After Brad's release from jail, he and Katie reconnected at home, and Katie was stunned to learn that Spencer's body and all the evidence in the case against Brad had disappeared. She flashed back to her anonymous cyber-benefactor who had promised to solve all of Brad's problems. Brad was convinced that either Katie or Henry was responsible for the missing corpse, but Katie vehemently denied that. She suggested the two of them just be happy that Brad was home.
While Brad was distracted with talking to Liberty on the phone, Katie fished out the original anonymous message from the trashcan. When Brad went to take a shower, Katie sat at her laptop and began typing. Brad watched her from around the corner as she sent a message to her mystery correspondent, asking how he accomplished everything. She received a message back, however, that her email could not be delivered. She then put in a call to a computer friend, Carlos, and asked him to try to identify the anonymous sender from the original email.
Henry and Vienna were romping in the bed as Margo barged into their hotel room, waving a search warrant. She accused Henry of stealing the missing evidence from the police station and warned them that the station had surveillance tapes. She told them that Brad had been released and sent the couple to get dressed so they could accompany her back to the station. Henry and Vienna fantasized about being in the same cell, but Margo nixed their sex games while on her turf.
At the farm, Paul took Meg some winter clothes, and she invited him to make tea with her. Paul told her about Dusty's new friend, Josie, who resembled Jennifer. Meg was curious about her, and Paul mentioned he was worried about the effect of the woman on his mother, since Barbara had just dealt with Dusty's "resurrection." Meg suggested he prepare Barbara for the possibility of Dusty's contacting her about Josie and offered to go along with Paul, especially if there was food involved.
Dusty visited Josie in her hotel room, and she asked him what he saw in her design sketches. Dusty said the drawings reminded him of some of his late wife's work, but Josie got upset that he was once again comparing her to Jennifer. Dusty asked Josie to meet him in the lounge in ten minutes so he could introduce her to someone, and she agreed.
Katie's contact responded that the mystery address had been from an Internet café in Berlin. Katie was stymied, and as soon as she hung up, she got a call from Henry. He told her Margo was taking him and Vienna to the police station and asked her and Brad to meet them as soon as possible at Metro so they could get their stories straight. Henry had to hang up as Margo ordered him out of the bedroom where he was getting dressed.
Brad, fresh out of the shower, asked Katie to go to bed with him, but Katie said before that happened, they might have to cover up a crime. Brad refused to go anywhere near Henry, however, so Katie asked him if Vienna had ever mentioned knowing anyone in Berlin. Katie wanted to leave immediately for Metro, but Brad demanded she tell him the truth about what was going on. She stalled him, and they took off for Metro.
Barbara met Dusty in the Lakeview lobby, and they talked about Johnny. Barbara had been in New York, and Dusty told her he was glad to have her home and that there was someone he would like her to meet. Dusty got a call he had to take outside, so Barbara went into the lounge to get a table. Josie walked in and went straight to Barbara. She asked if the two of them were acquainted, but Barbara was sure they were not. Josie persisted in asking questions and said she had a very strong feeling that Barbara was important to her in some way.
Dusty returned and was surprised to see the two women talking, although Barbara was not comfortable about it. Dusty introduced them, and Barbara asked for a moment aside with Dusty. Dusty was hoping that Barbara would see the same resemblance to Jennifer as he did, but Barbara said she only saw a crazy person. She also was upset that Dusty was so invested in the woman, and she refused to look at Josie's drawings. Dusty pleaded with her to give the possibility of a connection with Jennifer a chance, but Barbara got assertive and raised her voice. Paul and Meg walked in, and Paul immediately told Dusty to leave his mother alone. Jose walked up, and Paul told Dusty to get her out of there.
Paul and Barbara verbally bashed Josie while Dusty again asked Barbara to give her a chance. Barbara got even more rattled and walked out. Meg and Paul also left, and Josie decided it would be best for all concerned if she went back to Ohio as she had originally planned. She still felt a strong connection to the people of Oakdale, but she realized she was not welcome, except by Dusty. Dusty then showed her a picture of Jennifer, and Josie agreed she was a lovely woman. Dusty walked her back to her room and said goodnight.
