Chris asked her if she was okay and she said she was. When she stood to leave for class, Alison's new bracelet got stuck to her shorts and she remarked to Chris that she had just received it as a gift from her father.
On the search for Sofie's real killer, Paul and Meg arrived at Mike's office and tried to convince him to help them find out who Sofie was dating before her untimely death. Mike was reluctant to help until he learned that Meg, not Paul, was the prime suspect. Mike said the only man Sofie spoke of was Paul. Meg explained that Sofie's fetus was too young to be Paul's, so she must have been sleeping with someone else. Mike mentioned he had spoken to Cole after Sofie's murder and their conversation led him to believe Sofie was not seeing anyone at the time of her death. Mike told the couple he had nothing more that would help them. Meg was discouraged at the lack of information, but Paul believed they were heading in the right direction and they needed to talk to the men in Sofie's life: Cole, Aaron, and Chris. The two left to visit Barbara and plan their next move.
Barbara returned to her suite at the Lakeview and noticed her jewelry box had been ransacked. When she turned to leave, she was confronted by Cole, who stopped her from leaving. Barbara wanted her jewelry back, but Cole told her it was a deposit on the blackmail money she owed. Cole reminded Barbara that he had seen her kill Sofie. Barbara rushed to the door to try to escape, but Cole slammed the door shut and pulled a gun on Barbara. Cole pushed her out of the room and told her they were going for a ride. Barbara wanted to know where Cole was taking her, but he refused to say. As they got off the elevator, Cole saw Paul and Meg in the lobby. He pulled Barbara back into the elevator to avoid a confrontation with Paul and told her to be quiet. Paul and Meg walked into the dining room to get coffee and Cole pushed Barbara through the lobby, only stopping momentarily when they ran into Lisa. Lisa was stunned to see the two together, but Cole made up an excuse and rushed Barbara out of the building.
Paul and Meg sat in the bar and tried to figure out what their next move should be to clear Meg of any suspicion in Sofie's death. They decided to split up and talk to as many people as possible who Sofie knew.
In the meantime, Cole had taken Barbara to an abandoned building where he had been living. Cole tied Barbara up and then demanded that she write a note to Paul asking for $100,000. Barbara refused to write the note even after Cole threatened to kill her. Cole was flustered by Barbara's refusal and, in an attempt to get his composure back, injected himself with drugs. Barbara realized that Cole knew how to use a needle and was the one who killed Sofie. In his drug-induced haze, Cole decided to write the letter for Barbara. As Cole wrote the letter, he began to doze off. Barbara wanted to get out of the horrible situation as quickly as possible and asked him to skip the letter and just phone Paul. Cole thought Barbara was trying to trick him and he began to scream at Barbara. As Cole raged on, Barbara suddenly blurted out that she knew Cole was behind Sofie's death.
A drugged-up Cole admitted that he had killed Sofie after he learned that she had lied to him about the money Paul had given her. Cole told Barbara about an argument he had with Sofie the night she died and detailed how he injected her after she called him a loser. Cole held up another needle and told Barbara she needed to listen to him or he would stick her as well. Barbara agreed to do what Cole wanted and asked him to untie her so she could write the ransom note to Paul. Barbara wrote the letter and Cole quickly tied her back up while he delivered the note to Mike at Worldwide with the instructions that it be given to Paul.
While Cole was out, Barbara was able to untie the ropes. She began to scream for help, but when no one came, she found Cole's drug supply and filled a syringe. She sat back in the chair and waited for Cole to return. When Cole came back, Barbara started to choke and asked Cole to get her some water. When he turned around to get her a drink, Barbara stood up and stabbed him with the needle, injecting him with a huge dose of his own drugs. Cole swung around and grabbed Barbara by the throat, but then collapsed on the floor.
Paul and Meg met up outside Barbara's suite after they had spoken separately with Chris and Aaron. The couple exchanged notes about their meetings with Aaron and Chris and both noticed that everyone who knew Sofie had brought up Cole. They decided that their next step was to find Cole and figure out what he knew about Sofie before her death. With that resolved, Paul knocked on Barbara's door, but was worried when there was no answer. Paul and Meg found Lisa and asked her to open Barbara's room. Lisa agreed and told the pair she had seen Barbara earlier leaving with Cole. Paul was confused about why his mother would go anywhere with Cole, but once he and Meg saw the inside of Barbara's room, they realized that Barbara had not left with Cole under her own will.
