Christina approached Remy at Cedars to tell him that Johns Hopkins had accepted her, but she had never applied there. Remy explained that he had gotten into the school without Clayton's influence; however, since Remy knew that he didn't have Christina's devotion, he had told the admissions officer that Christina was a better fit. Christina wondered if Remy planned to go to medical school at all, and his noncommittal response irritated her. Christina said she was tired of Remy's low self-esteem, and Remy retorted that he was sick of hearing that he had to be overly ambitious. He told her to do them both a favor and accept the admission.
Christina pursued Remy to Company, where she demanded to know why he had gone to such lengths to help her. Remy said that she deserved it, but Christina didn't want to get ahead by accepting someone else's position. He insisted that he wasn't taking the position, but he believed that she had worked too hard to just let it go to waste.
Just then, Kelly entered with "Little Remy," the baby Remy had delivered at Company the previous year. After a short conversation, Kelly left, saying she'd see Remy the following week. An astonished Christina said that doctors didn't have the time to make house calls on former patients. Remy replied that EMTs did. Christina surmised that Remy's life had already been fulfilling for him before he had felt pressured to change its course. She hoped that whatever Remy decided to do, it would be what he loved to do, rather than what was expected of him.
Remy stated that his girlfriend knew him better than he knew himself, and Christina smiled, liking to be called his girlfriend more than his wife. Remy joked that she should tell Clayton that his son wasn't going to medical school. Christina said that was on Remy. Christina received a call from the Johns Hopkins admissions office, and as she rushed outside to take it, Remy urged her to accept their offer.
At the police station, Mallet stared at the blank employment history section on his adoption application. When Marina entered, she said that completing the onslaught of adoption paperwork had fondly reminded her of long-forgotten events in her life. A preoccupied Mallet agreed. When he said he was headed home, Marina stated that the adoption agency had left a message about his incomplete forms. Mallet claimed that he'd taken care of it already, but once he arrived home, he ransacked his files for anything that he could use to explain his employment gap. The agency left another message stating that they couldn't proceed without the information. Mallet buried his head in the mountain of papers on the table. He then went to the lake and tossed his silver briefcase into it. The briefcase cracked the ice-coated surface and floated on the water. Mallet grimaced and then eased into the frosty lake to retrieve it.
When Marina arrived home later, she was perplexed to hear another message from the adoption agency. When the agency called yet again, Marina learned that Mallet hadn't taken care of the issue earlier as he had stated. Marina assured the agency that she would consult Mallet about it. An anxious Marina invited Frank over to talk about the situation, but Frank said that Marina needed to talk to her husband. Marina worriedly nodded.
Later, Mallet returned home soaking wet. Marina wrapped a blanket around him, and he told her that they needed to talk. He said he had realized that throwing the briefcase into the lake wouldn't fix anything. She asked what was in the briefcase, and he uttered that it was a gun. Marina said that they had married already knowing the good things and the bad things about each other. Mallet stated that there were bad things that she didn't know. He explained that he had done bad things in the past, things that he couldn't take back. Marina said that he was scaring her. Mallet admitted that he was scared, too, because it could cost them a chance at adoption.
At the Bauer cabin, Dinah said that Reva was too self-serving to have come all the way to the cabin with no means of contacting anyone. Reva pulled a landline phone from her purse. She had brought it in the case of an emergency, and she dared Dinah to take it from her. Dinah thought Reva resented the fact that Shayne needed Dinah, but Reva retorted that Shayne barely knew Dinah. Reva believed that talking to Edmund would help Shayne grieve, and Reva was sure that Edmund would leave once the two men had commiserated about Lara. Dinah wondered how many of Reva's sons Edmund had to threaten before Reva wised up.
Reva wished Dinah would meddle in her own family, if they would even put up with her. Dinah said that she was no longer cutting Reva any slack for being pregnant. She claimed that Reva's guilt over missing Shayne's childhood prevented Reva from allowing anyone else to be good for Shayne. As the two bickered, Dinah suddenly became dizzy and collapsed. Reva activated the house alarm and tried to revive her.
Jeffrey and Josh searched for Reva, to no avail. Josh worried that Edmund had something to do with her disappearance, but Jeffrey suspected that Reva was up to something with Dinah. The thought of that worried Jeffrey more than Edmund, considering Reva's condition. Josh bet that Reva hated for it to be called her "condition." They went to the police station, where they overheard Frank on the phone with the security company for the Bauer Cabin. Frank said he would try to reach Rick, because no one should be at the cabin at that time of year. Jeffrey and Josh looked at each other knowingly and then took off for the cabin.
When Josh and Jeffrey arrived at the Bauer Cabin, Reva was insisting that a groggy Dinah lay down. Reva requested that Jeffrey take Dinah to the hospital while she and Josh found Shayne and Edmund. Later, at the hospital, Jeffrey explained to Dinah that she had passed out due to blood loss from her head wound. He asked why Reva and Dinah had been at the cabin, and Dinah said that they had just been talking.