At the Oakdale police station, Margo asked Henry if he had worn his uniform costume to gain access to the morgue, but Henry denied any involvement. Vienna volunteered that she would have never gotten involved with a dead body under any circumstances. Margo was frustrated and dismissed the two. They went immediately to Metro, where Brad and Katie were anxiously waiting for them. They could not figure out what mystery person had orchestrated the scenario. Katie wanted to drop the whole issue, but Henry knew she was still covering up something.
Katie and Brad returned home, and Brad acknowledged that he knew Katie was hiding an important fact from him and demanded that she tell him. Katie revealed the mystery email she had received, offering to help Brad, and she also told him the anonymous person had warned he might ask for a favor from them in the future. Brad suggested they stop worrying about it, and they began kissing. Katie missed another email, which flashed on her computer and read, "Glad everything turned out alright. See you soon."
Alison and Casey played with their skateboards in Old Town. Casey was unhappy that he had been suspended from the university, but he was pleased that Luke had won the student election in an upset victory. Kevin stopped by and asked if Luke was enjoying his win and hinted that the victory might be short-lived. Later, in Java, Alison overheard a friend of Kevin's remark to him that he had been "robbed" of the victory. When Casey approached him, Kevin sent a message to Luke that he should not get too comfortable in his new office. He questioned why 98% of the student body had voted in the recent election when only 26% had turned out the last time. A puzzled Alison asked Casey if Luke had anything to worry about.
Luke went to Java to tell Noah that Lily had invited them to dinner to celebrate his win, but Noah bitterly reminded him that he had not really won the election because his friends had stuffed the ballot box. He suggested Luke take Kevin, the true victor, to dinner instead. Luke asked how long Noah was going to stay angry with him, and Noah suggested Luke turn himself in and clear his conscience. Luke refused because he thought Kevin would then feel he had a divine right to the presidency. Luke reminded his boyfriend what Kevin's goons had done to Alison and how they had humiliated Luke with the video on the Internet, and he begged Noah to let it go. Noah declined the dinner invitation, so Luke tried to further justify his actions. Noah, however, said he only wished he could still respect Luke.
Luke went to Carly's to pick up Sage to take her riding at the Snyder farm. Carly made snide comments about Janet, and Jack reminded her that his marriage to Janet was going to take place no matter what stunts their daughter pulled. Carly asked Jack if he knew she and Janet had experienced a "minor disagreement" the other day. Sage appeared, ready to go to the farm. Jack asked Carly to apologize to his fiancée, but Carly said she still could not forgive Janet for "abandoning" Sage so she could visit with an old flame in the Lakeview bar. Jack explained that it would be good for Sage to see her mother being nice to Janet. Carly agreed to at least think about it, but after Jack and Sage left, she said there would be "pigs in the tree tops" before that apology happened.
Janet told Liberty she had really called Carly the "B" word, and she felt sorry about it. She asked if she was a bad mother, and Liberty asked for a definition of "bad." Janet went through a litany of her faults until Liberty assured her she was a really great mom. Liberty suggested she try to win over Sage with a batch of peanut butter brownies.
At the farm, Jack cut up apples as treats for the horses, and he mentioned that Janet wanted to make candy apples with Sage. Sage declined and asked her father to stop talking about Janet. At that moment, Janet walked in just to drop off her homemade brownies for Sage, who responded with only rude remarks. Jack got an emergency call from the police station, which required him to go there right away, so Janet offered to stay with Sage despite the girl's protests. Janet tempted Sage with brownies and ice cream, but she got no response. Janet then suggested they play a board game, and after a bit of thought, Sage agreed. She explained that Emma kept the board games on the top shelf of a walk-in closet off the kitchen.
Janet went in and stood on a stool to reach the games as Sage slammed and locked the door. Janet laughed at the joke then asked to be let out. Sage said the only condition under which she would free Janet was if she promised not to marry Jack. Janet tried all sorts of persuasion to get Sage to unlock the door, but the girl was sassy and told Janet she needed to go away. When Janet got angry and said if Sage was her little girl she would spank her, Sage got an idea. She walked outside and slapped her own cheek, hard. Then she called her mother and whimpered that Janet had struck her.