Across town, Mike read the note Cole had brought for Paul and immediately called Paul and told him to meet him at Worldwide. Once Meg and Paul showed up, Mike explained the letter and that Cole appeared to be on drugs when he brought the letter. As they were all discussing what to do next, Paul received a call from Barbara pleading for help. Barbara explained that Cole had kidnapped her and she had knocked him out, but was trapped and did not know where he had taken her. Paul put her on speakerphone as she described her surroundings. Based on what Barbara said, Mike figured out that Barbara was in the old mill cellar. Just then her phone went dead, leaving Barbara alone with Cole, who she feared would be coming to anytime. Mike was determined to call the police for help, but Paul and Meg left to see if they could rescue Barbara on their own. Right after her phone dropped out, Cole woke up and Barbara tried to fight him off. Cole managed to grab Barbara by the throat again and everything went dark. Later Paul pushed his way into the room and surprisingly found Barbara alone, huddled behind the door. Cole had escaped before Paul and Meg had arrived.
Paul and Meg took Barbara to the hospital where Susan admitted Barbara to watch her overnight. Paul called Mike and explained they had found Barbara in the cellar, but there was no sign of Cole when they got there. Meg left to get Barbara's antibiotics. As she looked for the correct vial she felt a gun go into her back. She turned around and found Cole holding her at gunpoint. Cole told Meg to open up the narcotics cabinet so he could load up on drugs before he left town. Meg did as Cole said and tried to open the cabinet, but she did not have the keys to the drug locker. Flustered by Meg's inability to get him more drugs, Cole shot Meg and then ran out. Meg stumbled towards the door, but collapsed to the floor holding her side and bleeding profusely.
As Cole tried to run from the hospital, Mike arrived with the police and tackled Cole. He called Paul and gave him the news that Cole was in custody. Paul told his mom about Cole's arrest and Barbara commented that the nightmare was over; unknown to them Meg was bleeding to death down the hall.
Emma arrived home at the farm and found Holden there, waiting. He told her he had something to tell her that he dreaded, and he was about to disclose Meg's marriage to Paul Ryan and his own affair with Carly, when Emma begged for a few moments for herself before she got all the news.
Lucinda dropped in at Lily's and asked what had caused the damage to Lily's driveway and retaining wall. Lily told her mother that the damage resulted from her trying to kill Carly. Lucinda did not believe her, but Lily's demeanor convinced her that something was very seriously wrong. Lucinda was shocked to learn that Holden and Carly had begun an affair, and quickly offered to arrange for Carly to "sleep with the fishes." Lily broke down in tears and told her mother that Holden confessed the affair, and Lucinda's first thought was that this affair was payback for Lily's dalliance with Dusty months earlier.
Parker went home and was surly with Carly. She wanted to know what was wrong, and Parker called her a slut and told her she kept hurting the family. Carly yelled back and then realized that Parker had overheard her heated discussion with Jack the night before. Parker could not believe his mother slept with her best friend's husband. Carly promised to be honest about her mistake, but Parker stormed out.
Barbara woke up in the hospital and Paul told her that Cole Norbeck was in police custody. Barbara wanted to know where Meg was, so Paul went looking for her. Meg was supposed to be getting antibiotics for Barbara, so Paul first checked the medications room. It was locked, but he spotted blood seeping from under the door. A nurse unlocked the door and the two of them discovered Meg on the floor, losing a great deal of blood from a gunshot wound to the abdomen. A team hustled Meg to an operating room, and Susan came to Barbara's room and told Paul to call family members. Paul called Holden who confirmed that he had the same blood type as Meg and promised to be right there. He and Emma left immediately for the hospital.
When Holden arrived, Susan hustled him off immediately to take blood, and Emma accosted Paul for bringing misery to Meg once again. Paul explained what had happened with Cole, but Emma still held Paul responsible for causing chaos. Susan brought a good report on Meg's surgery and asked Paul to sign some papers. Emma wanted to know why Paul should sign, and Susan responded that Paul had to sign as Meg's husband.