At the Beacon, Shayne commenced to packing Edmund's things. Edmund offered to let Shayne read Lara's last letter to him, stating that he had only recently brought himself to read it. At Shayne's silence, Edmund started to repack his letters, but Shayne reluctantly stopped him. Shayne read one letter but became too emotional to read another. Edmund said that he hadn't realized right away that Lara's Shayne was actually Shayne Lewis. Edmund had told Lara about his sordid past, but he never mentioned his involvement with the Lewis family. Edmund said that even though he had gotten to know Lara, he had always felt that there was more to learn. Shayne agreed, saying that he could have known her for fifty years and still not have discovered everything. Sensing that the letter had touched Shayne, Edmund let him keep it.
Edmund hoped that Shayne had known Rachael, but Shayne said he hadn't met her. Edmund relayed that Rachael had been his teenaged love, and he had been heartbroken when she had no longer worked at the castle. Edmund said that it meant a lot to him that Shayne had decided to open up. Edmund wanted to keep talking, hoping that he could learn more. Shayne became guarded when Edmund asked if Shayne knew anything about Lara's last day alive. Edmund said that he hadn't been there for her when she had entered the world, but he at least wanted to know how she had left it.
Just then, Josh and Reva pounded on the door. Edmund let them in, and Reva revealed that Dinah was at the hospital. Shayne immediately exited, and Reva turned to lecture Edmund. Edmund cut her short, instructing her to go be with Shayne. Reva and Josh wordlessly left. Sometime later, Edmund canceled his flight out of town, telling the reservationist that he would be in Springfield for the foreseeable future. After he ended the call, he looked at Lara's picture. He said that he had to make sure that Shayne had really loved her.
When Reva and Josh met Jeffrey at the hospital, Reva corroborated Dinah's statement that she and Dinah had been merely talking at the cabin, adding that the car had broken down. Jeffrey admonished her for going to the cabin in her condition. Reva resented him calling it a "condition," and Josh gave Jeffrey a telling look. Jeffrey and Josh were confused that Reva had wanted Shayne to see Dinah. Reva admitted that she might have been wrong about Dinah. The men grew more confused that Reva had admitted being wrong. Reva told them to leave her alone because she needed to sit down.
While visiting Dinah, Shayne confided that his talk with Edmund hadn't gone as he had expected. Dinah was sure that Edmund's grief was fake. Shayne disagreed, saying that he had sensed that Edmund had really loved Lara. Dinah warned him to make sure of that. She advised Shayne not to give his memories of Lara to someone who didn't deserve them. Dinah felt that he owed Lara that much. Shayne left the hospital room and stared at Lara's letter.
When Doris called Alan, she caught him in a bad mood. She said she needed his help getting a position heading a new children's taskforce. She had thought Bill's trial would have gotten the governor's attention for her, but the warehouse fire had dampened her chances. Alan angrily reminded Doris that his granddaughter was the victim in that case. He went on to say that his other granddaughter, Emma, had written a school report that the teacher had published on the school's website. Consequently, the whole town was gossiping that Emma was being raised by lesbians. He said he had his hands full, dealing with damage control. Doris asked Alan to just cut her a check, and he said fine. When Doris got off the phone, she looked at her laptop and then decided to contact the superintendent of schools.
Doris reviewed Emma's report online, and her assistant told her that Ms. Jennings had said that the children hadn't been upset by Emma's report. "Not yet anyways," Doris replied. The assistant grimaced at Doris' plan to pursue it. Doris told her assistant that she wanted to get on that taskforce. Doris figured a stir about the "My Two Mommies" report would do it.
Olivia found out at the last minute that she had to chaperone Emma's field trip. Natalia was excited because she had never gotten to chaperone any of Rafe's classes, but she frowned when Olivia said that Natalia needed her tall boots because they were touring a landfill to learn about recycling. Later, Natalia second-guessed her choice to go with Olivia because of the lesbian rumors. Olivia asked if Natalia felt uncomfortable doing it, but Natalia said it would be fun. Olivia said that she couldn't handle a whole class of kids without Natalia, and they left for the field trip.
After the landfill tour, the ladies took the kids to Company for ice cream. Natalia felt bad for worrying about what people would think of them chaperoning together. She didn't want Olivia to think she was ashamed of their living arrangement. Natalia reasoned that only a couple people had gotten the wrong idea about them, but it was nothing to get worked up over.
After Olivia and Natalia arrived home, they saw that Doris Wolfe was holding a press conference on television. Doris relayed that her burning issue was about a little girl's report on her nontraditional family. When Doris said the report was "My Two Mommies," Natalia and Olivia grimaced. Doris thought it was a serious problem in Springfield that needed to be addressed.
Sitting beneath a "Protect Our Kids" poster, Doris claimed that she wasn't passing judgment on those who chose to live outside the mainstream; however, she worried that children were being exposed to alternative lifestyles in the classroom by school administrators who harbored personal agendas. While Doris believed that projects about families were good, she reasoned that the teacher had turned Emma's report into propaganda by presenting it in class and submitting it to a regional competition. Doris said children should be educated in school, not subjected to a teacher's personal agenda. Doris said that as the mayor, she was committed to protecting the town's children. Olivia and Natalia gloomily stared at each other after the press conference.