Casey tried to soothe Alison by telling her Kevin was just a poor loser, but Alison remembered how Luke's buddies had talked about stuffing the ballot box for him. She needed to be reassured that nothing like that had taken place, but Casey would not give her a straight answer. She accused Casey of stealing the election and told him Kevin would not let it go. Casey felt no one could prove they had cheated, but Alison was disappointed in him and shouted at him to "grow the hell up."
Liberty took a load of groceries for a food drive to the diner where she met Parker. She thanked him for being nice when she had been so freaked out about her dad's being in jail. Parker told her he had gotten involved in the food drive because his birth father had supported such efforts. The two of them made plans to deliver the food to his mother's house.
Janet could not convince Sage to open the closet door. Carly showed up and saw where Sage had made a mark on her face and was convinced that Janet had hit her daughter. Janet heard Carly in the kitchen and strongly denied ever striking the child, but Carly screamed at Janet and pounded on the door in her rage. Then she gathered up her daughter and ran out.
Casey found Luke and warned him that Kevin had asked for an investigation into the election because of the exceptionally high turnout. Casey was sure there was no proof of wrongdoing, but Luke received a call from Dean Brewster at the school, asking Luke to go to his office. Casey offered to accompany him, but Luke declined. Luke met with the dean, who said he took the allegations very seriously, but Luke assured him that everything was legitimate as far as he was concerned. The dean then excused him after promising a thorough investigation. Luke left and called Casey to tell him he thought they were in the clear.
Carly stormed into the Oakdale Police Station with Sage in tow and demanded that Jack arrest Janet for child abuse. She said Janet had hit their daughter, and Sage confirmed it. Jack began to question the girl while Carly fumed. She finally told Jack where he could find Janet, and he drove immediately to the farm. He found Janet still in the closet, yelling for help. Janet told him her side of the story, but Jack could not figure out how Sage had gotten the mark on her face.
Casey found Alison at work at Memorial Hospital and told her about Luke's meeting with the dean. Casey assured her it would all blow over, but Alison was worried that Casey didn't even realize what trouble was ahead.
Carly pampered Sage at home, and the girl asked if they were in trouble. Jack entered with Janet, and Carly went ballistic that Janet was in her house. She accused Janet of suggesting that Carly encouraged the children to act out against Janet. Parker and Liberty arrived with their food drive donations, and Jack called a halt to the accusations flying and sent Sage out of the room.
Janet denied hitting Sage or any other child, for that matter, but Parker remembered something and started to speak. He was hesitant until Jack encouraged him then Janet stepped up and admitted to slapping Liberty once, not long before. Carly continued to harangue Janet, so Jack took his fiancée out. Liberty tried to soft-pedal the incident to Parker and thanked him for going easy on her mother.
Luke returned to the farm and found Noah at the kitchen table. He told Noah he loved him even though Noah no longer respected him. Luke claimed there was nothing he could do about what had happened and asked if the two of them were still okay. Noah answered that he had just gotten a call from the dean asking for them to meet. Luke wanted his boyfriend to lie for him, but Noah replied that Luke was the one thing he could not lie about. Noah left to meet with Dean Brewster, and Luke waited outside the office.
Janet and Jack talked, and she told him she could no longer live in a war zone. She denied again that she had hit Sage, and Jack said he believed her, and they hugged.
Carly asked Sage the same question about whether Janet had truly struck her. Sage lied that Janet had hit her, and Carly promised she would never let that woman hurt her daughter again.
Alison received a call from Casey and flashed back to when she had chewed him out earlier for his lack of ethics in stuffing the ballot box for Luke. Meanwhile, Casey stopped for a coffee at Java, where the barista recognized him as Luke's campaign manager. He referred to the election as "Snydergate," which Casey attributed to Kevin's being a sore loser. Casey asked about Noah, but the worker said Noah had gotten a phone call and left suddenly for school.
