At Lucinda's cottage, Noah told Ameera that he needed to run an errand on campus, and left. Once she was alone, Ameera phoned the prison and asked to speak with Colonel Mayer. As Ameera made the call, Luke walked in and heard her ask to speak with Noah's father. Luke listened as Ameera insisted on talking with Winston, but once she caught sight of Luke, she wanted to know how long he had been standing there and what he had heard. Luke confronted Ameera about her need to talk to Colonel Mayer and demanded to know what was going on between her and Noah's father. Ameera told Luke that she only wanted to know why Winston wanted to see her. Luke said it would be best if she forgot that the Colonel had ever phoned her and let Noah deal with his father. Luke walked out and found Noah returning home from school. Luke told Noah they needed to talk and took him into Old Town so they could speak in private away from Ameera.

As they sat in town, Luke told Noah about Ameera phoning the prison. Noah wasn't surprised that Ameera was trying to find out why Winston had called her before and explained to Luke that he was not upset that Ameera had phoned his father. Luke believed Ameera and Winston were hiding something from Noah, and that Luke and Noah should try to find out what it was. Noah said Luke was being paranoid and refused to believe that Ameera was working with the Colonel. Noah accused Luke of wanting to believe the worst of Ameera in the hopes that Noah would end his fake marriage to her and could be with Luke. As Luke and Noah continued to fight about Ameera's intentions, she walked up and overheard their argument escalate. When Noah defended Ameera as his "wife" and told Luke to stop accusing her of collaborating with Winston, Luke said that Noah just wanted a perfect life with Ameera and was beginning to care more for her than him. Frustrated, Luke stormed off.

After Luke left, Ameera approached Noah and told him that she saw him fighting with Luke and hoped she hadn't caused them any problems. Noah asked her why she had phoned his father and Ameera said she needed to know why the Colonel had wanted her to visit him. Noah was so distracted by his argument with Luke that he told Ameera he couldn't talk and went to find Luke.

Luke returned to the farm and was greeted by his grandmother, Lucinda. She saw that Luke was having a bad day and asked him what was wrong. Lucinda knew right away it was Noah and offered to help out any way she could. Luke told her that Noah's fake marriage to Ameera was causing more pain than he ever imagined it would. As Luke explained that Noah cared more about Ameera's feelings than his, Lucinda said she believed that wasn't true and pointed Luke to the door, where Noah was standing. Lucinda quickly excused herself and left Noah and Luke alone to discuss their problems. Noah apologized and told Luke he was trying to make the best of a bad situation with Ameera and his father. Luke said he couldn't live if something bad happened to Noah because of Ameera, and the two embraced.

Alison walked the halls of the hospital with a fellow nursing student and discussed her classes. Chris saw Alison and approached her to talk, but Alison seemed nervous. After her friend left, Alison kept apologizing for ruining their date the other night by rushing out right before they made love. Chris thought Alison was avoiding him because she wanted to break up with him, but Alison took him in to a private office and explained that she was embarrassed after the other night. Alison went on to say that she thought she and Chris might be better off as friends. Chris told her she had nothing to apologize for and he wanted their new-found love affair to continue and hoped she did too. Alison wasn't sure they should move forward with their romance, but Chris told her not to give up on them. Alison walked out, leaving Chris to wonder where their relationship was heading.

After his talk with Alison, Chris went to check on a patient and ran into his father. Bob explained to Chris that Alison was having trouble in the nursing course and she needed to do well on her next test or she might have to leave the program. Chris thanked his dad for letting him know about Alison's problems with school and said he would make sure he helped her with her studies.

Alison sat at Java and slammed her book shut in frustration. Chris saw her and explained that he understood that she was overwhelmed by school and that it might not be the best time for a serious relationship. He offered to tutor her and help her through her classes. Chris sat down and started showing Alison all of the tricks that helped him get through medical school.

Liberty found Parker studying at Al's Diner and invited him to ditch school with her again. Parker told her there was no way he could miss school again, but before he could go back to school, Liberty told Parker that her mother was in town and looking to reconnect with Brad. As Liberty described her mother's lusty past and sexual escapades, Parker stopped her and was shocked that Liberty and her mom had such an open relationship. Parker agreed to meet up with Liberty after school to watch a movie.