At Mallet's house, Mallet explained to Marina that he had used the gun in the commission of some seedy work in Florida. Marina stated that everyone made mistakes. She was sure the statute of limitations had run out on whatever he had done. Mallet replied that it hadn't run out, and Marina realized that Mallet had committed murder. He claimed that he'd been too ashamed to tell her about it. Marina quipped that shame was a convenient excuse for hiding it. Mallet reminded her that she had been ashamed of dating a married man. Marina retorted that Danny was a criminal and so was Mallet. Mallet revealed that he had worked for Griggs when the murder had occurred. Marina couldn't believe that Mallet had never mentioned working for the man who had kidnapped her. Mallet said that he had known the truth would devastate her.
Mallet explained that his work had been a lot like being a cop, roughing up unsavory types for Griggs. Mallet had been drinking, and he had stopped seeing the people as human. One day, Griggs asked him to kill Horace, a man who had "done a lot of bad things." Mallet stated that Horace wasn't just a low-life. Horace had been a father to a boy that Mallet later realized that he had known. After the murder, Mallet had left town, but Griggs tracked him down to make him perform another hit in Springfield. Mallet had refused to do the second job despite Griggs's threats. He said that he wasn't that kind of man anymore. Marina took off, sobbing.
Mallet went to the adoption agency to withdraw their application, but Marina was already there when he arrived. Mallet started to tell the agent that he had difficulties with the forms. Marina cut him off, saying that the daunting paperwork had made them feel guilty about forgetting the slightest details. Marina said that she and her husband were excellent cops, but Mallet had a gap in his employment history. She thought that it wasn't fair that something like that would prevent them from adopting a baby. Marina thought that the fact that she and Mallet risked their lives to help people on a daily basis should speak for what kind of people they were. "If it doesn't, then I guess that's just the way it's gonna be," Marina concluded.
When they returned home, Mallet thanked her for what she had said. Marina said that when she'd first learned about his secret, she couldn't figure out how to process that he had withheld a devastating secret that could subsequently affect their adoption chances. Marina credited him for choosing honesty over lying to her or falsifying his application. Marina wasn't mad, because she thought that he must have had a lot of faith that their marriage would survive for him to have been so brave. A sullen Marina seemed to be trying to lighten the mood when she jokingly wondered if the agency would still accept their application. Mallet said that he hoped they would, and Marina earnestly said she did, too.
Coop called Beth at the mansion, and she said that Alan wanted to talk to her. She didn't know what was on Alan's mind, but she planned to end things with Alan that day. Meanwhile, in the mansion parlor, a pain-filled Alan knocked all the pieces off his chess table. After hanging up with Coop, Beth entered the parlor to confront Alan. He decided they would talk over lunch at Towers. A tense Beth agreed.
Blake found Buzz, Frank, and Coop at Company to announce the book party at Towers that day. Buzz gasped. Blake told Frank that the book was a torrid love story between a younger man and an older woman. Coop dragged Blake into the hall to tell her that she was supposed to squash the book. Blake countered that there were already a thousand books in print. Coop worried about people prying into the facts behind the book. Blake said he should insist that it was fiction. She decided that he could tell persistent people that she was the book's love interest.
Blake left to take a call, and Buzz and Frank joked that Coop better not have named the main characters in his book after Beth and him. Coop told them that Blake had agreed to pretend that she was the book's inspiration. Coop said that Beth couldn't find out about the book because it would screw things up for them. Frank advised that Coop give Beth a heads-up anyway.
At the Towers book party, Blake introduced Coop, who began reading an excerpt from "Affair of the Heart." As Alan and Beth disembarked the elevator, Alan received a phone call. He didn't realize what was transpiring in the bustling restaurant as he strolled off to take his call. When Beth heard Coop reading, she looked at him, shaking her head. Coop continued, reading a portion that described his lover as a mother of three. Alan's call ended, and he did a double-take when he noticed Coop's presentation. As Alan listened, he stared miserably at Beth.
Buzz gulped when he saw Alan in the crowd. Frank whispered that they had Alan fooled, but Buzz reminded Frank that Alan was a man who owned people who owned guns. Frank told Buzz to stick to the plan and keep smiling. After Coop completed the reading, Blake unveiled a large poster of the book's cover. A tight-lipped Beth approached Frank and Buzz to find out what in hell was going on there. Buzz and Frank did a terrible job pretending to act normal as they ascertained that Coop hadn't forewarned Beth. She sarcastically wondered if they should just smile and pretend that Alan was an idiot. Beth griped about her resemblance to the character on the book cover, but Frank thought it looked like Blake. Meanwhile, Blake asked Alan who he thought the mystery woman from Coop's book was. Alan strode wordlessly away, and she uttered, "Hello? 'Mother of Three'...That would be me."