Dean Brewster and Noah exited the dean's office and found Luke waiting outside. The dean asked Luke to step inside, but first Luke took Noah aside and asked what his boyfriend had told the dean. Noah looked forlorn and told Luke he was sorry. Luke went into the dean's office, where Brewster accused him of stealing the election by stuffing the ballot box. He also said Noah had given him the details.
Brian and Lucinda shared a drink at the Lakeview, and Brian mentioned he had explored some research on a new cancer treatment. Lucinda called him "pushy" and declared a moratorium on the subject of cancer. Brian checked his watch and said he was expecting another appointment to show up as Lily walked up. Lucinda asked if it was an ambush, and Lily wanted to know the same thing.
Brian took off, and mother and daughter discussed how they had both fallen for Brian's trick. Lily guessed that her mother was not well and that her cancer had returned, and Lucinda admitted it. The two began a conversation that ended with the two of them in tears and hugging. Lily agreed to let her mother back into her life and her children's lives.
Dusty and Josie went to Fashions, where Dusty requested that she use his credit card to make some purchases. Josie protested, but Dusty insisted. He took a call from Emily, who said she needed him to sign some papers on budget figures, and he agreed to go to her office. He left Josie making some choices for clothes.
Josie asked a saleswoman if she had anything less conservative, and the woman led her toward a trunk show that Barbara Ryan was having in the shop that day. Barbara saw Josie looking at her designs and accused Josie of following her. Josie explained she had not known Barbara would be there. She also noticed a particularly attractive gown of imported fabric and special detail, and Barbara made sarcastic remarks about Josie's being a fashion expert.
Emily spoke to an assistant who had spent half the night researching Josie Matthews Driver in every database, but she'd found nothing. Emily said it was as if the woman had never existed, which only raised her level of suspicion. Dusty arrived, and Emily admitted she had gotten him there under false pretenses and told him there was no record anywhere of his new friend, Josie. Dusty told her if she poked around his business again, the two of them were done. Emily tried to kiss him, but Dusty pushed her away.
Noah returned to work at Java, where Casey asked him what had happened at the dean's office. Noah told him that the dean knew Luke had stolen the election, and Casey guessed that Noah had been the stool pigeon. Casey could not believe that Noah would not lie for his boyfriend after all the times Luke had supported Noah when he had been married to Ameera.
Casey went to the dean's office, where he admitted he had been the one to actually stuff the ballot box. Dean Brewster then informed Casey that he was no longer suspended; this time he was expelled. Casey went back to Java, where Alison found him. He gave her the news that he had been expelled, and Luke had suffered the same punishment. Alison dragged Casey out of Java and promised him they would do something "fun and cool." They went skateboarding, and Casey said he wanted to fix what he had done to Luke.
Luke went home, where he found Brian waiting to see if the reconciliation between Lily and Lucinda had worked. Luke told his foundation manager that he had been expelled from school and was sick that he had lost Noah's respect, as well. Lily and her mother arrived at home, and Lucinda and Brian left to catch up with Ethan, who was with a sitter
Luke had to tell Lily about his expulsion, and Lily was devastated that her son had compromised his academic future. Noah appeared, but Luke refused to talk with him. Lily told Noah her son had been expelled then went to call Holden. Luke accused his friend of turning him in because he was jealous of Kevin, but Noah protested that Luke's expulsion was not his fault. He declared his love for Luke, but Luke said he could no longer even look at him. He asked Noah to leave.
Barbara was in a panic when she realized her seamstress had a family emergency and could not finish the sewing on some of her designs for the trunk show. She dashed out of Fashions to head to her workroom, and Josie quickly followed her. She volunteered to help Barbara with her predicament because she had realized she had sewing skills. Barbara was pleased with her work and appreciated the young woman's helping out. Josie found a special dress in the collection and took it to Barbara. Barbara told her the dress was one of Jennifer's designs that she had been keeping, but had decided she was ready to share.
Josie noticed a photo of Hal in the workroom, and Barbara explained he had been the love of her life but had been killed in the line of duty. Dusty interrupted, but he was pleased that Josie was helping with the show. Barbara had to leave and offered to pay Josie, but Josie refused. Barbara then offered her any one piece from the collection as payment, and Josie chose Jennifer's design. She tried it on as Dusty returned, and he could not take his eyes off her. He pulled her into his arms and kissed her.
