Paul called Lucy and wanted to know if Dusty had arrived yet. He reminded her what Craig would learn if she did not follow through on Paul's orders. Dusty knocked, but Lucy hesitated before she opened the door. Dusty had strong second thoughts about trying to deceive Paul. He declared it was too big a lie to convince Paul that Dusty was romantically involved with Lucy again.
Lucy prevented Dusty from leaving then and reiterated that people overseas were counting on her for the humanitarian supplies she was sending on the ships with Craig's vodka. Dusty said he was not doing what she asked, and Paul would not carry out his threats because Dusty would let Paul know what would happen if he opened his mouth. Dusty called Paul at Fairwinds and said he was on his way there. Lucy begged him not to go, but Dusty assured her Paul would never bother her again.
Prior to her date with Craig, Carly tried on fancy earrings, sipped wine, and conversed with Sage. She asked her daughter what her opinion of Craig was, since she had gotten to know him better. Sage said her mother could go out with anyone she chose, but that Craig was "okay." She also told Carly to do whatever she wanted to do, as well. If Carly was not with Jack, then Sage didn't care. She commented that Parker and Liberty used to be fun before they got married, but lately they just sat around and argued like grown-ups.
Janet and Jack had a drink at Metro and talked over their house plans. Jack apologized for not being better company and suggested they go somewhere other than Carly's nightclub. Jack had an idea, and he spirited Janet away.
Paul called Meg and said he still cared about her and hated to see her humiliated. Meg asked what he meant, so Paul explained that he knew Dusty was with Lucy in her bedroom in the Lakeview. Meg didn't believe that, so Paul suggested she go see for herself. Meg said she had plans to go to the movies with a couple of friends, and when Paul asked about Eliza, Meg said she had a sitter for the baby, and she hung up on him.
Craig arrived at Carly's with an armful of roses, just as Sage was leaving for a sleepover. Carly came downstairs in jeans and explained to Craig that she could not go out with him on a date because she felt her kids weren't ready for that yet. Craig reminded her that J.J. was away at school and Parker had no problem with him, so the culprit must be Sage. He got sarcastic and verified with Carly that someone had indeed told Sage that "Daddy dearest" had married Janet. Carly said she just wanted to give her daughter, and herself, some breathing room. Craig dumped the bouquet in the trash, but Carly rescued it and took it to the kitchen for a vase. Craig followed her and asked if he could then buy her a drink, not as a date but as something that just happened, and Carly agreed.
Dusty barged into Fairwinds and called out for Paul. The maid responded and told Dusty that Mr. Ryan had left on urgent business at the Snyder farm. Dusty left in a hurry.
Meg showed up at Lucy's hotel room and knocked. When Lucy answered, Meg said she was looking for Dusty. Lucy invited her in to search the room, and Meg did. She told Lucy she should not have let Paul get to her, so Lucy explained that Dusty had dropped in for a minute but had then gone to find Paul at Fairwinds. Meg got upset and wanted to know what was going on that had set Dusty off, but Lucy refused to say.
Lucy apologized to Meg, but she said nothing more. Meg said she suspected that Dusty knew Paul would be saying something bad about her, and she wanted to know why Paul had called her and said Dusty was with Lucy. Lucy opened the door, and as Meg was leaving, she said she knew Lucy and Dusty were not having an affair, but she did have a right to know what was going on.
Paul walked into the farm and introduced himself to Sally, Eliza's regular babysitter. Sally let it slip that Meg had not gone to the movies but to the Lakeview, instead. Sally was hesitant to agree when Paul suggested he stay with his daughter until Meg returned, but a bill with a large denomination changed her mind. After Sally left, Paul heard Dusty drive in. Paul went outside to meet him, and Dusty issued an ultimatum: Paul was to stay away from both Lucy and Craig, or else.
Dusty said that was a final warning, and Paul suggested they hear what Craig had to say about it. Dusty decked Paul and knocked him flat. Paul got up and Dusty hit him again, and again. Dusty beat him and offered more. He repeated his threat about speaking to Craig and then left. Paul struggled inside and wheeled Eliza in her stroller out to the porch. He went back inside and lit a dishtowel on fire.
Janet and Jack went to Yo's and played pool. They were hugging when Carly and Craig walked in. Craig refused to leave, so the four of them began drinking beer together. Carly was not pleased, but she joined the others in a toast to "Peace in the family" and "New beginnings!" Carly swigged her beer quickly and went up to the bar to get more. Janet and Jack noticed she was a bit unsteady on her feet.