At the television station, Katie and Brad filmed a cooking segment for their show, but the episode was interrupted when Janet came by to talk to Brad. Katie and Brad told Kim about Brad's long-lost teenage daughter and explained that Janet was Liberty's mother. With filming left to be done, Kim and Janet watched as Katie and Brad got back to shooting the scene for their show. As Brad and Katie cooked a homemade Italian meal, Janet, a real Italian, kept commenting on the mistakes they were making. When Katie suggested garlic powder instead of fresh garlic, Janet ran on set and told them a real Italian meal had to have fresh garlic. While she showed the viewers the art of chopping garlic, she announced that she was the mother of Brad's child. As they continued to film, Janet kept flirting with Brad and dropping hints that she was the right woman for him. Katie was visibly annoyed by Janet, but everyone else on the set complemented Janet on her energy. Katie had heard enough and pulled Brad into their office. Once alone, Katie told Brad that Janet needed to get out of Oakdale, so Brad took Janet back to the hotel to give her the bad news.

Once Brad and Janet left, Kim stopped by Katie's office and said the episode had turned out great. Katie filled Kim in on Brad and Janet's past and admitted that Juicy Janet and Liberty were a big hurdle for newlyweds. Kim offered her support and advised Katie not to worry. Kim reassured Katie that she wouldn't be hiring Janet and Katie was happy to get that bit of news.

Brad took Janet back to the Lakeview and she jumped around excited about her television debut. Brad put an end to her happiness when he told her she couldn't stay in Oakdale. Brad explained that he was happy that Liberty had found him, but he had no place in his life for Janet. He encouraged Janet to get out there and find an available guy. Janet tearfully agreed to pack her bags and go. Brad helped her get her things stuffed in a suitcase and as they finished, Liberty returned with Parker. When Liberty saw the bag, Janet explained that she was leaving town so Brad and Liberty could have a chance to bond. Liberty was angry that Janet was going and obviously felt abandoned. She told her mom to leave, and Brad walked Janet out. Parker asked Liberty if she was upset about her mom going, but Liberty said she didn't want to talk about it and just wanted to watch a movie. As they sat together in silence, Liberty looked heartbroken about her mom's quick exit.

In the lobby, Brad put Janet's things into a cab and wished her well. Janet told Brad to watch out for Liberty and hugged him goodbye. Katie arrived and asked if Janet was leaving town and Brad told Katie that Janet was gone and they could get back to their life together. The newly married couple celebrated their freedom from Janet with a kiss.

Lily brought Faith, Natalie, and Ethan over to Carly's for a visit and asked Carly to be sure to wait a couple of hours before calling the farm to see if the kids could spend the night at Carly's house. Carly pointed out that not too much earlier, it had been Lily who was telling Carly to be honest with Jack and not to play games to try to win him back. Lily said the situations were different, because she and Holden weren't divorced, and Lily was sure Holden wanted to be with her and just needed a nudge back in the right direction. Carly agreed that Lily and Holden were meant to be together and then agreed to go through with their plan for the evening.

Jack arrived at Carly's with their kids and wondered what Lily and Carly were up to. Lily told Jack that Carly was watching her children for the evening so that Lily could go to dinner with Lucinda. Jack asked where Holden was, and Lily said she didn't know because Holden wasn't answering his phone. Lily left, and Jack said he'd go back to the farm and see if Holden was home yet. Carly asked Jack to stay and watch the kids in the backyard while she made dinner. Jack smugly said he couldn't believe Carly was actually asking for his help, but he told her he would do it, and he went out back with the kids.

Later, Carly told Jack how wonderful it was to hear all the kids laughing again and just being kids. Jack agreed and said he was actually enjoying himself, too. He told Carly things felt "normal" that way, and he thanked her for deciding to invite him to stay. Carly then suggested they find the tent they used to have and let all the kids sleep out in it for the night. Jack thought that was a great idea, so Carly told him she would call Holden and Lily to clear it with them.

Holden arrived home at the farm and found that everyone else was gone. He called Lucinda and left her a message asking whether she knew where everyone was. Lily walked in and told Holden the kids were at Carly's and that she had planned to have dinner with her mother. Holden thought the kids would be too much for Carly to handle, with all of her own children there, too, but Lily said Carly had offered, and the kids were very excited about visiting their cousins. Lily then explained that Lucinda had just called to cancel their dinner date, but Lily hadn't had the heart to go pick the kids up again so soon.