Coop met Beth in a private nook of the restaurant and stuffed a book into her bag even though she said that she couldn't take it. Beth told him that she had been about to end things with Alan prior to stumbling into a party for a book that wasn't supposed to be published. Coop said that Blake had done it behind his back. Blake pulled Coop away, saying that he needed to talk to the press. A silently fuming Alan found Beth, and he ushered her into the elevator to take her home.
When they arrived home, Beth nervously reached for a bottle of brandy in the parlor. Alan uttered that he knew. Beth asked him if he meant that he knew what she had wanted to discuss that day. Alan gripped her wrist as she held the bottle, and he said that he knew everything.
At Company, Christina told Remy that she had been accepted to Johns Hopkins, but she had chosen to decline the grant with the marriage requirement. She felt that accepting the grant under false pretenses was wrong. Remy informed her that the Johns Hopkins acceptance did not come with a full scholarship. Considering the school's hefty tuition, Remy told her that she'd better get the grant back. Christina stormed off, pouting that she didn't deserve the grant.
Remy visited Marina at her house and found her packing for a mountain getaway with Mallet. Remy asked if he could borrow Marina's house in order to convince Mr. Pearson, financial aid representative, that Christina and he lived there as a married couple. Marina agreed, and on her way out, she saw Christina on her threshold. Marina said that Christina had a lovely home, and then exited. Christina looked puzzled as Remy carried her over the threshold.
Remy explained that he had called Mr. Pearson back to plead Christina's case. Pearson had agreed to visit them at their house to reconsider her. Christina informed Remy that they didn't have a house. Remy gestured around them, and Christina disapproved of his plan to tell another lie. When Pearson arrived, Christina said she'd handle it.
Christina welcomed Mr. Pearson to their home. Pearson looked at Mallet and Marina's pictures in the kitchen, and he said they didn't appear to be pictures of the Boudreaux. Christina said it wasn't their house. Remy covered, saying they were subletting from friends. Pearson said there were many couples in need, and he questioned Christina's commitment in light of her recent grant refusal. Christina affirmed her commitment to medicine, saying that her husband, a dedicated EMT, was her biggest supporter. She didn't know the other couples on Pearson's list, but she claimed that she and Remy would get by if they lost the grant.
After Christina's heartfelt plea, Pearson said she was an exemplary applicant, and he complimented Remy and Christina on their marriage. Pearson couldn't give a firm answer to the grant right then, but he advised her to pack for Baltimore. After Pearson left, Christina and Remy beamed with excitement that they had won Pearson over. Christina told Remy that Baltimore was almost eight hundred miles away. She said she'd be in Baltimore for at least five years, and she couldn't expect him to stay married to her for that long. Remy replied that his mother had always wanted him to marry a doctor.
After being shaken by Doris' press conference, Natalia met Frank at Company for their date. As they packed up a picnic basket in the kitchen, Natalia hesitantly asked if he had seen Doris' conference earlier. Frank said that Doris' rubbish went in one ear and out the other. Just then, Emma's school called Natalia to alert her that Emma had disappeared from the playground. Frank said that he had found Emma once, and he would find her again.
An infuriated Olivia charged into the mayor's office to let Doris have it for attacking Olivia's family. Olivia said the whole thing reeked of Alan, and she blasted Doris for using Emma's report to make Natalia and her look like lesbians, when they weren't. Doris said that Olivia needed to tell that to her daughter. Olivia claimed that Emma didn't understand what saying "My Two Mommies" meant. Olivia explained how she and Natalia had been connected through Gus. Olivia passionately attributed her own survival and their happy home to Natalia's tenacity. As Olivia praised Natalia, Doris wished a man would talk about her the way Olivia talked about Natalia. A frustrated Olivia insisted that Natalia was her friend, and she dared Doris to hurt Natalia. Doris told Olivia to relax, because it was just politics.
Frank and Natalia located Emma at the mini-mart. Emma explained that she was upset because Derek, her school friend, had said that his mother wouldn't let him play with Emma anymore. Natalia told a confused and hurt Emma that grownups often lost sight of what truly mattered. Frank called Olivia for Natalia and then left. When Olivia arrived, she decided that Emma could play hooky for the remainder of the day.
Natalia, Olivia, and Emma had sundaes at Towers, where Olivia apologized for ruining Natalia's date with Frank. Olivia noticed chocolate on Natalia's nose. When Natalia couldn't seem to wipe it off on her own, Olivia reached across the table and did it for her. The three started smearing chocolate on each other, and the other restaurant patrons gawked at them. Natalia said she would take Emma to her sitter and then meet up with Frank again. Once Natalia left, Olivia approached the gawkers and asked them if they had a problem with Natalia and her.
At Towers, Buzz expressed his pride in Coop's accomplishments. A representative from Stanford University approached Coop to ask him to be their next writer-in-residence. Buzz thought it was fantastic, but Coop pulled Buzz aside to say that the school was thousands of miles from Beth. Buzz reminded Coop that he had given up an Oxford fellowship for Ava, and Buzz implored him not to make the same mistake again. Coop returned to the representative and said that he appreciated the offer, but she really needed to make it worth his while.