Holden arrived at home, called back from a business trip by a worried Lily. She told her husband that Luke had been expelled from Oakdale University for cheating on the school election. Holden said there had to be more to the story than that, but Lily could only tell him that Luke had said he'd "had to win." They puzzled over what had happened to their son, and Holden suggested they find out together, so they left for the Snyder Farm.
Noah packed some of his belongings and tried to tell Luke that he did not understand when winning the election at all costs had become most important to Luke. Luke wanted to know what had happened to standing up for each other, and Noah reminded him that he had tried to talk Luke out of cheating, but Luke rationalized that the reasons for his actions were valid. Noah said his father had lied to him his whole life, and he did not want to be like that. Noah said he loved Luke, but he would not lie for him. He added that he was not about to encourage Luke to be anything less than the person Noah knew he could be. Both boys felt betrayed, and Noah stopped the conversation by walking out.
Paul went back to Fairwinds after his therapy session with Dr. Michaels and was pleasantly surprised to find Meg still there. He thanked her for being there overnight, especially since he was distressed about seeing Dusty and his Jennifer look-alike, Josie. Meg told him she had been selecting baby furniture, but had not placed a final order because she did not know where to have it delivered, to the farm or to Fairwinds. Paul reminded her that she lived at the farm and said it was entirely up to her where she put the nursery. They kissed, and Meg said she truly liked the new Paul. They talked seriously, and Meg told him she saw in him someone who just wanted to love and be loved. They kissed again until Meg was so hungry they left to get something to eat.
Josie and Dusty kissed, and Josie declared it a mistake. Dusty apologized, but Josie said she had wanted it to happen. She was fearful that she did not know enough about her background or to whom she might be connected. She felt she was not free to hook up with anyone else until she knew she did not have a husband, and possibly children, waiting somewhere for her. She needed to learn more about herself, and Dusty agreed. He told her to proceed at her own pace, and he declared he would give her the space she needed. "Not too much space," teased Josie.
On the sidewalk in Old Town, Emily denied to Barbara that she was still carrying a torch for Dusty. Barbara replied that she understood Emily perfectly. Emily's point was that Dusty was vulnerable, and Josie was preying on his grief for Jennifer. Barbara defended the girl and yelled at Emily that Dusty deserved much better than the likes of her.
Susan arrived and joined in the fray, calling Barbara and Paul a "demolition derby." Barbara retorted that Emily had gone to her, begging Barbara to save Dusty from a young woman who just might be very good for him. She asked Susan to call off her "pit bull with lipstick daughter," and told her to mind her own business. Barbara stalked off while Susan told Emily she actually thought Barbara was absolutely right.
Lily and Holden found Luke moping in the kitchen at the farm, and Holden questioned him about the cheating episode. Luke defended his actions by declaring he would have been a much better student body president than Kevin by setting a new tone of nondiscrimination on the campus. He blamed Noah for ruining the whole thing, but Holden said Noah was the one who had done the right thing. He also reminded Luke that he could not force his way or his ideas upon other people, and Luke admitted he knew that what he had done was wrong.
Lily and Holden thought that expulsion was too extreme a penalty, and Lily offered to remind the chancellor that her family had given a lot of money to the school over the years. She suggested perhaps they could reach an agreement, and Luke said he would do anything to return to school. Holden then asked if Luke was willing to let his mother's money bail him out of trouble, and Luke finally answered "no."
Dusty went to the Intruder office and told Emily he was going to attend a Global Economy Conference in New York for a couple of days. Emily lied and told him she was already planning on attending and had made all the arrangements online, so they were nonrefundable. Dusty admitted his priorities had gotten skewed recently, which was just the opening Emily needed. She suggested the two of them go to the conference together, and Dusty agreed, as long as they went strictly as colleagues. Emily shooed him out of her office then immediately got on the phone to make the necessary reservations. She was informed that there was only one hotel room available, so she declared, with a smile, that they would "just have to make do."