Holden offered to go ahead and cook the dinner he had planned to make for the girls, but Lily said she was in the mood for something they'd never tried before. Lily then prepared a candlelit dinner and told Holden the main course was sushi. Holden complained that trying something unpredictable was perhaps not the best move to make when things in their lives had been so unpredictable. Frustrated, Lily agreed and said she had obviously made a big mistake. Holden felt bad and apologized, agreeing with Lily that perhaps it would take trying something new to get themselves "unstuck."

Lily insisted that they eat their dinner with chopsticks, which Holden had never used before. Holden had a difficult time using them, and he dropped food on his shirt, which made him and Lily laugh. Lily told Holden to take off the shirt so she could wash it before the stain set, but after Holden handed her his shirt, he looked uncomfortable and said he'd better go get the kids. Lily tried to talk him into waiting a few more minutes, but Holden left. Lily then called Carly to ask why she hadn't called yet about inviting the kids to spend the night. Carly said things had gotten hectic and she'd forgotten. Lily told Carly that Holden was on his way over, and she asked Carly to do whatever it took to get him to let the kids stay there. Carly hung up and told Jack the phone call had been about Metro.

Holden arrived at Carly's, and Carly told him that she and Jack had wanted to let the kids spend the night camping in the yard. Jack and Carly both tried to convince Holden to let the kids stay, saying the kids would be disappointed if they had to go home. Holden said the girls could stay, but he wanted to take Ethan home with him. Jack went to check on the kids, and Carly pleaded with Holden to let her have all the kids so he could enjoy a well-deserved night off. Holden said he could see she'd needed help from Jack, which must have been awkward, but Carly said having Jack there had ended up being a good thing, because it had reminded them of the good times they'd shared. Holden gave in about letting his kids stay for the night; he thanked Carly and went home.

Jack asked Carly how she was going to manage getting five kids to school in the morning, and Carly said he would find out because he would be there to watch her. Jack then told Carly he couldn't spend the night with her, but Carly said she meant he could sleep on the couch, pointing out that with six kids around, she wasn't going to try anything with Jack. Jack realized how ridiculous his assumption had sounded, and he agreed to stay for the night.

Holden returned to the farm, where Lily was waiting for him, wearing sexy lingerie. She told him Carly had called to let her know the kids were spending the night. Holden asked if Carly had told Lily that Jack was there, too, and Lily said no but asked if that was a problem. Holden said it was strange, considering how far apart Carly and Jack had been recently. Holden said people don't get back together quickly like that, and Lily said she assumed he meant that he couldn't do it. Holden said they couldn't pretend they didn't have problems, but Lily said they would always have problems, and if Holden intended to wait until things were perfect, they would never get back together. With tears in her eyes, Lily said she didn't know what else she could do. Holden walked up to her and kissed her, then told her that it seemed they were meant to be alone together and that he couldn't fight it, having seen how Lily felt.

Lily and Holden went upstairs and made love. When Lily thought Holden was asleep, she went downstairs and called Carly to thank her for everything. Carly could tell that things had gone well between Lily and Holden, and she told Lily she was glad their plan had worked. Jack walked in, unnoticed by Carly, and listened to the rest of her conversation, and when Carly hung up, Jack told her he could see the whole evening had been a setup. Carly told Jack she hadn't forced Holden to do anything and that if things had gone well, then that was good for Holden and Lily. Carly pointed out that the kids were all happy and apparently Lily and Holden were "over the moon." Jack asked if she thought Holden would be over the moon if he knew the truth about the way the evening had been set up. Carly said it appeared the only one hurt was Jack, because she'd disappointed him once again. Carly told Jack to go ahead and be mad at her, but she asked him to please not ruin Holden and Lily's evening.

At the farm, Holden came downstairs, and Lily told him she had called to check on the kids. Holden then picked Lily up and sat her down on the kitchen island, asking if she still wanted to try "something different." Lily said the idea of someone possibly walking in the kitchen door was a turn off for her, so Holden led her back upstairs.