At the mansion, Alan grabbed Beth by her wrists, wondering if she were in a hurry to return to her young lover, Coop Bradshaw. Beth laughed, saying that Alan had gotten the absurd idea after seeing the blonde on Coop's book cover. Alan replied that he'd gotten the idea from watching her and Coop getting it on at Company. Alan said he had taken her to Towers that day to forgive her little indiscretion. He had considered that it was Beth's misguided attempt to recapture her youth. After the reading, however, Alan had realized that Beth actually thought that she had something real with Coop. Alan said that Beth had publicly humiliated him, but the laughing stopped there. Wresting herself away, Beth demanded to know what he wanted from her. "You will marry me, of course," Alan replied, handing her a glass of brandy.
Beth said that she and Alan were over, and she wanted to see where her relationship with Coop would lead. Beth was sorry for hurting Alan, but she wanted to part as friends. "Beth, you cheated on me with your daughter's ex-boyfriend, and you kept me in the dark while half the town knew about it," Alan said. "And now it's in this book, the entire affair. Now that doesn't sound like friendship to me. That sounds like marriage." Alan thought he and Beth were fated for each other, but Beth refused to marry him. Alan figured that she didn't really care about Coop as much as she said she did if she would refuse. A frightened Beth wondered if Alan had learned anything from Tammy's death. "I learned to be careful who I hire," Alan replied. Alan additionally said that Beth could forget all about being a lawyer, because he intended for her to be a full-time mother to Peyton. He gave her one hour to think it over.
Later, Coop found Beth outside on a bench. Beth gravely said that she and Coop needed to talk. Coop agreed, anxious to share his news. He explained that Stanford had approached him with an offer, but he had told them that he wouldn't accept it unless they found a place for Beth in their law program. Beth's eyes widened as Coop said they had agreed to do it. He was overjoyed that everything they wanted had been laid at their feet.
Coop imagined a new life for them in California. He said that all Beth had to do was tell him yes; however, Beth quickly replied no. She said she couldn't go away with him, and they had to end the relationship before it got any worse. Beth pretended that she had been kidding herself to think that she could leave Alan and all that the Spauldings represented. Beth coldly said that having a relationship with her daughter's ex-boyfriend had been a joke. Coop assumed Alan had gotten to her, but Beth claimed that what had gotten to her had been Coop's book, which should never have been published. She said he had written it because he was young and foolish, and he didn't think about the consequences. Coop didn't believe her, and she asked, "Why? Because you want a happy ending?" Beth said she wasn't a character in his book. She was a grown woman who needed a real man. She gave him a terse goodbye. Coop walked away into the distance, but he turned to see Beth sobbing. He reluctantly strode away.
At Company, Buzz leafed through Coop's book. He dropped it when he heard Alan say that it would be a big seller. As Alan perused the book, Buzz nervously rambled about franchising Company. Alan said he hadn't known how ambitious Buzz was. He gathered that Coop had gotten his ambition from Buzz. Buzz's face blanched, and he said that Coop was young. He asked Alan not to take it out on Coop, and Alan said that would depend on Buzz.
Alan wondered how long Buzz had sat idly by while Coop filled Beth's head with fantasies. Buzz said that Alan could do what he wanted to Buzz as long as he left Coop alone. Buzz mentioned Coop's chance at Stanford, and Alan thought that they all could win as long as Buzz made sure Coop took the Stanford job. Alan said that he would get his wife, Coop would have a great career, and Buzz would have a franchise. "Screw you!" Buzz screamed. Buzz refused to sell his son to keep Company, and he told Alan to get the hell out.
Later, Buzz found Coop outside, ripping up a copy of his book. Coop said Buzz had been right about the way things would end. Coop suspected that Alan had forced Beth to give up Coop. Coop raged that Alan was the only one who was happy. Buzz agreed that Alan had forced Beth's hand because Alan knew the entire story. "He knows? Then this is not over. This is a long way from being over!" Coop claimed. He hugged Buzz and rushed away.
A somber Beth found Alan on the parlor's overlook. Alan looked at her expectantly. "It's done," she said, and began to sob.
Olivia confronted the two women at Towers who had been gawking at her family. Olivia sarcastically said that she knew how scandalous it must have been for them that their kids had been forced to attend school alongside the girl with two mommies. Once Natalia saw the commotion, she tried to drag Olivia away, but Olivia put her arm around Natalia, saying, "No, Honey. No, I'm not upset. In fact, I've never been better."
Olivia introduced the women to Natalia as the mothers of two of Emma's classmates. The mothers then tried to excuse themselves, but Olivia detained them to tell them all about her and Natalia's lives as two mothers. Olivia claimed to have never been happier in her life because, after all, Natalia was such a "hottie." Olivia seemed satisfied with herself as the women abruptly departed, but wondered what she had said wrong when Natalia stormed off upset.