Parker went to Liberty's and helped himself to a beer from the refrigerator. He explained about the argument with his mother, and how his thoughts on how he could never count on her were all reinforced. He was worried that Holden and Lily might divorce over the affair between Holden and Carly. Liberty tried to calm Parker and his attitude towards adults in general. Parker was grateful and said having Liberty around had changed him for the better.
Lucinda suggested a divorce to Lily, but Lily was not considering that. Someone knocked at the door, and there stood Carly. Lucinda excused herself after warning Lily not to talk to her visitor. Carly tried to explain to Lily that Holden did not want any of it to happen and apologized for looking to him for comfort. She explained that Holden did not want anyone but Lily and their family, but Lily ranted about confiding in Carly when she and Holden were having difficulties. Carly promised that the affair was over, but Lily told her that Holden did not seem to feel that way.
Back at Memorial, Paul explained about his and Meg's wedding and apologized for leaving Emma out of the loop. Holden returned with the good news that Meg was going to recover completely, and Emma groused that she needed a whole new set of children because she was so angry at these. Paul tried to kid her by calling her "Mother Snyder," but Emma was in no mood to be humorous. The family members were allowed to see Meg, and Emma relented about the marriage and offered a celebration when Meg felt up to it. Susan threw out all the visitors but one, and Emma graciously offered that position to Paul.
Emma and Holden went back to the farm, and Emma demanded to know what it was that Holden had to tell her. Holden poured them each a glass of Emma's homebrewed elderberry wine, and just as Emma declared that the day could hardly get worse, in stormed Lucinda who began berating Holden. He shouted at Lucinda to leave, but she kept her tirade going, accusing him of sleeping with Lily's best friend and warning him to stay away from Lily. Lucinda finally left and Emma swore she would never leave home again, picked up the wine bottle, and went into the parlor by herself.
Carly continued to try to convince Lily to pick up the pieces of her marriage for her family's sake, but Lily warned Carly never ever to talk to her about family again. "Get the hell out of my house," were her exact words, and Carly did. She went home and her phone began to ring. It was Holden, who asked to meet with her. Carly said she could not believe he was calling, but he explained that perhaps the two of them could figure out a way to make things right.
Meg woke up in the hospital with Paul lying in bed with her. She was still recovering from her gunshot wound, but told Paul she was ready to go home. Paul was not sure if Meg could go home yet, but promised to do anything else she asked. Meg commented that she wished her mother had been at their wedding. Paul thought for a moment and then said he had a meeting to go to and left Meg to rest, but he promised to return with beautiful flowers and Meg's mother.
Paul went to the farm and tried to induce Emma into doing him a favor, but first he had to convince her that he was the right man for Meg. Emma refused to believe that Paul and Meg belonged together and recounted the many ways that Paul's behavior had caused Meg to suffer. Paul explained that Meg thought he was a good man and hoped Emma could accept Meg's love for him as proof that he had changed. Emma asked Paul to promise that he would never hurt Meg again, but he would only pledge to never intentionally harm Meg and that he would always love her. This was enough to get Emma to go with Paul.
Paul returned to Meg's room and she asked if he had managed to get her released. Paul said he was not able to get that done, but he had another surprise. Emma came into the room and Paul asked if Meg was willing to marry him again in front of both of their mothers. Meg happily said she would. Barbara arrived with a wedding gown and necklace she had just received from Will and Gwen for Meg to wear. Paul explained the doctors were worried about Meg's health and would only let her stand-up for a few moments for the ceremony.
Paul and Meg's wedding began in her hospital room with her childhood pastor performing the service. Everything began beautifully, with the bride and groom declaring their love for one another, but things turned bad when Meg looked up and saw the recently deceased Sofie standing in the hall. She quickly fainted into Paul's arms and he helped her into bed. Susan came in to check Meg and told Paul to remove the necklace that Barbara had given her so she could examine Meg. Meg woke up once the necklace was off and Susan said her heart rate had been elevated, but had quickly returned to normal. Paul wanted to postpone the ceremony, but Meg insisted they go forward. They went ahead and exchanged vows without incident, but the second time Meg stayed in bed and did not put the necklace back on. Once they were married and alone in Meg's room, Paul kissed his new bride and sat his hand ominously by the necklace she had worn when she passed out.