Emily prepared for a sales meeting with potential advertisers for The Intruder, and as she practiced her sales pitch, she changed clothes. Casey walked in after a quick knock and saw Emily standing there in her undergarments. Casey quickly went back out to wait while Emily got dressed, and he apologized for having walked in on her. When he went back into Emily's office, Casey asked if he could go to New York with her for the presentation, so he could learn more about the business of the paper, but Emily told him no, and she left for the airport.

Casey went back into Emily's office a short while later and found pieces of her advertising presentation. He quickly called her cell phone, but Emily had already boarded the plane and turned off her phone. Casey then called another employee and asked him to book him on the next flight to New York. When Emily arrived in New York, she went to lunch with her prospective clients. By the time they returned to an office to listen to Emily's presentation, Emily realized she didn't have it with her. As she struggled for an excuse, Casey walked in, telling Emily he was a little late bringing the color copies she had wanted. A grateful Emily thanked him and introduced him to the clients, asking if Casey could sit in on the meeting so he could learn a little about the business. They agreed, and Casey sat down.

When Emily finished her presentation, the prospective clients thanked her and left. Emily thanked Casey again and offered to give him a tour of New York City. After the tour, Emily showed Casey the Loeb Boathouse restaurant, telling him you had to make reservations months in advance to dine there. Casey insisted they go in anyway, and when the headwaiter turned them down, Casey whispered to him that Emily was Angelina Jolie's sister. The headwaiter immediately gave them a table for two, much to Emily's amusement. Emily paid for their dinner and then took Casey back to the New York office to show him the view from one of the windows. Casey said it was the most amazing thing he'd ever seen, and he leaned toward Emily. Emily turned away, saying it would be a bad idea for them to get together. Casey agreed and said they had a plane to catch and should get back to their normal world. Emily turned to leave, but Casey grabbed her and spun her around, then kissed her.

The morning after Carly joined forces with Lily to help Lily seduce Holden, Jack returned to Carly's house to tell her that he was angry with her decision to help Lily trick Holden. Carly defended her actions and said she was just helping Lily reconnect with Holden after Lily's return. Jack told Carly she shouldn't meddle in other people's marriages, but Carly believed Jack was really upset because he wanted his life with Carly back. Jack said he didn't want to be back in Carly's house under false pretenses because it reminded him of all their fights from the past. Carly went on to say that she believed Jack's behavior recently had sent her mixed signals about their relationship and that he was jealous of her spending time with Holden. She told Jack he needed to be honest with her, but Jack argued he was only angry about her lying to Holden and tricking him into helping her babysit the kids for Lily.

Holden and Lily held each other in bed and discussed their first night of romance since Lily's arrival back in Oakdale. Lily confessed that she worried something would come between them, but Holden reassured her that they would be fine as long as they were honest with one another. Lily knew that Holden would be upset if he found out about her scheming with Carly to get him back in bed.

Down in the kitchen, Holden made Lily breakfast and complemented her on letting their reconciliation happen naturally and not trying to force the issue. He remarked that her patience offered him hope for their future. Lily told him that she was happy he was able to forgive her affair with Dusty and looked forward to their life together. After breakfast, Holden decided to go to Carly's to pick up Ethan, but before going embarrassed Lily and gave her a passionate kiss. Lucinda walked in and caught the two kissing. She smiled and offered to leave again, but Holden told her to stay and visit with Lily because he was on his way out.

When Holden arrived at Carly's, he was greeted by a happy Carly, but an agitated Jack. Holden assumed that Jack and Carly had just had another fight, but after Carly kept asking how his evening was with Lily, Holden began to get suspicious. He asked Carly if she and Lily had planned his seduction. When Carly wouldn't answer, Holden asked Jack if last night was set up and Jack's silence told Holden everything he needed to know.

Lucinda was happy that Lily and Holden had gotten their marriage back on track and asked Lily how she managed to get back in Holden's good graces so quickly. Lily recounted her perfect night with Holden for her mother and Lucinda was relieved that Lily and Holden had returned to one another. Lucinda, not knowing about Carly and Lily's plan, reminded Lily to be honest with Holden because Lily's scheming and lies in the past had caused her marriage problems. Lily was annoyed by her mother's lecture, but Lucinda continued to warn Lily not to do anything she might regret. Seconds after Lucinda finished advising her daughter, Lily's phone rang and Carly told her that Holden knew about their little scheme.