At the farmhouse, Natalia was infuriated that Olivia had spurred the gay rumors. Olivia refused to turn the other cheek as Natalia's religion dictated. Olivia asserted that if someone kicked her, she kicked back. Natalia accused Olivia of picking a fight instead of seeking to clear up the drama. Olivia claimed that she wouldn't take the snickering lying down. Natalia chided Olivia for loving to mess with people's brains to make people think that they were a couple. Olivia wondered if it were really the end of Natalia's world if people thought they were gay.
A confused Natalia asked if Olivia wanted people to think they were lesbians. Olivia didn't care what people thought, because she and Natalia knew the truth. Natalia said she cared because she was a mother. Olivia said she was a mother, too, but she didn't want Emma thinking that people could talk behind her back. Natalia said that perception was reality. Olivia retorted that they were gay then, since Doris had perceived it. Natalia claimed not to have meant it that way, but she said that what Olivia had done at Towers was wrong. Natalia decided that she had her beliefs and Olivia had hers. Olivia replied that she thought Natalia believed in their family. A flustered Natalia left to meet Frank.
At Company, Natalia told Frank that he was the best of the good guys. She thanked him for standing by her and supporting Rafe. She hoped that he wouldn't regret doing so in the future. Frank said he never would regret it, but he wondered what was going on with her. Natalia thought that moms had to be strong and brave, but she wished that she could just get away and clear her head without having to face everything. Frank offered to take her to a timeshare that one of his friends had in the mountains. Natalia said it sounded perfect. She told an astonished Frank that she couldn't think of anything she'd love more than to go to the mountains with him.
Olivia returned to Towers for a martini. A man at the bar, later known as Clive, offered to pay for her drink, if "the lady" didn't object. "The lady doesn't object-not so far, anyway," Olivia said. After Olivia flirted with Clive, he offered to take her number. As she wrote it down, she told him that he was a great guy, but she was living with someone. Clive said that her housemate was a lucky man. After Clive left, Olivia seemed shocked at herself.
Dinah visited Jeffrey at his office to make sure that he was working on getting rid of Edmund. Jeffrey thought he had the situation under control, but Dinah said that Jeffrey was crazy to think he had Edmund under control. Jeffrey handed Dinah a hefty stack of surveillance files on Edmund, which Jeffrey said contained no improprieties. Dinah thought Edmund was too cunning to be caught, but Jeffrey was inclined to believe that Edmund was there merely to grieve. Dinah said they couldn't forget what Edmund was capable of. Jeffrey didn't forget, and that was why he wanted Edmund where he could see him. Dinah swore that Edmund hadn't changed, but Jeffrey pointed out that Dinah and Jeffrey had been capable of change. Jeffrey promised to get rid of Edmund the moment Dinah found him doing something wrong.
At Cedars, Reva learned that she and her unborn son were doing well. Edmund approached Reva as she viewed her sonograms. Edmund remembered how devastated he had been when he couldn't give Cassie a baby. Reva said that he had been so devastated that he had stolen Michelle Bauer's baby. An emotional Edmund knew that he didn't deserve a child, but he had found and lost his incredible Lara. Reva recalled Cassie's tremendous grief over Tammy's death, and she said that memories of Tammy had been like a lifeline for Cassie. Edmund's face brightened as he realized that Reva understood his grief. Reva said she understood, but she wouldn't allow Edmund to use Shayne for selfish reasons.
Edmund claimed that Shayne and he needed each other. Edmund said that if Shayne had truly loved Lara, then Reva shouldn't deprive him of the chance to grieve. Reva decided that Edmund merely wanted to test Shayne's love for Lara. Edmund claimed that Reva was doing just the same to Edmund, but he understood that parents did that out of love. Reva didn't think Edmund knew love. Deciding not to fight with her, Edmund wished her well, then he left.
Outside later, Reva saw Dinah staggering along. Reva offered to take her to the hospital, but Dinah said she only had a headache. Reva apologized for taking Dinah to the cabin, and she admitted that she might have been wrong about Dinah's ability to help Shayne. Dinah and Reva reluctantly agreed that they were a lot alike. Reva wondered if she could trust Dinah with Shayne. Dinah said that Shayne had been a project to make herself feel good at first, but she had grown to care for him. Reva knew that she couldn't juggle Shayne, the chemotherapy, and the pregnancy, so she asked Dinah to help Shayne with the grief and with Edmund. Reva admitted that Dinah got to Shayne in a way that Reva couldn't. Dinah wondered what Reva wanted her to do, and Reva said Dinah just needed to be herself. "That's a new one," Dinah replied. As Reva left, she warned Dinah not to hurt Shayne.
Josh called Shayne ask him to work at Lewis Construction. Josh felt that he and Shayne needed each other. Josh hadn't been working at Lewis for a while, but he felt that he needed to get back into the groove of things. He wanted Shayne to help him with the new veterans' hospitals that they were constructing. He asked Shayne to take his time, think about it, and then say yes. Josh thought that if Lara were alive, she'd be proud of their project.