Jack asked about the children, and Carly brought him up to date. Carly and Craig began to dance, so Jack and Janet decided to, as well. Craig twirled Carly, who fell backwards and crashed into Jack. Craig covered for her excessive drinking by getting her out of there quickly.
After Carly and Craig left, Jack complained that Carly could barely stand up, and commented on how often she had been inebriated lately. Janet called it a result of being stressed out and actually defended Carly. She also suggested he stop talking about his ex-wife and concentrate on his new one, and they began to dance.
Eliza's social worker arrived a few minutes later to find Paul lying outside near the door. He pretended that Dusty had just left and that he was just regaining consciousness. He then noticed the smell of smoke, and he dashed into the house while telling the social worker to take the stroller outside. He easily doused the burning towel with water from the tap, while the social worker took Eliza out of danger.
When the excitement wore off, Paul told the social worker that he should never have told Meg that her boyfriend was cheating on her. He held a sleeping Eliza in his arms and appeared to be only a concerned parent. He said he did not understand how Meg could be so upset that she would leave the baby alone in the house and take off. The social worker was horrified by the circumstances, including the fire, and said she could not ignore such a clear case of child neglect.
Meg arrived home and asked what happened. Paul said he had just saved Eliza's life. Meg was stunned and wanted to know where Sally was. She told the social worker that Paul was lying; she had left a responsible babysitter in charge.
Paul told Meg he had wanted to drop something off for Eliza, so he had called the social worker to meet him there, per the court's order. While he was waiting for her, Paul said Dusty had attacked him and "beaten the crap" out of him. He also denied there had ever been a babysitter there that night. Meg asked for the baby, but Paul refused to hand her over.
Craig and Carly arrived back at her house, and Parker did not answer his mother's greeting. Craig offered a friendly handshake since what they had enjoyed was not a real date. He suggested she send him some signals, so he would know what she expected of him. They went out to the kitchen, and Carly poured them each a shot of vodka. They took the bottle back into the living room and sat on the couch.
Craig expounded on his homespun philosophy that anything that made you feel better was a good thing. Craig leaned over and began kissing Carly. He whispered that "things were beginning to feel serious," and Carly agreed. She stood up and reminded him to bring the bottle, as he followed her upstairs.
Dusty asked Lucy to come to his room in the Lakeview, and he told her he had delivered a strong message to Paul. She then told Dusty that Meg had stopped by looking for him. Dusty said Meg needed to trust him, and Lucy acknowledged that he must care very much for her.
Back at the farm, Meg insisted on taking the baby, but still Paul refused. The social worker made a call and then told Meg that she felt Eliza was safer with her father. Meg got hysterical, as Paul continued to berate her as a mother. Paul walked off with the baby, just as he had planned.
Meg went to Dusty's room and was surprised to find Lucy sitting on the bed. Meg asked her to leave, and the girl complied. Meg then lashed out at Dusty and asked him why he had beaten Paul. She told him he had walked right into Paul's trap. Meg explained how Paul had set up the whole scene with the social worker, who had taken Eliza from her.
Dusty claimed his problem with Paul had to do with Paul blackmailing Lucy, but Meg could not believe that was more important to him than Meg and her daughter. Dusty reminded her that Lucy was his only entrée to Johnny. He promised to get her baby back, but Meg told him to take care of his child, and she would take care of hers. She told him to stay the hell away from her and walked out.
At Fairwinds, Paul played with Eliza and vowed that no one would ever take her away from him.
Noah found Luke working on his laptop at the diner. Luke was attempting to transfer some money from the foundation's savings fund to the checking fund in order to pay some bills. Suddenly the system shut Luke out of all the fund's accounts. Noah tried to gain access, but he got the same results.
Lily dropped off Lucinda at Memorial for a radiation treatment. Her cell phone rang, and it was Luke telling her about the mishap with the foundation's accounts. He told her the bank was working on the problem, but it was Luke's theory that Damian was pulling some funny business in order to break into the accounts. He was convinced his father had come back to destroy the foundation that was fighting for gay rights. Lily asked Luke if his bodyguard was still on duty, and Luke verified that. Lily promised to go see Damian, so she stopped by his hospital room but found it empty.
At Fairwinds, Paul cuddled baby Eliza as Lucy walked in. Paul was not overjoyed to see her, but he was pleased to tell her that he had been granted custody of his daughter. He thanked Lucy for her help, but she was confused, until Paul said if she had not gotten Dusty so riled up, he never would have gone to the farm and used Paul's face as a punching bag. Paul said that once Dusty had beaten the crap out of him, he was able to assert that Meg was exposing their child to danger. Lucy was shocked and then relieved when Paul said he would give her a break and not squeal to Craig. He could afford to be generous since he had his daughter back.