As soon as Holden returned to the farm with Ethan, he asked Lucinda if she could watch Ethan while he spoke to Lily. Lucinda took Ethan to another room and Holden demanded to know why Lily had not respected his feelings about waiting until they were both ready before they started sleeping together again. Lily said she wanted to act like a real couple, but Holden was angry that Lily had used Carly to get him "back in the sack." Lily reminded him that they had spent a beautiful night together, but Holden said he wanted things to happen naturally to secure their future. Holden went on to tell Lily that he wasn't sure they could make things works.

Lucinda returned and asked Lily what had happened. Lily told her mother that she ruined everything and didn't know how to make things better. Lucinda told her to try to then went to talk to Holden. Lucinda reminded Holden that Lily loved him, but Lily stopped her and said she could fight her own battles. Holden put an end to the conversation when he refused to argue with Lily anymore because it never made a difference. Holden got in his truck and left, and Lily told her mother she would work hard to fix her mistake with Holden.

Back at Carly's house, Jack asked her to admit plotting with Lily was wrong, but Carly insisted she was just helping a friend. Jack told Carly that she failed to see that she had tricked Holden and him, and it made Jack feel like they didn't ever really know what was going on in their own lives. Jack insisted he would never let Carly trick him again.

Holden and Carly ran into one another at Java, and Carly said she was just trying to make him and Lily happy again. Holden explained that Carly and Lily's lies never worked to make anyone happy in the end. Holden found Luke outside and the two discussed Luke's troubles with Noah. Holden told his son to never settle for anything but the truth in a relationship.

Carly decided to go the police station and tell Jack he was right about letting Holden and Lily work things out. Jack apologized for being so hard on Carly, but she walked out after commenting that she was used to his judgmental way.

While studying for her test at Java, Alison fell asleep on her books and woke when Chris phoned from Memorial to see how her cram session was going. Susan listened in on Chris's call as Alison told him she was fine, but truthfully Alison doubted she would pass the test. Once Chris was off the phone, Susan asked if the nursing program might be too much for Alison, but Chris reassured her that Alison was doing great under his tutelage. Susan thanked Chris for tutoring Alison, but asked Chris about all the gossip she had been hearing about him and Alison. Chris told Susan not to worry about the rumors and that he just wanted to help Alison get through nursing school.

Meanwhile, at Java, a frustrated Alison put her head back on her books and closed her eyes for a quick nap. A short time later, Aaron woke Alison and offered her a coffee to help her wake up. Alison saw the time and began to freak out at the prospect of failing her anatomy exam. Aaron tried to build up Alison's confidence, but she continued to ramble hysterically about her class. Aaron decided that Alison needed to relax and convinced her to go for a ride on his motorcycle. The two cruised happily through the streets of Oakdale and finally stopped in the country, where Alison was able to relax. She thanked Aaron for knowing exactly what she needed. The two sat and talked, but when the conversation turned to Chris, Alison told Aaron that she had slowed down her relationship with Chris. Aaron was pleased to hear the news. Out in the open countryside, Aaron told Alison to close her eyes and he would read her some of her book, but as soon as Alison's lids shut she was out. Aaron closed the book and watched Alison sleep. Alison woke and saw Aaron had also fallen asleep. She saw the time and realized she had missed her exam.

Chris ran in to the head of the nursing program, Brenda, and asked if he could check out Alison's test results after the exam. The instructor said Alison had not arrived to take the test. Chris started to call Alison to find out why she had missed her examination, but couldn't get her on her cellular phone.

After waking, Aaron took Alison straight to Memorial and Alison asked Brenda if she could still take the exam, but Brenda told her there were no make-ups. Alison began to cry on Aaron's shoulder as Chris looked on. Aaron comforted Alison and invited her to lunch. Susan saw the two talking and asked what was wrong, but Alison said she was fine and left with Aaron without telling her mom what had happened.

Chris found Brenda and asked her to let Alison take the test, but she said there were no exceptions. A nurse listened in the background as Chris convinced Brenda to give Alison another chance. After Chris walked away, the nurse commented to Brenda that doctors were always bullying people to get what they wanted. Susan overheard the conversation and was not happy that Chris had stepped in on Alison's behalf. Susan went to Alison's teacher and found out that Chris had interceded on Alison's behalf. Susan was not sure what to make of Chris's decision to talk with Brenda.