Edmund invited Shayne for drinks at Company. They toasted to Lara, and Edmund decided that they could do more than just toast. Shayne thought Edmund sounded like Josh, and Edmund laughed. Edmund proposed that they build something to honor Lara's work. Shayne knew that Lara loved children, and Edmund suggested building a children's hospital. Edmund said that Lara had taught him that children loved light. Edmund set about sketching plans on a napkin, but Shayne quickly took over, drawing a patio in the center, where he said children could play safely in the sunshine. Edmund was impressed, and he urged Shayne to continue.
Edmund went to see Josh at Lewis Construction, hoping to "bury the hatchet." Josh wasn't interested, and Edmund said Josh's choice would make things more difficult for Shayne. Edmund announced that he and Shayne would be working together on a children's hospital. A hope-filled Edmund vigorously described the light he'd seen in Shayne's eyes when Shayne had been drawing their preliminary ideas. Edmund said that he and Shayne had agreed that the children's hospital would have made Lara proud. Edmund asked Josh to consult with Shayne and him to make their hospital a reality.
Josh stared incredulously at Edmund. Edmund impatiently threw his hands in the air, and sighed. He asked Josh to understand his position, having lost a wonderful daughter like Lara. Edmund said that she had made him want to be a better man. "Come on, Josh! I need this!" Edmund implored. He said that Josh had an equally wonderful son, who needed it, too. Edmund asked Josh to think about it, and then Edmund left.
Dinah visited Shayne's room and saw him working on an intricate sketch of the hospital. Shayne said it was an idea for something to honor Lara. When Shayne said that it was Edmund's idea, Dinah was skeptical about Shayne collaborating with Edmund. Shayne felt that he needed the project to perpetuate Lara's memory, and Dinah suggested that Shayne work on it with Josh. Shayne said that he couldn't, because Josh constantly put him on a pedestal. Shayne felt that Edmund treated him like a regular person. Dinah suggested that Shayne turn to someone other than Edmund. Shayne wondered whom else he could turn to, and Dinah uttered, "Me."
Dinah tried to talk Shayne out of working with Edmund. Shayne told her that he needed to make peace with Lara and he needed Edmund to do that. Dinah asked what if Edmund was working a scam. Shayne replied that he was going to test Edmund by telling him how Lara died. Dinah warned Shayne that if he did that, she would lose him and she didn't want to lose him. Dinah argued that she would not let Shayne self-destruct and have all of her hard work helping him go out the window. Shayne relented and stated that, for the time being, he would not tell Edmund how Lara died. Dinah asked him to tell her that he would not see Edmund again but he replied that he couldn't promise that. Dinah told Shayne that he could not trust Edmund and he assured her that he knew that. As Shayne started to leave, Dinah reminded him about his cane. Shayne said that he wouldn't need it. Shayne thanked Dinah for caring about him and she told him to be careful since Edmund was dangerous.
Josh heard Edmund telling someone that he had to make sure that Shayne was sincere. As Edmund talked about how the Lewises were the enemy, Josh walked in and asked who Edmund's partner in crime was. He soon discovered that Edmund was all alone and speaking to Lara's picture. Edmund told Josh that he spent his days talking to a picture. Josh asked Edmund why he called Shayne the enemy and Edmund replied that they—he, Josh, Jeffrey, Reva--- always had been enemies. Edmund asked Josh what if Shayne's was a fraud. H needed to know if Shayne's love for Lara was real and was using the project to test that. Josh blasted that Shayne did not have to prove anything to Edmund. Edmund responded that all he wanted was a deeper connection to Lara.
Josh arrived at Lewis Construction and found Shayne waiting for him. Shayne asked if the job offer still stood and Josh said that it did. When talking about office space, Shayne asked if there was room for Edmund as well. Shayne talked up the center and how it would help people. Josh agreed with Shayne that working with Edmund would be better than fighting. Later, Shayne showed Josh the plans for the center. Josh warned him that funding was tight. Shayne thought Josh was just saying that because Edmund was involved but Josh insisted that it was merely an economic reality. Shayne told his father that he really wanted this and said that the project would ensure that Lara would never be forgotten. Josh gave Shayne the name of someone at the bank to talk about getting a loan. Shayne thanked Josh and hugged him. He then left to talk to McCready at the bank.
Jeffrey and Reva were at Cedars for a Lamaze class. Reva warned Jeffrey that the videos that showed of childbirth could be graphic. Jeffrey scoffed and said that he was a government agent—he had seen a lot worse. When Jeffrey asked if she was nervous, Reva admitted to Jeffrey that she was. Later, while sitting watching the birthing video, Jeffrey did indeed faint. When the class was over, Reva talked to Jeffrey about how normal it felt. She was not worry about battling cancer; she simply felt like a woman expecting a baby. Jeffrey asked if she was scared and she admitted that she was terrified. However, she was confident that they would get their little boy. Reva then jokingly asked if Jeffrey was going to be a "runner" in the delivery room. At that point, the pair saw Edmund. Edmund told the pair that he had great news—they will break ground on the pediatric center within the next month. Off their confused looks, Edmund mentioned that he and Shayne were business partners. Reva asked Edmund how he got Shayne to agree to that. Edmund argued that the project was for a good cause. Edmund said that his daughter would have wanted him to do it and told Reva that her son did want it. When Edmund walked away, Reva began to rant about the idea and Jeffrey told her that Edmund might have a point. Later, at Lewis Construction, Jeffrey argued that the project could get Shayne out of his funk. Josh overheard and said that he agreed. Josh told Reva that this project had given Shayne hope. Jeffrey assured Reva that they would keep an eye on Edmund and if he made one wrong move, they would nail him.