Meg and Holden cleaned away residue from the fire in the farm's kitchen. Meg cried that she missed her baby, and left messages for her lawyer that he did not return. She was also concerned about the babysitter who had apparently disappeared and was not answering her phone, either. Holden went outside and headed off Dusty who was about to knock. He told Dusty that Meg did not want to see him and refused to let him in. Dusty said he wanted to help get Eliza back, and he promised to turn things around. Holden warned him off and went back inside.
Meg continued to cry because her lawyer had called and said that he thought she would lose permanent custody of the baby. Holden tried to reassure his sister, but Meg was feeling lonely and desperate. She said she was stupid for trusting Paul. Holden offered to have her come back to his house, but she said she needed to wait for more information from the lawyer. Holden hugged her and left.
Meg began folding baby laundry and became sad again. She grabbed her coat and ran outside, where Dusty intercepted her. He asked her not to walk away but to give him a minute. He offered to help, but Meg broke away and said only she could put it right.
Lily called Luke and said Damian had checked out of the hospital against his doctor's orders. Luke said he was sure Damian was the one who had sabotaged the bank accounts. Lily promised to track Damian down, but Luke favored calling the police. Lily reminded him that they had no evidence, but she was sure she could find Damian. After all, he could not get too far with a serious knife wound.
Zac and Zoe, the oddball twins, joined Luke and Noah at the diner. They wanted to know what they could do for the foundation, and Luke explained that someone was hacking into the accounts. He said they were in need of a cyber-geek. Luke left to check on his mom, while Noah stayed to work on the computer. Zac and Zoe, who referred to each other as "Z" offered to stay and help.
Lily spied Damian in the lobby of the Lakeview, and he said he was bored, so he left the hospital. Lily made him sit down and rest, and then she told him about the problem with the bank accounts. Damian strongly protested any involvement in the strange goings-on, and he swore he would never do something like that to his "Luciano." Lily suggested he start being honest with her, but Damian yelled at her that he had been straightforward with them all, and he walked out. He staggered, and Lily helped him and discovered that his wound was bleeding badly. Damian refused to go back to Memorial, so Lily insisted on taking him to his room at the hotel.
Noah continued to work on the computer, and he finally discovered some transactions done by an unknown person. Zac said he was a geek, and took over from Noah. Zac somehow created a "fatal error" on the computer that lost all of Noah's work, including the name of the unknown hacker. Noah took back the laptop and tried to remember the screen name. He thought it was PESC1, plus more numbers, but it was not enough to retrieve any information.
Lily accompanied Damian to his room and helped him take off his shirt. She was shocked to see so much blood, so she went into the bathroom to get some towels. Damian would not agree to see a doctor, so all Lily could do was apply pressure with the towels. Suddenly Luke came through the door and was very disturbed to see Lily with her hands on Damian's bare back. He asked what the hell she was doing, so Lily explained about applying pressure. Luke was convinced there was something else going on, and he shouted at his mother that she didn't owe Damian a damn thing. Luke lost it and ran from the room, and Lily followed.
Meg arrived at Fairwinds and discovered Paul in the living room, holding Eliza. He reminded her that child protective services had decided that the baby was safer with him, so Meg had no business there. She denied again that she had left their daughter alone in the house, and accused Paul of setting up the whole scene. She went further by saying she wished they could figure out a way for both of them to raise Eliza. She offered to come back to Fairwinds so that the three of them could be a family again.
Paul put Eliza to sleep in her new nursery and then returned to Meg. He accused her of lying about her offer to come back, because she didn't love him. Meg claimed she had never stopped loving him.
Paul asked Meg if she was willing to give up Dusty, and she agreed. He also asked if she would stay faithful to only him and be his wife again, and once more she agreed. Paul asked her to prove it, so Meg removed her dress, and she was wearing nothing underneath. Paul asked her to go further, but she asked him not to humiliate her. Paul nastily told her to save it for Dusty, and said to put her clothes on and get out. Meg grabbed her dress and covered herself.
Noah could make no headway with the computer, and Zoe and Zac got into a name calling fight. Zoe stormed out, as Zac explained that they were both spontaneous people. Noah just called them insane. Zac began coming on strongly to Noah until he finally grabbed Noah and kissed him on the mouth. Noah was shocked, and a laughing Zac inquired if it was as good for Noah as it was for "Z."
Dusty approached Lucy at Memorial and wanted to talk. He asked if she knew that Paul had custody of the baby, and Lucy said she had discovered that when she went to see him. Dusty asked her to talk to Meg, the social worker, and child protective services and tell the truth about Paul's blackmail scheme. Lucy said it would ruin her humanitarian efforts for the people who had kept her and Johnny safe in Africa. Dusty said Lucy should be prepared to tell the truth in 24 hours.
