Dare I Weep, Dare I Mourn

John returned to his apartment in Llanview in the middle of a call to Bo, who was in Seattle. He inquired about Jared's body being taken back to Pennsylvania, and asked about Mitch's case. John wanted to head back to California, but Bo reminded him that the Napa police were handling Mitch . "Let it go," Bo ordered him, and asked his top cop to take the day off.

After hanging up, John got a visitor, Marty, who was ready to offer a shoulder to lean on. John shrugged off her sympathy, and said he had it easy compared to Natalie and Charlie. He told her about his conversation with Mitch in Napa, and how Mitch had suggested that John was responsible for Jared's death; he'd wanted Jared to be guilty, and had pursued that chain of evidence to the end.

Marty disagreed, and said it wasn't his fault; blaming oneself was only a mechanism of grief. Hoping to cheer him up, she showed him a picture Michael and Marcie had sent her of his new nephew, Gabriel. She reminded him that life went on, both the bad and the good. John kissed her, and they began to make love.

Afterwards, Marty got dressed as John slept. Leaving a note for him, she kissed his head and exited the apartment.

At Seattle General, Greg met Rachel in the waiting area outside Matthew's room. Rachel congratulated him on the successful operation, but Greg had other things on his mind, namely, whether she still going back to Chicago, and leaving him behind. Rachel said she wasn't ready to make a decision, and any travel plans were on hold as she was focused on her brother's recovery. Pleased, Greg agreed to focus on Matthew.

Inside his room, Matthew awoke to find Nora watching over him, followed by Bo. Matthew was comforted to see his parents, but grew worried when they said they had some bad news. Greg and Rachel entered just in time to hear Nora break the news of Jared's death and Mitch Laurence's latest return from the grave. Matthew instantly wanted to return to Llanview for the funeral, but Greg said that was impossible, as he needed to stay in Seattle and begin his physical therapy.

Matthew asked his parents to head back to Llanview in his stead. Bo and Nora were reluctant to leave, but Matthew said he could handle his therapy on his own with Greg and Rachel, and besides, Clint needed Nora. Matthew apologized to them for the ugliness of the civil case and his blackmail attempt, but Nora said it was all in the past. Bo asked Matthew to call if he needed them, and the family said their goodbyes.

At their hotel, Danielle was awakened by Téa packing her bags. Téa attempted to put a bright face on things, and told the girl they were leaving for Puerto Rico. Danielle hit the roof, accusing her mother of shuttling her around the country just to keep her from Ross. "I'm not eight!" Danielle cried. She told Téa to stop lying and tell the truth about their jaunts around the world.

"Your father's not who you think he is," Téa began, and reminded Danielle of Ross's violent temper, which had displayed itself numerous times during their life in Tahiti. Danielle had an excuse for each incident, and refused to believe Téa's claim that there were two sides to her dad's personality. She couldn't believe that Téa hated Ross enough to hide Danielle away, and asked about Téa's admission of love for "the father of her child." Téa hedged and said things were complicated. Danielle asked who Téa loved; if it was n't Ross, Danielle wondered if it was the "jerk" on the phone.

Téa refused to discuss the situation further, but Danielle was undeterred. She told Téa to leave her there and go be with her new Romeo. Losing her temper, Téa ordered Danielle to pack her things and prepare to leave. Danielle declared that she wouldn't leave Seattle without saying goodbye to Matthew.

At La Boulaie, Blair awoke to find Todd entering her bedroom. Todd was bearing good news: his private investigator had spotted Ross leaving Llanview, which meant Blair no longer needed his protection. Blair asked him if that meant he was heading to Seattle to find Téa. Todd said he'd planned to go, but had missed his flight in order to see his ex. He said if Téa didn't trust him enough to tell him her secrets, he wouldn't chase her, and didn't want to know.

Blair supported Todd in his new resolve, and said he was better off without Téa. Todd marveled at her patience with him, and mused about how they always seemed to be there for one another and the children, no matter what. Moving closer, Blair said it wasn't just about the kids, and she knew he felt the same way. Seizing the moment, Todd kissed her, and they fell into bed together.

Just as soon as the lovemaking began, however, Blair pulled away. Todd asked her what was wrong, and she told him he wasn't there with her -- his heart was with Téa instead, in Seattle. "Go find Téa," she said resignedly, but asked him to remember Téa's lies, and how she'd been unwilling to trust Todd with all the parts of her life; in the meantime, he wouldn't be worth having if he didn't settle things with the woman who was really on his mind. Todd asked Blair when she'd gotten so smart. "When you weren't looking," she said softly.

After Todd left, Blair struggled with her feelings. "Did I just let him go forever?" she wondered.

At Llanfair, Viki, Charlie, Clint, and Natalie returned home from California, grief-stricken and solemn. Viki and Clint told Natalie they'd handle funeral arrangements, but Natalie had a more pressing matter: how she was going to live without Jared. "I don't know how to start the day without him," she sobbed. Viki hugged her daughter, and then Natalie, noticing Charlie's grief, rushed to hug him, too. Clint ushered Natalie upstairs, urging her to get some rest.