Dinah broke into Edmund's room. While snooping around, she found a piece of paper hidden behind Lara's photo. That paper was a pregnancy report. Suddenly, Edmund arrived and told Dinah that it was true—Lara was pregnant and Shayne was the father. Edmund told Dinah about how Lara sought him out when he was in the hospital. She reminded him of a girl named Rachel who he knew when he was a teenager. Lara told Edmund that Rachel was her mother and he was her father. Lara confided in Edmund that she decided to seek him out because she was pregnant. Edmund told Dinah that Lara visited him day after day and eventually told him about her relationship with Shayne, whom she hadn't told about the baby yet. Dinah asked what happened to the baby and Edmund answered that it died with Lara. Dinah asked if he told Shayne and Edmund said that he hadn't. Edmund said that he owned the secret; it was the last thing of Lara's that he had and he wanted to make sure that Shayne truly loved Lara before he divulged the truth. Edmund admitted that he realized that Shayne did love her and was going to tell him about the baby. Dinah said that he would not tell Shayne because that would destroy him. Soon, Shayne arrived to tell Edmund that the funding for the project came through. Shayne asked Edmund if he past his test and Edmund asked if he passed Shayne's. Neither man answered and then Shayne invited Dinah to work with them. Dinah agreed to join their "little do-gooder party" and said that she hoped they did not all regret this.
Buzz warned Coop not to go to Alan's because the mansion had guards, gates and weapons. Coop told Buzz that he was not just going to barge in and grab Beth; he was going to sneak in and he needed Buzz's help in distracting the guards. Buzz refused to do it. Buzz tried to get Coop to give it up by pointing out that Beth picked Alan. Coop said that Alan probably bullied her into it by threatening Peyton. Coop argued that while Alan gave Beth was she was used to, he could give her what she wanted. Coop insisted that he was not giving up on Beth.
At the mansion, Alan told Beth that he had a present for her—an emerald bracelet. Without facing Alan, Beth told him to keep it since she didn't want it. Alan walked over to Beth and she broke away from him. Alan told her that he remembered when she used to love it when he touched her. Beth made it clear that she would marry Alan and suggested city hall. Alan said that he was not satisfied with a backroom ceremony. Alan handed Beth an invitation and said that their wedding would be as public as his humiliation. Beth tried to convince Alan that he could not want her this way. Beth reminded him of their wedding vows when they promised to love and respect one another. Alan stated that he never broke his vows and maintained that they could be happy together again. Beth told him that things had changed. Alan asked if Peyton didn't deserve a home with both of her parents. Beth said that Peyton deserved to see her mother as a happy and independent woman. Unmoved, Alan said that the wedding would put to rest any doubts that they were made for each other.
While in the car with Buzz, Coop saw Beth walking toward Company and approached her. Beth tried to get away, but Coop wouldn't let her. Coop told her that he knew Alan forced her to stay with him by threatening her or him. Coop insisted that Alan's threats were meaningless but an upset Beth disagreed. She stated that Alan would carry it out and get away with it. When a tearful Beth told Coop that he was living in a dream world, he told her that if they gave up on dreaming, they might as well be dead. Coop told Beth not to give in or she would never stop, Beth tried to escape from his arms but he pulled her into a hug. Beth brought up Coop's Stanford offer and told him that she wanted him to go. Coop called Beth a coward and she admitted that he was right. As she walked away, Coop said that if she thought he was going to walk away, then she was dead wrong.
Beth went to Company and showed Buzz her wedding invitation. Buzz asked Beth if she loved Coop and she replied that she did not even know what love was anymore. Beth said that she needed Buzz to stop Coop from finding out about the wedding until after it was over. Before leaving, Beth told Buzz that Coop deserved better and told Buzz that she did love Coop.
Coop tried to get into the Spaulding mansion by telling the guard that he was a friend of Lizzie's. The guard stated that no visitors were allowed. Coop noticed all the cars on the property and the guard mentioned that there was going to be a wedding. An upset Coop began calling out for Beth and attempted to run to the mansion. As Alan watched from inside, Coop was dragged away by the guard.
Beth returned to the mansion and found a wedding dress. Alan appeared and asked if she liked it. Beth told Alan that he could get her to the alter but he could not get her to love him again. As Beth tried to leave the room, Alan stopped her and told her that she would wear the dress and she would say "I do." Beth defiantly told Alan that when she married him, she would be thinking of Coop.
Coop went to Marina's after getting a message from her about Beth. Noticing the basement door was open, Coop went down to look for her. Suddenly, the door closed behind him. It was Buzz who locked the door, trapping Coop.