Lily went home and found Holden discouraged about Meg's situation with the baby. He noticed that Lily was upset, so she told him about the trouble Luke had with the financial accounts. She also described what had occurred in Damian's room and how Luke had misunderstood what he had seen. Holden was angry that Lily had taken on the responsibility of Damian in spite of his request that she stay away from her ex-husband. They talked it out and began hugging.
Zac continued to tease Noah about the kiss, as Luke walked in. Noah had a dazed look on his face, and Luke wanted to know what was going on. Zac talked about the computer malfunction, and then Zoe came back, and the twins hugged and kissed each other. They left, and Noah blurted out that Zac had kissed him. Luke said he had recognized that Zac had a "thing" for Noah, but Noah called the incident "no big deal."
Noah and Luke went outside and sat on a bench. Luke described what he had seen in his father's hotel room, but Noah looked on it as strictly a medical emergency. He was more worried that his computer was totally trashed. Luke could not stop thinking that Damian was trying to lure Lily back into his clutches so that she would be distracted and would not realize Damian was stealing back the Grimaldi money.
In the Lakeview Lounge, Zac and Zoe saw a woman deliver a message to Damian. As Damian read the note, the twins approached and called him a "bad monster." Zac explained that "bad" meant "good," and then the two left, laughing.
Lucy talked to someone on the phone and said she was going to have to find a way to deal with Dusty, otherwise their "whole operation would fall apart."
Dusty went to his room and flashed back on a happy time when Meg was holding Eliza. Meanwhile, at Fairwinds, Meg finished dressing as Paul brought the baby in. He told her to leave because he no longer wanted her back. He let Meg hold the baby briefly and told her she wouldn't be seeing Eliza for a while. Paul took the baby back, and Meg ran out.
Katie bent over backwards to make Vienna and Brad feel comfortable in their home. She was preparing to serve them brunch in bed, but they came out and joined Brad and Katie in the living room. Henry was grumpy and didn't like all the coziness.
Kim came for a visit and was very happy to hear about Katie having a baby. Katie and Brad explained that Vienna was carrying Brad's baby. Kim thought the new development would make the documentary even better. Henry disagreed and wanted nothing to do with the program.
Kim offered to promote Henry's novel on television and, after some discussion, he reconsidered his decision. Privately, he confided to Vienna that it would be a lie to participate in the movie when the baby she was having wasn't Brad's; it was Henry's. Despite his feelings, Vienna left with Brad and Katie to go to the studio.
On camera, Kim interviewed Brad, Katie, and Vienna about their baby plans. Brad and Katie explained how Vienna volunteered to be a surrogate. Brad made it clear that he was the father. Katie said as long as Brad was the father, she was sure she'd bond with the baby. Henry showed up and watched the taping from the wings. When Kim questioned Vienna about how Henry was handling things, she said he was fine with everything. Backstage, though, Henry tripped on the cables.
Brad and Katie convinced Henry to appear on camera with them. Kim asked Henry how he felt about having Vienna carry Brad and Katie's child. Henry flipped out and bolted from the set. Brad followed him and tried to understand Henry's discomfort.
Henry nearly told Brad the truth - that Vienna's baby was Henry's. Henry was unable to articulate to Vienna why he was acting so weird. Vienna got him to return to the set. On camera, Vienna said she was happy to be doing this for Brad and Katie. Henry concurred, but he was still acting strangely.
Back home, Brad and Katie talked about how Henry was feeling inadequate. Katie disagreed, because she had been married to Henry and she knew that was not his problem. Meanwhile, Vienna confronted Henry about whether he had changed his mind about having kids. He said he still was sure that children were not in his future.
Carly tried to connect with Parker because she knew he was upset about Liberty moving out. She told him that if it were meant to be, they would work it out like other married couples did. Craig showed up and offered to talk to Parker. Carly informed him that Parker blamed Craig for his fight with Liberty.
Craig spoke with Parker and gave him sage advice about giving Liberty the freedom to make her own choices. Alone with Carly, Craig offered to show her how much wiser he was about marriage than he was as a younger man. Carly asked Craig not to make the situation with Parker about the two of them.
Jack and Janet were trying to take advantage of being alone, but then Liberty came home early from school. Janet told her daughter that if she didn't want to be married, she should end it right away. Jack agreed with Janet. Janet insisted that Liberty needed to do what was important for her, not Parker. Liberty was sure Parker wouldn't accept an annulment.