Josie stopped by the trunk show at Fashions, and Barbara asked if she had picked out a dress from her collection as payment for her work as a seamstress. Josie acknowledged that the dresses were wonderful but asked for a different favor: she needed a job. Barbara explained that she had not worked with anyone since Jennifer, but she was willing to give the girl a try, part-time. Josie promised not to let her down, and Barbara was glad to see Lily and young Ethan enter the shop. Lily was looking for something to cheer up Lucinda, and she explained that her mother's cancer had returned, and she was facing more surgery.
Barbara went to find something special for Lucinda, and Josie approached Ethan and asked Lily if she could take him for ice cream while Lily shopped. Barbara introduced Lily to Josie, and Josie and Ethan left to get cones. They ate their ice cream on a bench in Old Town, waiting for Lily, and Josie sang a lullaby to the little boy, which Dusty overheard. Lily walked out and took Ethan home as Dusty commented on the song Josie had sung. He told her Jennifer had sung the same tune to their baby. They made plans to meet later in the Lakeview.
Luke went to the coffee shop to apologize to Noah. He said his talk with his parents had opened his eyes, and he realized he had to fix what he had done. He did not feel he could do that without Noah's support, however. He begged his boyfriend to return, and when Noah hesitated, Luke asked if it was not good enough that he was paying for his mistakes. He reminded Noah that he was not perfect, either, but Noah said Luke had serious, deep-seated issues with Kevin, and until Luke figured them out, Noah did not think they could be together.
Emily went to Memorial to tell her mother she was going to New York for a conference with Dusty. Susan said Emily would never learn, but Emily said she refused to listen to any negativity. Susan suggested that what she was speaking was reality, but Emily claimed to be tapping into the power of the universe and putting her desires out there so they would be satisfied. She vowed to herself that, at last, no one would stop her.
Meg wanted most of the food on the menu at Al's and blamed her out-of-control appetite on the baby. Through the window, Paul spotted Josie giving his mother a hug, and he referred to her as "Faux Jenn." He went outside to talk to Barbara and led her back to see Meg. Barbara told them Josie was working for her and asked Paul to give the girl a break.
Paul complained that Josie was adopting his dead sister's life, but Barbara defended her. Paul said he did not like her, and after Barbara left, Meg said she thought Paul was a little hard on his mother. Paul compared the situation to Barbara's attachment to crazy Sofie. Paul took a call from Emily who, without preamble, announced they had to get rid of Josie.
Emily was in a limo on her way to the airport when Dusty called her. He cancelled his participation in the conference and told her to go on her own, but Emily told the driver to turn the car around immediately.
Dusty waited for Josie in the Lakeview, and when she arrived, she noticed he seemed distracted. He took her to a private part of the lobby and told her he'd been planning to leave on a business trip, but when he'd heard her singing the lullaby to Ethan, he'd realized he could not go anywhere. Dusty worried that he was so drawn to her, and Josie felt the same way. She also revealed she had been filled with longing when she'd interacted with Ethan. They decided to stay together to try to figure out what their connection was. Emily walked into the Lakeview and saw Dusty and Josie having their earnest conversation.
Luke ran into some friends in Old Town who had gotten free beer at Kevin's victory celebration. One of them offered a beer to Luke, but another explained that Luke did not drink. Luke, however, grabbed the beer and, just before chugging it, said, "He does so."
At Brad and Katie's house, Janet looked through a "dream wedding" album. Parker arrived to pick up Liberty for their community service project for school. When Janet left the room, Liberty picked up the album and told Parker it was bad that Janet was looking at it, because the farther Janet got into her dream world, the worse it would be if her hopes were dashed. Janet returned to the room and told Liberty she'd been planning to throw away the dream wedding album, and the "perfect wedding" was never going to happen.
Liberty said it could still happen if Parker could convince his mom to back off. Janet told Liberty not to put Parker in the middle of Janet's relationship with Jack. Janet told Liberty that she and Parker should go work on their school project and leave the adult problems to the adults to solve.