Lost in thought, Charlie staggered into the drawing room, gazing at his old nemesis, the liquor cabinet. He made a beeline for the decanter set out for guests, but turned away when Viki entered the room and embraced him. They began leafing through a scrapbook full of pictures from throughout Jared's life, but Charlie's mind was obviously elsewhere. When Viki pointed out a picture of him with a ten-year-old Jared, he was unimpressed, noting that he was drunk in the picture; "He's holding me up...he's ten years old, and he's holding me up," Charlie said. Overcome, he stumbled away from the scrapbook, and told Viki he couldn't revisit the past with her, as he was responsible for Jared's lot in life -- after all those years, "he was still holding me up!"

Viki told Charlie that Jared had loved him, and had been prouder of his father than Charlie thought. "There's only one thing I'm thinking about," Charlie muttered, turning his gaze back to the decanter. He gripped the bottle's neck in his hands, and told Viki that liquor was what had killed his son. Uncapping the bottle and sniffing its contents, he hurled it across the room, smashing it against the fireplace. "Jared died trying to protect a useless old drunk!" he shouted.

Viki attempted to calm him, but Charlie told her that he'd killed a man in front of his son; he'd gone to Valerie's to discuss visitation, and discovered a fancy new skateboard her new husband had bought Jared. The man had been able to care and provide for Jared when Charlie hadn't, and Charlie had hated him for it. Viki reminded him that the incident with Jared's stepfather had been an accident, whereas Mitch was responsible for what had happened in Napa; Jared had been a means to an end, and if Mitch hadn't manipulated Jared and Charlie, he'd have found another way to get to Jessica and Natalie. Viki told Charlie he hadn't intentionally killed Jared's stepfather. Maybe not, Charlie allowed, but he told her that if Brody and John hadn't stopped him, he would have killed Mitch in Napa, stone-cold sober.

Viki begged Charlie not to let Mitch ruin his memories of Jared, and the love he shared with his son. She promised him that Jared was proud to have Charlie as a father. Charlie asked her to give him a moment alone, and as Viki left the room, he wandered over to the fireplace and the shattered mess of glass, picking up the tattered label of the decanter.

Upstairs, Clint got Natalie settled in her bedroom, and gave her a sedative to help her sleep. Natalie noticed Jared's clothes on the dresser, including a blue shirt; picking the shirt up, she grew emotional as she recounted Jared's untidiness around the household. She asked her father if he'd noticed how Jared's shirts always smelled like mint. Jared hadn't liked keeping mints in his pocket, but had done it for Natalie, because she loved the scent. Breaking down in tears, she collapsed in Clint's arms and let him put her to bed, as she still clutched Jared's shirt.

Later, Natalie was roused from sleep by a familiar voice. "Hi, Sparky," Jared said, sitting down beside her, wearing the same shirt Natalie held in her arms. "You won't start a new day without me," he assured her, and promised never to leave her side. Natalie wept as she told him about how she was struggling to remember the last time they'd made love, and so many other memories, so she'd have something to hold onto, but "it's all gone." "It's not," Jared said, kissing her, and Mr. and Mrs. Banks fell onto the bed, making love.

Viki peered into Natalie's room, finding her asleep and alone on her bed. Without a word, she closed the door and went back downstairs.

In the drawing room, Charlie stood alone at the patio door as Viki returned to his side. She pleaded with him to go to bed, but Charlie wanted to wait for Jared's body to be shipped in from Napa. Just then, Clint entered, promising to let them know when the body arrived. Charlie relented and let Viki coax him upstairs.

Bo and Nora arrived outside Llanfair, concerned about facing Clint. They both agreed that it was not the appropriate time to break the news of their forbidden love, and that their official reunion would have to wait until after the family settled down. Summoning their courage, they rang the doorbell, and Clint opened the door.

Viki led Charlie down the upstairs corridor, past Natalie's bedroom, and encouraged him to get some rest. Unbeknownst to them, Natalie's room was empty.

Across town, John awoke from his sleep and found Marty's note: "Glad you're home safe." Hearing a knock at the door, he dressed and opened it to find an ashen Natalie on the other side. She slapped him across the face.

In Seattle, Danielle dragged Téa back to the hospital and Matthew's room, which was suddenly empty except for Rachel. Danielle asked if Matthew had been released already, but Rachel said no, the doctors were only running some tests. Ignoring Téa's entreaties about leaving town, Danielle asked if she could wait for Matthew's return, alone. Rachel agreed to give the teen some space, and led Téa into the waiting area.

In the waiting area, Téa bemoaned Danielle's impossible behavior, and said she had to get them to Puerto Rico before Ross or Todd got wind of their location. Rachel reminded her of her pledge to tell Todd the truth, but Téa explained that Danielle was in no mood to hear it yet, and she still didn't know what Todd would do with the news; she had to prepare Danielle for the possibility of simply having no father at all. Rachel offered to watch Danielle while Téa packed their things for an afternoon flight.

Some time later, Danielle returned to Matthew's room to greet him upon his return from the lab. She asked about his surgery, and Matthew told her everything had gone well. Danielle was pleased, because she had bad news; her mother was taking her away, and she had to say goodbye.

In the waiting area, Greg tried to tempt Rachel away from Matthew's room with the seductive offer of hospital cafeteria lunch. Rachel said she couldn't budge. Across the corridor, the elevator doors opened, and Todd stepped into the waiting area.

Back in Llanview, Blair called the airline to ask when Todd's flight to Seattle had landed.

Téa returned to her hotel room, ready to finish packing for the flight to Puerto Rico, but was surprised to find the room already occupied--by Ross. "Miss me?" he asked her.