Liberty went to Carly's, asking to see Parker. He apologized for acting like a jerk. Parker said that whatever Liberty wanted to do, he was okay with that. Liberty was surprised by Parker's new supportive attitude. When he asked her to stay with him, she said yes. Parker and Liberty informed Carly and Craig that they were going to remain married and both would be going back to school. Carly needled Craig about how well he fixed things!
Craig talked to Liberty about her dreams for the future. She wanted to get into fashion, so Craig offered to arrange for a summer internship at a magazine in New York. Parker wasn't happy about Liberty spending the summer in New York, even though Carly insisted that was where the fashion world was. Parker was ticked off with Carly. After thinking it over, Parker decided not to stand in Liberty's way. He said he would go to New York with her. Carly thought Parker was being unrealistic, but Parker was insistent.
Jack told Janet that he would help Parker deal with the Liberty situation by taking him for a fishing trip. Craig showed up at the farm, breaking the news to Jack and Janet that Liberty was moving back with Parker. Craig explained he would separate Liberty and Parker by getting her an internship in New York. Janet was furious with Craig's solution and told him that she would not let Liberty move a thousand miles from home.
Craig explained that the internship would be a once in a lifetime opportunity and completely aboveboard. Jack agreed that Craig was making a good offer. Janet asked Jack why he was so gung-ho about Craig helping Liberty, but completely down on anything Craig wanted to do for Parker.
Craig returned to Liberty and Parker with word that Janet approved. Parker asked Craig to fund their getting an apartment in New York from Parker's trust. Craig reported that Liberty had to go to New York the next day for an interview for the internship. Parker objected because of baseball tryouts.
Liberty asked Craig if they could reschedule, which they couldn't. Craig said he and Carly were going to New York, anyway, and they could take Liberty. Parker wasn't happy, but he was forced to agree. Craig told Carly that everything was going according to plan. Craig offered Carly a drink to toast their plans. She reluctantly accepted, even though it was too early to start drinking.
Damian spotted posters of his face on a bare-chested model from "Playman" magazine all around Old Town. He became furious and went straight to Lily and Holden's house. Holden was out of town, so he showed the embarrassing poster to Lily, and he intimated that Luke was responsible. He scolded her for the rotten way she and Holden had raised their son. Damian's accusations angered Lily, and she told him he had no proof that Luke had been responsible; besides, the posters were not Luke's style.
In Java, the "Z" twins arrived, bearing one of Damian's posters. They claimed that they had done excellent work for the foundation and showed the poster to Luke and Noah. Noah was horrified and asked why it was appropriate to display Damian's image, but Luke appeared quite pleased. Zac and Zoe said they had been trying to pay back Luke's homophobic dad.
Luke was excited about the posters, despite Noah's feeling that public humiliation was wrong. Luke took a call from his mother, who told him that Damian was there; she asked Luke to return home. Luke agreed, and Noah accompanied him.
Lucy went to Fairwinds and asked Paul for permission to tell Meg about Paul's blackmailing her. She explained that Dusty had requested her to do so, and Paul at first appeared sympathetic and understanding. He told Lucy to tell Meg whatever she liked, but then he added that Lucy should be prepared to divulge all of her secrets, including how she had scammed her own father. Lucy was worried for her humanitarian mission abroad, and she begged Paul to come to a fair custody arrangement with Meg. It was what was best for the baby and the right thing to do. Paul said he was not afraid to use whatever weapons he had at hand.
Dusty arrived at the farm, but Meg was unresponsive to him. Then she got upset and berated him for beating up Paul and making her look irresponsible to the social worker from child protective services. Dusty promised he could prove that the whole thing was a setup, and that he knew someone involved whom he had given a 24-hour deadline to come forward.
Meg said she wanted Dusty out of her life until she had Eliza back. She broke down in tears, as Dusty warned her she must never go back to Paul. Meg said Paul did not want her back because she had been with Dusty. He left to find Lucy.
At the Lakeview, Dusty confronted Lucy and said they had to settle their problem right away. Lucy suggested they find the missing babysitter and convince her to come forward. She said she had an underground network of people who would help if she asked. Dusty took her to his room where Lucy got on the phone. Her contact was able to learn that the sitter had moved in with a friend across town.
The two of them left to find the address, but when they arrived, the friend told them the girl had left the day before for South America. Dusty declared them out of time, and said they had to contact Meg and the social services people. Lucy argued, but Dusty was determined to help Meg.