Parker and Liberty went to the Snyder farm to pick up food that Emma had made to contribute to their project. Liberty again tried to get Parker to agree to talk to Carly, but Parker said once his mom had made up her mind that she was right about something, no one could convince her otherwise. Liberty told Parker to forget it and then said she was waiting for Van to meet her. Parker thought Liberty was making it up and was using Van to get Parker to do what she wanted Parker to do, but Liberty said she'd asked Van to drive his car over to help them drop off the food Emma had made. Van arrived and wanted Liberty to go with him, but Liberty said she had something else she needed to do, and Van left without her, clearly unhappy about it.
Parker and Liberty got to work stuffing envelopes, and Liberty said she thought they had been getting along well lately. Liberty told Parker that whatever happened, she didn't want them to stop being friends. Parker agreed, and Liberty asked him to promise they would remain friends. He promised, and Liberty hugged him. Parker told Liberty that if she didn't move in the next five seconds, he would have to kiss her. Five seconds later, Liberty broke away.
Parker asked what was wrong, and Liberty said nothing had changed, and she still thought it was a bad idea for them to be together that way. Liberty had several reasons, including that her mom was still probably going to marry Parker's dad. Parker thought it was because he was younger than Liberty and because they'd had sex once, and it had freaked Liberty out. Liberty said that had something to do with it, too.
Parker asked why Liberty was spending time with him when she had a list of reasons why they shouldn't be together. Liberty said that didn't mean she didn't want to be Parker's friend. Parker said Liberty was driving him crazy. Van arrived and told Parker and Liberty that he had dropped off the food and had returned to see if there was anything else he could do. Liberty asked him to give her a ride home, and she told Parker goodbye.
Carly went to the police station to talk to Jack. She told him Sage hadn't wanted to go to school that morning because she was afraid she might run into Janet. Jack said Sage might need to talk to a therapist. Carly wondered why Jack was insisting that Sage was lying. Jack reminded Carly of the other things Sage had done and said he knew Janet hadn't hit Sage. Carly said she chose to believe their daughter. Jack said if he thought Janet had actually hit Sage, he would never see Janet again. Carly said, "Right, and give up your brownie-slinging sex toy?" Jack told Carly they were done discussing it.
Carly told Jack she wanted him to promise that whenever he saw Sage, Janet would be nowhere around. Jack said he refused to let a child dictate whom he could see. Carly said it wasn't any child -- it was his daughter. Jack said Sage was acting more like Carly's daughter, and perhaps Janet had been right when she suspected it hadn't been Parker "behind the whole Halloween fiasco." Carly said if Jack chose not to believe his own daughter, he didn't deserve to see her.
Carly went to Metro, where she told Bonnie what had happened with Sage and Janet. Bonnie expressed her concern and sympathy, and Carly asked her for legal advice about how she could keep Janet from being with Jack whenever he saw the kids. Bonnie said that would be difficult and would involve going before a family court judge and convincing the judge that Sage was in physical danger from Janet. Bonnie warned that it would turn into a war. Carly said it was already a war, and she wanted to win it.
Bonnie went to the courthouse and met with Judge Cartwright, whom she told Carly she respected. Bonnie took paperwork back for Carly and asked if Carly was sure she wanted to pursue a court case. Carly was mad that Bonnie thought she would have changed her mind. She told Bonnie she wasn't taking such drastic action on a whim or to stick it to Jack.
Jack went to see Janet and told her what Carly had said. Janet apologized for causing problems between Jack and Carly, but Jack assured her the fight had been brewing for a long time. Janet told Jack she would keep trying to get Sage to like her, and Jack said he was sure Janet would win Sage over because Janet was irresistible.
Jack asked Janet what kind of wedding she'd dreamed about as a girl, and Janet said certainly not one in which her daughter was her maid of honor. Jack thought that would be nice and said Parker could be his best man. Janet said she thought they should keep it simple and should maybe even just go to the courthouse and have a judge perform the ceremony. Jack protested, saying he wanted to celebrate their marriage with family and friends. Janet said that was what she was afraid of. Jack said Carly and the kids would eventually accept it, but Janet appeared dubious.