Chris found Alison and Aaron at Al's Diner and the two men began to bicker immediately about which one was really looking out for Alison, but she told them to stop arguing. Chris told Alison that he had managed to get Brenda to give her the test and Alison hugged and thanked him as Aaron watched, seething with jealousy.

Mike came to the Snyder farmhouse to tell Meg that he had a meeting with Paul later that day in another location so that she would not be bothered by having him come to the farm. His goal was to keep Paul away from the farm and from Meg, who had a restraining order against her former lover. Meg tried to convince Mike that Paul was the furthest subject from her mind, but Mike did not believe her. Sally, a neighbor, arrived to complain that her kitchen was flooded from a broken pipe caused by the construction crew on the development project.

Sofie surprised Paul at Fairwinds with a gift of cufflinks to commemorate their dance the night before at the opening of Metro. Paul tried to dismiss Sofie, but she continued to push herself on him. Barbara arrived just in time to prevent anything serious from happening. Barbara asked Sofie to fix her some tea and then told Paul privately that she had an idea about how to distract his young admirer. When Sofie returned, Barbara told her that their jewelry business had been fully funded by Paul, who was treating it as an investment. He would be a silent partner and the two women would fabricate and sell the jewelry. Paul got a call on his cell phone from Meg, asking him to deal with the broken pipe in the neighbor's kitchen, and he took off immediately for the farm. Barbara took the opportunity then to warn Sofie away from Paul.

Katie and Brad discussed whether they had been wise to send Liberty's mother, Juicy Janet, away. They agreed to meet at WOAK and Brad would bring Liberty along. They thought she would find it interesting to see how the television station operated.

Liberty was telling some classmates, both boys, that she now lived in her own hotel room with a mini-bar when her mother surprised her in Old Town. The boys left quickly once Liberty introduced them to Janet, and Liberty received a call on her cell phone, which she refused to answer. It was Brad who wanted to know why she had not shown up at WOAK. The girl asked her mother why she had returned to Oakdale, and Janet told her that she felt that her daughter needed her. Liberty was more inclined to think that her mother's object of interest was Brad.

Brad went to the Lakeview and knocked on the door of Liberty's room. When no one answered, he went in and was shocked to discover Janet coming out of the bathroom wearing only a towel. "I'm baaaaack," Janet declared. Brad was disturbed and attempted to dissuade Janet from staying, but the woman was determined to continue to be part of her daughter's life. Liberty joined them and made remarks about her mother's being clad in only a towel. Brad got a call from Katie who was wondering why he and Liberty were not at the station yet, and Brad faked phone trouble, which left Katie pondering. Janet presented Brad with a baby book of Liberty's photos, and the girl and her birth parents began looking through the book and laughing.

Paul came to the farm but he was worried that Meg might have tricked him into violating the restraining order. He talked with neighbor Sally, however, and attempted to reconcile repair her problem. Sally recognized Paul from his bad publicity in the newspapers, and did not trust him. Paul left to arrange for a replacement floor for Sally.

Katie decided she needed to smooth things over with Liberty and went to the girl's room at the hotel. She walked in on the happy threesome enjoying the pictures in the album. Katie asked Brad for an explanation, and Brad fumbled. Katie took off for the newlyweds' room where Brad found her and swore his love for her again until Katie was convinced.

Paul returned to the Snyders' and told Sally he was having a new pine floor installed in her house. Her attitude towards him changed suddenly, and got even better when he snitched one of Emma's rhubarb pies to give her. Meg was impressed with how Paul handled the crisis, but Mike, who had joined them, was furious at Paul for being there.

Barbara continued to try to to persuade Sofie that Paul would never care for her the way he cared for Meg. She suggested the girl might be more productive in her jewelry business if she relocated to another town, but Sofie refused to leave Oakdale. She wanted to stay and continue to help Barbara with her radiation treatments but also be available to Paul if he should change his mind about her.

Liberty, alone in her room, took out a picture of her father and added it to her photo album.

Casey and Emily returned to the Oakdale office of The Intruder. Casey approached Emily and tried to kiss her neck, but she brushed him aside and asked what he thought he was doing. Emily told Casey that what had happened in New York could never happen again. Casey asked why not, and Emily said his parents would go "nuclear" if they found out. Emily then told Casey to act like New York had never happened. Casey said he couldn't work with Emily and pretend nothing had happened, and Emily agreed, saying he couldn't work for her anymore. Casey asked if Emily was firing him, but he quit instead of letting that happen.