At home, Lily showed Luke and Noah one of the posters and said Damian thought Luke was responsible for them. Luke said he was, much to the amazement of Noah and Lily. His mother asked why he had stooped to something so petty, and Luke replied that he just thought it was funny. Damian questioned him, as well, but Luke gave only smart aleck responses designed to further irritate his father. He flatly said he did not want Damian in his life, nor did he respect Damian or even consider him to be a father. Lily asked Luke to apologize, but the boy refused. Noah agreed that they would take down all the posters, and Luke did agree to that.
The boys left and returned to Old Town, where they began tearing down the posters. Luke tried to make Noah understand that he loathed Damian, so Noah suggested he not think about his father so much. Luke confided to Noah that every day he had to remind himself to keep up his guard so that Damian could never get to him again.
Noah was further disturbed by Zac and Zoe; he said the two of them creeped him out, and he did not trust them. He stated that under their outgoing personalities, the "Zs" were hiding something really ugly. He asked Luke to cut them loose before they damaged the foundation. Luke protested that Zac and Zoe were a great asset to the foundation, not a liability, but Noah warned Luke to tell them to take their jobs more seriously, or else he would.
Baby Eliza was extremely fussy, and Paul could not comfort her. He finally called Meg in desperation, because he was out of ideas. Meg talked with him and then left immediately for Fairwinds, which was not really what Paul wanted. When Meg arrived, she checked the baby and declared Eliza had a temperature of 103 degrees and was wheezing, so they headed to Memorial Hospital.
Dusty continued to try to convince Lucy that his desire to help Meg had nothing to do with Lucy personally. Lucy called that "bull," and said he would never forgive her for taking Johnny away. Lucy told him Meg did not want him anymore or she would not be pushing him away.
Lily apologized to Damian and asked him to go back to Malta. Damian, however, said their son's efforts to humiliate him showed him that he needed to stick around and find out what was really going on. Lily said she had to go to work, and she hustled Damian out.
At the hospital, Meg and Paul handed the baby over to a doctor, who took her into an exam room. He came out a few minutes later with a diagnosis of pneumonia. Meg lit into Paul for neglecting the baby's symptoms earlier in the day, and she called him selfish.
The social worker arrived, and Meg rapidly changed her tune. She covered for Paul's poor judgment and stated that anyone could have mistaken the baby's symptoms. The social worker left, and Paul wanted to know why Meg had defended him. Meg said that the only thing that really mattered was that Eliza got better.
At Worldwide, Lily and her assistant puzzled over the crash of the company's computer system. The assistant suggested that a hacker was responsible, but he could recover only a partial user name. Lily went to retrieve the backup discs for the work, but she discovered they were not where she kept them. She said the discs were stolen, and she had a pretty good idea who had taken them.
In Old Town, Zac and Zoe spotted Damian sitting on a bench. Zac gave him a wolf whistle and called him "hot Playman." Damian approached and said he recognized them from seeing them at the hotel. He guaranteed that they did not know him or they would never antagonize him. He walked away, and the "Zs" made jokes about him and went into Java where Luke and Noah were still arguing about them.
Zoe said they had just had a clash with "Daddy dearest," and Noah began to challenge them about their bizarre behavior. He asked what gave them the right to insult other human beings, but Zac told Noah to lighten up. Zac and Zoe realized the boys had been arguing about them, so they pushed Luke and Noah together, face-to-face, and urged them to "kiss and make up." They also promised to execute no more practical jokes without prior approval. Luke and Noah kissed.
Lily used a pass key to go into Damian's room at the Lakeview. She began searching for the missing discs, but Damian walked in and caught her. She demanded her discs back, but Damian claimed to have no idea what she was talking about. He told her that she had misjudged him and said she should be more concerned with whoever was trying to harm their son. Damian vowed to find out who that was, with or without Lily's help.
Paul went to the hospital chapel, followed by Meg. She explained how the doctors were stabilizing the baby by administering small doses of antibiotics and then waiting to see how well she tolerated it. Paul was grateful that Meg was there, and he knelt and began to pray more for himself than for the baby. Meg stopped him and urged him to try a prayer of thankfulness instead.
Lucy and Dusty arrived at the hospital looking for Meg, and Lucy peeked into the chapel and saw her kneeling with Paul. Dusty saw them, too, and Lucy begged him again not to reveal her secret.
Paul lit a candle for Eliza, and Meg quietly prayed for the strength to do what she had to do. Then she covered Paul's hand with her own.
Craig went to see Lucy at the Lakeview Hotel and told her he had to go out of town overnight. He asked if Lucy could keep Johnny, and Lucy readily agreed. Craig told Lucy it felt good to know he could depend on her again, and he thanked her.