Alison sat fidgeting at Java and seemed completely agitated and annoyed. Aaron arrived and offered to buy her a coffee, but all she could do was grumble about her latest bad grade. When Aaron told her everything would be all right, Alison leapt from the table and told Aaron to stop patronizing her. Alison got coffee for Aaron and then returned to the table to argue with him about his constant support. Aaron was confused by Alison's hostile attitude and asked her if she had started taking drugs again. Alison was angry with Aaron's allegation and told Aaron to go away. Aaron had heard enough and left.
After having breakfast with his mom, Chris had come into Java and noticed Aaron and Alison arguing. He listened to the end of their fight and watched Aaron storm off. Chris detected immediately that something was physically wrong with Alison. He saw that Alison was shaking and restless and insisted she let him check her out to see what was wrong. Alison would not take Chris's advice and accused him of using the "physical" to try to seduce her again. Chris warned Alison that she appeared sick and she should ask her mother to look at her. Alison refused and Chris walked out. Once Alison was alone, she could not stop fiddling with her new bracelet and it finally broke off.
Alison showed up at the Lakeview and apologized to Aaron for her strange behavior. She seemed to be back to her old self and showed Aaron the broken bracelet. She explained she had no idea why she was acting so strangely. Aaron understood and said he thought the stress of nursing school was getting to Alison and he offered to buy her lunch. Alison happily accepted and, after finishing lunch, gave Aaron a quick kiss and left to study.
Chris was not convinced Alison was all right and went to talk to Susan at the hospital about Alison's strange symptoms. Susan did not want to hear what Chris had to say, but Chris refused to give up and asked Susan to give Alison a physical. Susan told him to stay away from her daughter and went on her way.
Chris returned to his hotel and was handed a package by the front desk clerk. Inside, there was an unsigned note that Chris assumed was from Bob and Kim, and a watch. He left Kim a message thanking her for understanding and then stared at his new watch.
Over breakfast at the Hugheses' home, Daniel asked Tom why he was taking Emily to court and wanted to know what his mother had done to make Tom want to change visitation. Tom did not want to explain to Daniel that Emily had been a prostitute and simply told his son that he did not want him around Emily. Casey walked in and Daniel asked him why Tom was going forward with the court case. Casey changed the subject and said a family friend had invited Daniel over for the morning. Daniel was excited to go and Tom gave his permission.
Once Daniel was gone, Tom criticized Casey for trying to get Daniel alone so he could poison his mind against him and Margo. Casey said he would never do that, but implored Tom not to trash Emily in court. Tom explained he was looking out for Daniel's best interests and had no intention of him learning about Emily's sordid past. Casey argued there was no way to avoid Daniel finding out once the court records were made public. Tom said he would have the case against Emily sealed, but Casey was not done pleading Emily's case. Tom was not impressed with Casey's argument and insisted that the only reason Casey was defending Emily was because he was sleeping with her. Casey believed that Tom was punishing Emily for dating Casey, but Tom said he was only protecting Daniel. Casey was frustrated that Tom would not back down, and left.
At the police station, Margo was clearing her schedule so she could attend court with Tom. Emily barged in and confronted Margo about the custody hearing. Emily begged Margo to think about Daniel and what would happen if he found out his mother had been a call girl. Margo told Emily she could make sure Daniel never knew, by turning custody of Daniel over to Tom. Emily insisted that if she did that, Daniel would hate her. Margo said she knew and did not care if Daniel hated Emily. Emily pleaded with Margo again, but Margo simply showed her the door and said she would see her in court.
Emily arrived at the courthouse and was surprised when she found Casey there. Casey said he had tried to get Tom to change his mind, but was unable to persuade his father to let the custody agreement stay the same. Emily wanted Casey to stay with her, but Casey said he thought it would just make things worse if his parents saw him with Emily. Emily agreed and watched sadly as Casey walked out.