Carly went to Janet's, and when she saw Jack was there, she handed him an envelope and told him it was something he needed to look over. When Jack asked what it was, Carly said, "You've been served." Jack couldn't believe Carly had filed for an emergency custody hearing and a restraining order. Carly said she was going to try to keep her child from an abusive person. Janet told Carly she hadn't hurt Sage. Janet then pleaded with Carly not to try to keep Jack's children from him, saying she would stay away from them if that was what Carly wanted. Carly said that was all she had asked, but Jack again refused, saying he wouldn't let anyone tell him how to treat his children.
Jack told Carly she had pulled some stunts in her time with their kids, like abandoning them to run off with Simon Frasier, and he could have taken full custody of the kids any one of those times. Jack said if Carly took the case before a judge, the judge would hear everything that Carly had ever done, and he asked who Carly thought would end up with the kids after that. Carly said, "You wouldn't take my kids from me." Jack said he would if Carly tried to take him to court. Jack said, "But remember one thing: you started this. I didn't." He then closed the door on Carly.
Jack told Janet, "This is a fight I can't lose." Janet shook her head and said, "You're wrong, Jack. Everybody's going to lose." Janet told Jack that if he went to war with Carly, the kids would never forgive him. Janet thought Jack should call off their wedding, but Jack refused. Janet said she would not be the reason Jack lost his kids or that Carly couldn't see her children. Jack said he would find a way to make sure none of that happened because he did not want to lose Janet.
Carly went back to Metro. She told Bonnie what Jack had said, and Bonnie said Jack had to really love Janet. Carly said that wasn't the point, but Bonnie said it might be the point for Jack. Bonnie said if Jack was prepared to throw everything he could at Carly, then Carly had to be prepared to fight back. She said as Carly's lawyer, she would rip Jack apart if she had to, but Carly had to be 110% sure that she was right about her accusations. Carly said if that was all it took, they couldn't lose.
Katie and Brad went to Al's Diner for breakfast, but Katie was distracted and didn't want to eat. Katie kept looking at her laptop, and Brad told her that staring at the computer wouldn't make the person who had supposedly helped him get out of jail contact her any sooner. Katie said she was worried about what favor the person might ask for, but Brad said the person might not even ask. He said if Katie did hear from the mystery person, and the favor was something Katie didn't want to do, she could just say no. Brad said because the chain of evidence in the murder case had been broken, it wouldn't matter if it suddenly reappeared. Brad said they had caught a big break and needed to take advantage of it to get their show back on the air.
Brad and Katie went to WOAK, where Kim told Brad how happy she was that he had been released. When Brad said they'd like their jobs back, however, Kim balked, saying the sponsors wouldn't support that move because Brad was still under a cloud of suspicion. Kim said until the police found the real killer, it would be best if Brad didn't go back on the air. Brad asked if Katie could go back on the air, and Kim said she'd love it, but Katie refused if it meant doing the show without Brad.
Brad and Katie went to Java for coffee. Katie suggested they try a different, bigger TV market, like Chicago. They went to Chicago to meet with a contact of Katie's named Dave, whom she'd met on her book tour. When Dave realized they were pitching a show, he pointed out that Chicago wasn't very far from Oakdale, and people in Chicago knew about the murder and that Brad had been arrested for it. Brad protested his innocence, and Dave said he believed him, but it was too soon to consider featuring Brad on a TV show.
Katie and Brad left and headed for their car. Katie tried to cheer Brad up, and Brad said he knew things would get better. Katie wanted to get some coffee for the road. Brad told her to go ahead, but he would wait in the car. While he waited, he looked up and saw Spencer, alive and well and crossing the street. Brad jumped out of the car and shouted, "Spencer!" Spencer turned, saw Brad, and began to run. Brad took off after her.
Katie returned to the car with the coffee, wondering where Brad was. Brad returned and told Katie he'd seen Spencer. Katie thought Brad had to have been mistaken, but he told her that Spencer had turned when she'd heard her name and that when she'd seen Brad, Spencer had run away. He said they had to find her so they could convince people that Spencer was alive.