Craig went to the farm to pick up Liberty, who was excited about their trip to New York. Craig assured Jack that he and Carly would take good care of Liberty in New York. Liberty went upstairs to get one more thing for her trip, and Jack told Craig he didn't want to see either Parker or Liberty get hurt. Craig said neither did he, but Jack said he thought everything Craig had done had been to further Craig's own agenda. Craig responded by saying that what he was doing was working, because the kids were shutting Jack and Carly out and letting Craig in.
Liberty came back downstairs, and she left with Craig after saying goodbye to Jack. They went to pick up Carly at her house, and Liberty asked for a moment alone with Parker. Parker said he didn't understand why Liberty had to go, but she pointed out that it was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Parker agreed and said that if Liberty did get an internship at the fashion magazine, they could spend the summer living together in New York. He was certain Craig would give them money from Parker's trust fund for that, because the whole internship had been Craig's idea. Parker and Liberty kissed, and she left to join Craig and Carly.
Parker went to baseball tryouts and was surprised to find Jack there, waiting for him. Jack reminded Parker that he had never missed any of Parker's tryouts, but Parker pointed out that he wasn't in Little League anymore. Jack said if Parker didn't want Jack to stick around, he wouldn't, because he didn't want to be a distraction, but he made Parker promise to let him know how his tryouts went. Jack told Parker to call if he needed anything while Carly and Liberty were gone. Parker said he would, and he thanked Jack.
In New York, Liberty was intimidated by the very building in which the fashion magazine was headquartered, but Carly reminded her that the people inside were just people. Carly and Craig wished Liberty good luck and then waited outside until the interview was over. When Liberty came back outside, she was with a man she introduced as Colin Lowell. Liberty told them that Colin was the head of the internship program at Fashionista Weekly and thus was her new boss.
Carly and Craig congratulated Liberty on getting the internship and said they would start looking for a place for Liberty to live during the summer. Colin told them that wasn't necessary, because the interns were expected to live together in a dorm. Liberty asked if she could live in the dorm with someone who wasn't an intern, but Colin said that wasn't allowed. Liberty then asked if she had to live in the dorm, and Colin said yes, but he assured her she would want to.
Craig asked Colin if they could have a moment alone with Liberty. Carly asked Liberty what was wrong, and Liberty said that she had thought that Parker could live with her in New York. She said if she couldn't spend the summer with Parker, then she didn't want the internship. Liberty said that Parker wouldn't want to get an apartment to live in by himself while she lived in the dorm, and Craig said that Parker couldn't afford to do that anyway.
Liberty questioned whether that meant Craig wouldn't release money from Parker's trust fund for an apartment, and Craig said that was what he meant, because that wasn't what the trust fund was meant for.
Carly asked Liberty what the internship would be like, and Liberty told her the exciting things she would get to do if she accepted the position, but Liberty reiterated that she would turn it down if it meant not being with Parker. Carly told Liberty that Parker would understand that the internship was very special to Liberty, and although he might be hurt at first, Carly felt certain that Parker would support Liberty if she told him how much the position meant to her.
Liberty decided to call Parker to discuss it with him. When he answered the phone and heard Liberty's voice, Parker told her how much he missed her. Then, he told her he had just made the varsity baseball team. Liberty was excited for him, and she told him she had some news, too.
Liberty told Parker that she had been offered the internship, and he told her that was amazing. He asked if she was looking for an apartment, but she told him she would have to stay in the dorm with the other interns. Liberty also told Parker what Craig had said about not paying for an apartment for Parker, but she told him that she still really wanted to take the opportunity to work in New York. Liberty spotted Colin approaching her, so she told Parker that she had to hang up, but would call again later.
After Liberty hung up, she and Colin went back over to Craig and Carly. Liberty told them that Colin wanted her to attend a mixer with some magazine staff and the other new interns. Craig thought that was a great way to start networking, and Carly said that even though Janet would probably kill her, she thought Liberty should go. Colin promised to return Liberty to the hotel at a reasonable hour, and they left. Carly wondered what they should do next, and Craig suggested they have a party of their own.
Craig and Carly went to Battery Park and sat down on a bench. Craig offered Carly a drink of vodka, which she accepted. Carly then told Craig that she thought he had known all along that if Liberty accepted the internship, she would have to stay in a dorm without Parker. Carly wanted to know why Craig hadn't told her that, and Craig said that he had wanted to teach Carly a lesson. Carly asked what the lesson was, and he replied, "That you can trust me."
He told her that if he said that everything would be okay, then everything would be okay. Carly then asked what they would do with the free time they suddenly had. Craig said he had a few ideas. Carly replied, "I'm sure you do!" and they kissed.