When the court hearing began, Casey snuck in and, to the frustration of his parents, sat on Emily's side of the room. He watched as Tom told the court that new information had come to his attention that made him believe Emily was no longer a good mother to Daniel. When it was time for Tom to tell the judge about Emily's prostitution, he took a deep breath and told the court he decided to withdraw his suit. Emily cried with relief as the judge dismissed the case.
After Emily walked out, Margo demanded to know why Tom let her off the hook. Tom explained his conversation with Casey and said he did not want to battle with his sons anymore. He was certain that Emily would self-destruct on her own, and Casey and Daniel would realize that she was a bad person without any help from Tom and Margo. Margo was not convinced and said she would find a way to stop Emily.
After the hearing, Casey and Emily went to the Lakeview to celebrate. In the lobby, Emily began kissing Casey, but he quickly pulled away, citing Emily's rule against kissing in public. Emily declared she did not care anymore who saw them together and that she loved Casey. Just then, Alison walked out of the bar and was shocked to see Emily and Casey in a passionate embrace. She interrupted the two, but Emily was not embarrassed and declared her love for Casey to her sister. Alison just shook her head in disappointment and offered the couple a less than heartfelt "congratulations."
Brad and Katie returned home thinking they had the place to themselves and walked in on Parker and Liberty kissing. Brad came unglued and manhandled Parker and threw him out the door. Katie counseled Brad to have "the talk" with Liberty, but Brad was not comfortable talking about sex with his daughter and said he preferred to hunt down Parker and put "the fear of God" into him. Katie explained that Liberty was the one to whom he needed to speak, so Brad called her in and made a few false starts on the birds and the bees.
Jack had lost his appetite for lunch at the diner and suggested to Janet that he take Parker out of town on a fishing trip. Janet wanted Jack to talk to his son about sexual responsibility, but Jack was more concerned that Parker would find out about his mother's affair with Holden.
At the Snyder farm, Noah noticed that Luke was down in the dumps about his parents' marital situation. He asked Luke why he was taking his dad's situation with Carly so personally, and Luke answered that he was depressed that his dad was so willing to give up on true love with Lily. Luke was also disappointed that he and Noah were still nothing more than glorified roommates. Noah asked why they were not yet having sex, and then abandoned the conversation and went upstairs.
Holden and Carly arranged to meet by the pond, and Holden attempted to explain why he had told Lily about their affair. He also informed Carly that Lily wanted a divorce, which horrified his lover. Carly referred to their liaison as a "fluke," but Holden obviously viewed their relationship more seriously. He expressed his strong feelings for Carly, but she said she no longer wanted to be in the position of hating herself for her behavior. She could not continue to see how her son looked at her. Luke appeared unexpectedly to swim in the pond, and suggested, not too subtly, that Holden go home to his wife.
Carly asked Luke to go easy on his father, but Luke said Holden was not trying hard enough to make things right in their family. Carly agreed that the most important condition was Holden's keeping his distance from her. She promised Luke that the affair was over, and Luke suddenly lost all his desire to take a swim and left. Carly insisted to Holden that they had to bury their feelings, and about that, they had no choice. Carly told him goodbye, and he said the same.
Jack left the diner and ran into Parker. He proposed the father-son fishing trip, but Parker told him it was not necessary because he already knew what his mother had done. There was no reason to hustle him out of town, said Parker. He spoke about his mother with disrespect, and that angered Jack.
Brad still fumbled with his parental talk with Liberty, and eventually told her that she needed to wait before she had sex. Liberty gave her dad a hard time, and Brad accomplished virtually nothing for all his efforts. Katie, who was listening behind the door, disagreed. She asked Brad to remember a time when he and she figured out how wonderful sex could be between the right couple at the right time, and Brad vowed to try again with his daughter.
Janet met her daughter at the office of gynecologist, Dr. Schiller. The doctor preferred to talk with Liberty alone, so Janet offered to wait outside. Liberty told her mother to go back to work at the diner and that she would meet her there. Liberty completed her appointment with the doctor, who ran into Katie and Brad who had arrived to ask the doctor for some appropriate literature for a teen considering becoming sexually active.