Casey went home, where he found Margo eating lunch. He told her he had just quit his job. Casey said Emily was impossible to work for. Margo took the opportunity to again try to convince Casey to go back to school, and Casey said he would think about it. Casey left. He went to see his grandmother, Lisa, at the Lakeview to ask for his old job back, but Lisa told him she couldn't rehire him because it would go against hotel policy, and she didn't want it to appear that she was circumventing the hotel manager's authority. Casey said he understood, and Lisa suggested he go back to school. Casey said she sounded like his mom, then he walked out.

Emily hired a temp to take Casey's place and then left for a meeting. In the lobby of the Lakeview, she literally ran into Casey. Casey asked if she wanted to hire him back, but she said she had already replaced him. Casey asked whether the new guy was getting "the same perks." Lisa walked up and apologized for interrupting, but Emily said she and Casey had nothing more to say to each other anyway. Emily walked away, and Lisa gave Casey an envelope that had come to the hotel addressed to him. He opened it, and she asked if it was good or bad news; Casey said it was cool, but he had to go.

At the hospital, Alison told Chris she had passed the makeup nursing test. Two of Alison's fellow nursing students watched as Chris congratulated Alison by kissing her. After he left, Alison noticed the two students whispering to one another and asked if they were talking about her. One of the girls, Fay, admitted it and congratulated Alison on passing because she was sleeping with Chris, and she remarked that Alison had "professional experience" in that area. The other girl, Amy, told Fay to shut up and mind her own business, whereupon Fay walked away. Alison thanked Amy for defending her.

Alison went and found Chris, who was sleeping in the on-call room. She thanked him again for having convinced the nursing instructor to let her retake the exam, but she told him the other students thought she was sleeping her way through the program. Alison said she didn't want any more special treatment, and she asked Chris to back off so that everyone, herself included, would know she was making it on her own. Chris asked Alison not to punish him just because he worked at the hospital, too, but Alison said it wasn't about Chris, it was about doing what was right for herself.

As Alison left, Tom came in and asked what was going on. Chris said he didn't know, that Alison didn't seem to be able to make up her mind about whether she wanted to be involved with him. Tom said that reminded him of Chris and Alison, round one, and Chris agreed, but said he thought they'd both grown up since then. Tom asked whether Chris needed a situation like that in his life and suggested that if Chris wanted to be known as more than just the Chief of Staff's son, he didn't need the complications someone like Alison would bring. Chris said he had always cared about Alison and couldn't just walk away from her.

Susan found Alison at Java and congratulated her on passing her exam. However, she said she knew Alison had "barely squeaked by," and she suggested Alison buckle down and study harder, because she wouldn't always be able to rely on other people's help. Alison said she knew that and that she had told Chris she didn't want any more help. She said she didn't want her mom's help either, and Susan said, "That's my girl. I know you can do it!"

Margo arrived at the Lakeview to meet Lisa. She ran into Emily and said Casey had told her what had happened. Emily said Margo must be happy, because she loved being right. Emily left, and Margo and Lisa discussed Casey's unemployment situation. Lisa was sorry she hadn't been able to rehire Casey, but Margo said she was just glad Casey wasn't working for Emily anymore.

At Emily's office, Emily found the temporary employee, Gilbert, doing more than a spell check on the copy she'd given him, and she became angry with him, telling him he would need to stay until it was done. When she asked if he had a problem with that, he told her the problem was that she was "a bitch," and he walked out.

Casey went to the hospital and tracked down Alison. When he found her, he gave her the envelope he'd received at the Lakeview, telling her it was actually a letter for her from Matt. Alison sat down and read it; in it, Matt apologized for having lied to Alison and for not having treated her like the "awesome girl" she was. When Alison finished reading it, she thanked Casey, but Casey was lost in his own thoughts. Alison asked what was wrong, and Casey said he had quit his job but didn't want to talk about it. Amy came in, and Alison introduced her to Casey. When Casey tried to leave, Amy gave Alison a quick look indicating she thought Casey was cute, so Alison stopped Casey from leaving and invited him to go have drinks with her and Amy. Casey said he thought Alison had to study, but Alison said it could wait and that they all deserved a night out. However, as she put her books away in a locker, she had a look of apprehension on her face. Alison, Casey, and Amy went to Yo's, where only Amy ordered an alcoholic drink. Unseen by Casey, Emily entered the bar.