Lucy got a phone call from her contact telling her that a shipment was ready to go out that morning. Lucy thought it was short notice, but assured the person that if a shipment needed to go out, she would take care of it. Lucy went down to the docks and spoke with Cesar, the dockworker with whom she was working. After Cesar walked away, Lucy turned and saw Jack, who asked what Lucy was doing there.
Lucy said that she was surprised to see Jack there. He told her that he was there on business. When Lucy asked what kind of case Jack was working on, Jack told her it was a smuggling operation, although the police hadn't been able to figure out yet what was being smuggled.
Jack asked again why Lucy was there, and she told him that she liked to walk along the waterfront to clear her mind. Jack warned her that it wasn't the safest part of town for her to be in, and Lucy thanked him and left.
After Parker's phone call from Liberty, Parker went to the police station and told Jack that Liberty had gotten the internship. He also told Jack that Liberty would have to live in a dorm and that Craig had told Liberty he wouldn't release trust fund money to rent Parker an apartment in New York for the summer. Jack said Craig wasn't the only one who would have had a problem with that, and Parker said he realized that. Parker told Jack that he needed Jack's help.
When Jack asked what he could do, Parker asked Jack to give him money to go to New York. Jack wondered why Parker couldn't wait until Liberty came back home the next day, but Parker said if his wife was going to spend the whole summer away from him in New York, he wanted to at least be able to see where she would be staying.
Dusty went to see Lucy at the Lakeview to apologize for his behavior the previous day. Lucy said she understood it was hard for Dusty to see Meg with Paul, but she told him that it might not have meant what Dusty thought it meant. Lucy told Dusty that she had found out that Eliza was sick, and that was why Paul and Meg had been together at the hospital. Seeing Dusty's concern, Lucy also told him that she had checked on Eliza's condition that morning, and Eliza was doing much better. Lucy then suggested that Dusty try to talk to Meg again.
Paul and Meg woke up next to one another in chairs at the hospital, having dozed off while waiting for news about Eliza. The doctor came out and informed them that Eliza's fever had broken during the night, and he thought he could discharge Eliza, provided that someone kept a close eye on her to be sure her fever didn't return. Paul and Meg thanked the doctor, and Paul told Meg he would hire a nurse to watch Eliza. Meg protested, saying that was unnecessary since she herself was a nurse.
Paul told Meg it wasn't her decision to make, and that if she helped him at all, it would be at his house and on his terms. He told her she could help him take Eliza home, but that was it. Meg told herself that was a start, and together, they left the hospital. At Fairwinds, Meg held Eliza until Paul got a bottle ready for her.
Paul said he would feed the baby, since Meg was tired. Eliza fell asleep after her bottle, and Paul saw that Meg had also drifted off. Paul covered Meg with a throw blanket and kissed her on the cheek. As he left the room, Meg opened her eyes, looking pleased with herself.
A couple of hours later, Meg awoke from a nap. Paul told her that Eliza was still asleep. Meg offered to leave before Eliza awoke, to make things easier, and she asked if she could come by the next day to check on Eliza. Paul said that wasn't necessary and suggested Meg stay at Fairwinds until Eliza was better. Paul made it clear it would be a temporary arrangement and that he was only doing it for Eliza. Meg said she understood completely.
Meg went to the farm to pack a few things for her stay at Fairwinds. She found Dusty there, and he told her that he had heard that Eliza was sick. Meg told him that Eliza was doing better. Dusty couldn't believe Meg was going back to Fairwinds, but she said that was where her daughter was, so that was where she would be, too.
Dusty said that Paul just wanted Meg back with him, and that was what Paul was getting. Meg said that if that was what Dusty thought, then what she was doing was working. Dusty warned Meg that she was taking a huge risk, but Meg said she wouldn't get caught, because she had learned how to deceive from the master of deception, Paul Ryan.
Meg returned to Fairwinds and thanked Paul for letting her be there with Eliza. He told her she was welcome, because he wanted to do whatever needed to be done to make Eliza better. Meg tried to caress Paul's hand while handing Eliza to him, but he removed her hand and reminded her that she was only there for Eliza's sake.
Dusty went back to the Lakeview and saw Lucy in the lobby. He told her he had gone to see Meg and had found out that Meg was moving back in with Paul. Lucy offered to buy Dusty a drink, but he declined and went up to his room. A few minutes later, Lucy knocked on his door, and when Dusty answered, Johnny went running to him, saying, "Daddy!" Johnny asked if Dusty wanted to play with his trains, and Dusty said sure. Dusty told Lucy that she didn't play fair, and Lucy asked if that was a "thank you." Dusty thanked her and sat down to play with Johnny.