Liberty and Janet reconnected at the diner and went over the pamphlets and free samples that Liberty received from the doctor. The samples included birth control pills, condoms, and literature. Brad and Katie showed up, and Brad spotted the condoms and demanded to know why Janet had given them to Liberty. Janet explained that she had taken their daughter to the doctor and that was what the physician had given her. Janet became outraged at Brad's attitude and yelled at him that she did not want a girl like Liberty to end up like her because of a boy like him. She reminded Brad that she had raised the girl for 16 years-alone-and she did not need permission from him about how she conducted herself as a parent. Katie rushed Brad out of there before other angry remarks were exchanged.
Luke and Noah continued their discussion about their relationship and how they wanted their first time together to be special. They shared a kiss.
Liberty ran out of the diner and headed to Parker's. The two of them decided they hated everyone but each other. They began kissing, and Parker asked Liberty if she wanted to go to his room with him, and she agreed. Upstairs, the two sat on the bed and continued kissing. Parker removed his shirt and began to unbutton Liberty's blouse. Liberty got up to get the condoms, which she handed to Parker and told him not to worry because she was on the birth control pills. The teens were soon in bed together, and Parker asked Liberty if she were sure she wanted to continue. They kissed again.
Brad and Katie could not find Liberty at home and argued about how to handle the situation. Brad still wanted to find Parker and beat him up, but Katie diffused that yet again.
Jack was shocked that Janet had gotten birth control pills for Liberty and asked if she were not getting ahead of herself. Surely Liberty and Parker had only engaged in some harmless kissing. He had no idea that the teens had moved beyond that. He was also stunned when Janet suggested he provide condoms for Parker and further refused to give the "sex talk" to his son.
Vienna was still unhappy about Henry's co-ownership of Metro, so Henry convinced Bonnie to do some fake legal work to make it look like he was selling his interest back to Carly. Bonnie delivered the phony paperwork to Vienna at the diner, telling her it was confidential paperwork for Henry. Vienna opened the envelope the minute Bonnie was gone. Bonnie watched her from outside and immediately called Henry to tell him Vienna had taken the bait.
Vienna went to Metro and told Henry how happy she was that he was selling his interest in Metro. Henry acted surprised that Vienna had found out about the sale, but he told her he would do anything for her, even if it meant giving up his dream. As he opened a bottle of champagne to celebrate Vienna's happiness, Henry talked about how much he was giving up for Vienna, and how much they both would lose by selling Metro. Vienna, oblivious to Henry's intentions, smiled happily and told Henry she didn't need any of those things as long as she had him.
Vienna talked Henry into going home, and there, they made love passionately. Henry then tried to discuss the Metro situation with Vienna, but when Vienna told him how much she loved him for having listened to her about Metro and said how much she wanted to make love to him again, he dropped the subject entirely. Later, Henry ran into Bonnie and told her his plan had backfired. When Bonnie asked if Henry was going to give up, Henry said, "No, I can't do that. There has got to be another way."
Parker and Liberty had made love and were lying awkwardly in Parker's bed when Carly came home, calling Parker's name. When Parker told Carly, through his locked door, that he didn't want to talk to her, she went downstairs and called Jack and asked him to come over to help her deal with Parker.
Jack went to the house and lectured Carly about the consequences of her affair with Holden. Carly was afraid Parker would act out, as he had done every other time she had disappointed him. Jack agreed that he might, but when Carly said she thought they should work together to help Parker deal with his feelings, Jack told her they weren't working together on anything anymore. Carly begged Jack not to take the kids from her, but Jack said he wouldn't do that, because the last thing the kids needed was to be separated from their mother again.
Parker realized Jack was downstairs talking to Carly. Before Liberty could leave, Parker asked her if their lovemaking had been the way it should be. Liberty said she didn't know, because it had been her first time. Parker was surprised, which Liberty took as an insult. Parker tried to apologize, but Liberty was upset and left, climbing out of Parker's window.