Carly called Holden and told him his daughters had been working with Sage on a project the night they stayed over at Carly's house, and Sage wanted to know if Faith and Natalie could come over to finish it. Holden said if the girls didn't have a lot of homework, he would bring them over. Carly told Sage the good news. Sage said she wanted to call her dad to invite him to come watch the play, but Carly said Jack was working and would have to see it some other time.

Holden told Lily about Carly's request, and Lily thought the girls would enjoy that. Holden tried to leave, but Lily stopped him and confronted him about the distance between them. She apologized again for having set up their romantic evening alone, saying she just wanted their marriage to get back to how it used to be. Holden said he wasn't sure how that was possible given that they seemed like strangers to one another. Faith and Natalie walked into the kitchen, and Faith asked why it seemed like things were falling apart again. Lily assured her that wasn't true and told her about Sage's request for them to go work on their project with her. The girls asked if they could go, and Lily and Holden said yes. Natalie asked her dad if he was mad at her mom, and Holden told her he and Lily were just talking about something, and it had nothing to do with them. Faith said it did, because they had to live there, too. She and Natalie went upstairs, and Lily wondered what she and Holden were doing to their kids.

Lily asked Holden to please try to act more loving towards her so that the girls wouldn't be so worried. Holden told Lily not to blame him for everything and reminded her that she was the one who had been dishonest in attempting to arrange their reconciliation. Lily said she couldn't please Holden no matter what she did. Lily said she had gone away to think things through and had returned determined to recommit to Holden, but he had pushed her away. Holden said he had given Lily time when she needed it, and he just wanted her to give him time, too. Faith and Natalie came back downstairs, and before they left with Holden, Lily had to tell the girls again to stop worrying about her and Holden.

Lucinda stopped by the farm to check on Lily and find out what had happened with her and Holden. Lucinda told her she should own up to everything she had done and apologize, because to Holden, any little white lie was the same as treachery. Lucinda said she wished Lily would let Lucinda intervene, but Lily said it wouldn't do any good. Lucinda asked why Holden was upset, and Lily said because she'd used her "feminine wiles" to seduce him. Lucinda said Lily had the right to expect Holden to start acting like a husband again.

Holden and the girls arrived at Carly's, and the girls convinced Holden to stay so he could be part of their audience. The girls went upstairs to get ready for their play, which left Holden and Carly alone together. Carly apologized for her role in helping Lily to set up the romantic evening with Holden, and said she hoped one day soon, he could forgive her so they could get back to how things had been recently. Carly asked if he was still mad at her, and Holden replied he was disappointed in her, not mad, because he had confided in her, and she had used that against him in helping Lily to put pressure on him. He told Carly he considered that a betrayal.

Carly told Holden that no matter what she'd done, either he or Lily would have been angry with her, and she was "getting tired of seeing that disappointed look on people's faces." Sage came downstairs and asked Carly to come up to help with the costumes. Afterwards, the girls came downstairs to present their play, which was about a little girl (Sage) and her kitty (Natalie) who ran away because the girl's mommy and daddy had a fight. A gypsy (Faith) told the little girl she could see her parents setting a table for her and her kitty. Faith said, "There's no place like home." The girl went home to her parents, who told her and the kitty, "It just isn't a home unless we're all together." That was the end of the play, and Carly and Holden congratulated the girls, who then went back upstairs to change out of their costumes. Holden and Carly discussed how simple it must seem to the kids to have a picture-perfect family.

Holden took Faith and Natalie back home, wishing Carly good luck as he left. Sage then suggested that Carly call Jack and tell him about the play, but Carly put the phone back down without calling him. Meanwhile, back at the Snyder farm, Holden told Lily that the girls' play had been "a thinly veiled plea to keep our family together." Lily said the girls just wanted their life back, and so did she. She asked what Holden wanted, and he said they couldn't go backwards because they weren't the people they used to be. Holden said they needed to learn how to love each other again, but Lily said that was how they were different, because she already loved him.