Liberty went home, somewhat saddened about having lost her virginity. Janet arrived and told Liberty she just wanted to be sure Liberty wasn't upset about the way Brad had freaked out when he found out the doctor had given Liberty birth control pills and condoms. Liberty was distant, and Janet asked what was wrong. When Liberty didn't answer, Janet drew her own conclusion, correctly guessing that Liberty and Parker had done the deed. Liberty, however, denied it.
Janet sat down with Liberty and told her that having sex before she was ready could cause her to feel insecure about herself, and she stressed that Liberty should wait until she found someone she really cared about who really cared about her. Liberty said she'd heard that a million times and she had homework to do. Janet decided to back off, but before she left, she told Liberty, "But just in case you did do it, that doesn't mean you have to do it again. Because like I said before, you're way too young." She kissed her daughter on the cheek, told her she loved her, and left.
Parker tried to call Liberty, but she was in the bathtub and didn't hear her phone ringing. He didn't leave a message. When Liberty got out of the tub, she returned Parker's call, but when she got his recorded message, she too hung up.
Janet went to Carly's house and told Carly she needed to borrow Jack. Jack left with Janet, and they went to the farm. There, Janet told Jack she was afraid Liberty and Parker had had sex. Jack said they had made things easy for Parker and Liberty. Janet said she had not given Liberty the birth control to encourage her to have sex, but Jack said that was exactly what had happened. Janet told Jack he should be glad she'd made sure Liberty wouldn't get pregnant, but Jack said just because she'd gotten birth control for Liberty didn't mean that Liberty had used it. Janet was sure Liberty would have used it, because she'd been scaring Liberty about pregnancy for a long time. Jack said the whole process of what Janet had done still seemed like encouragement to him.
Janet told Jack they weren't going to get anywhere by arguing. Parker walked into the farmhouse and told Jack he'd decided he wanted to go on the fishing trip that Jack had proposed. Jack said they could leave that evening, and he told Parker to find the fishing rods and tackle box and put them in his truck. Parker walked out, and Jack told Janet that they could keep the kids apart for a week or so. He said he would have a serious talk with Parker, but Janet would need to lay down the law with Liberty. As Jack left, Janet muttered to herself, "That's easier said than done."
Holden went home and told Lily he wanted to try to save their marriage. Holden said they had a pattern of hurting each other and then shutting each other out, but they always found their way back to one another. He thought they should let things settle down before getting any lawyers involved. Lily told Holden she wished she could believe things would work out, but she thought that his affair with Carly was his way of ending things between them for good.
Holden protested that that wasn't the case. Lily said their marriage had never really healed after she slept with Dusty, but that Holden's choice to sleep with her best friend, something she could never forgive, was a relationship-ending type of thing. Holden said Lily had slept with her best friend, Dusty, and he asked what the difference was. Lily, in utter disbelief, reminded him that she and Holden had been separated when she slept with Dusty, but they had been working to put their marriage back together when Holden slept with Carly. Lily said she felt that maybe they were doomed to keep making the same mistakes, and the only way to end the hurt and pain was to end the relationship, once and for all. She told Holden that since he had said he still had feelings for Carly, he should go ahead and act on them; she was giving him his freedom.
Holden told Lily that it was over between him and Carly. Lily asked what was over, the affair or his feelings for Carly. Holden said it didn't matter, but Lily insisted it did. She said she had made up her mind and was going to go ahead with the divorce, and Holden left.
Emma went to see Lily and asked her to try to forgive Holden. She told Lily that Lily and Holden were the love of each other's life. Lily said that didn't mean they'd done anything right, but Emma said they had created something very special, by having a beautiful family together. She begged Lily not to throw that away.
Holden went to church and prayed aloud for guidance, saying he loved his wife, but he loved another woman, too. Carly walked into the church and told Holden she'd come to pray that God might make her a totally different person. Holden said he hoped that didn't happen, and then he asked if she had heard what he had been praying. Carly said if she had, it would be best if she pretended she hadn't.
Holden told Carly that Lily wanted a divorce. Carly said Holden shouldn't give up, but Holden told her only part of him wanted to go back to Lily. Carly said they needed to put their feelings aside and do the right thing, to try to fix what they had broken. She told Holden they had no other choice. Holden looked at Carly sadly, then got up and walked out of the church.
