The news rolled over Opal like a steamroller---Palmer was leaving her. Fortunately things weren't as dire as Opal first believed. Palmer announced that he'd be flying to Japan to handle some trade agreement problems between the Land of the Rising Sun and Cortlandt Electronics. Opal begged her husband to have one of his assistants handle the matter, but Palmer felt that he was the only man for the job. Palmer told Opal that he'd call their son, Petey, to talk to him as soon as he settled into his hotel room. Opal's voice cracked as she tried her best to convince Palmer that he needed to stay at home and work out their problems. Palmer hushed Opal, snapping that she'd already made enough of a scene at The Valley Inn. Opal apologized for her outburst. She admitted that she'd jumped to the wrong conclusion and asked Palmer if he could forgive her mistake. Palmer explained that Opal had embarrassed herself at the restaurant---not him. And Opal's claims that she didn't feel embarrassed only made Palmer even angrier. "You're slipping through my fingers," Opal sobbed openly, "and there isn't a blasted thing I can do." Palmer stared back at Opal without a so much as a glimmer of emotion on his face. In fact, he coldly noted that his numbing of emotion towards his wife "has nothing to do with [her] taste." The problem, of course, was Opal's erratic behavior. Opal again apologized for her spectacle at The Valley Inn unaware that her odd behavior began back when she interfered in Kevin and Kelsey's love life. Opal lowered her head and continued to weep. She told Palmer that she couldn't remember the last time they touched or kissed. Opal feared that if Palmer left for Japan, he'd walk out of her life forever. Palmer assured her that he'd be back and that once he returned they could deal with their crumbling marriage. "How did we get here," Opal asked in a voice just above a whisper. "If I knew that," Palmer replied, "I'd certainly know a way for us to get back." Palmer took his coat and walked out the front door.
Hayley once again turned to God for help in bringing Mateo out of his coma. Back in Mateo's dreamlike state, the haunting sounds of demonic laughter filled the carnival atmosphere. Hayley screamed in horror as the shadowy figure lowered the sledgehammer. Mateo raced to Hayley, but he was too late. He held her lifeless body in his arms. Something in the dream poured into the real world as Mateo once again squeezed Hayley's hand. Hayley looked down at her husband's body and watched in awe as his eyes slowly opened. Although blurry, Mateo was finally able to see his surroundings. Hayley immediately fell into a frenzy as she called out her husband's name and asked him if he could hear her. Mateo remained unable to speak, but he blinked his eyes as a signal that he could, in fact, hear Hayley's voice. Hayley had faced disappointment before and wanted to make sure that Mateo's blinking was not another reflex action. She encouraged Mateo to blink two more times and every time her request was met with a blink from Mateo. Hayley asked Mateo to keep his eyes open while she phoned Jake. Hayley held on to Mateo's hand and stretch across the room towards the phone. Her arms weren't long enough to make the reach. She lunged across the room, grabbed the phone, and raced back to Mateo's side. There was no chance of Hayley losing her husband again. By the time Jake showed up, Mateo had stopped blinking. There was a marked change in Mateo's condition, but it wasn't enough to warrant celebration. Jake explained that Mateo's pupils were now responding to light. Hayley was certain that it was only a matter of time before Matt woke up. Jake, who prefaced his comments with a disclaimer about his lack of expertise in coma research, told Hayley that Mateo had made a great leap up the progress scale... but added that there was still no way of knowing when---or even if---Mateo would pull out of the coma. Jake could see that his grim outlook had stifled Hayley's jubilance. He made an abrupt one-eighty and changed his prognosis. Now, Jake assured Hayley that it would only be a matter of time before Mateo was pouring him a beer at Holidays. Mateo blinked, echoing Jake's forecast.
Erica was haunted by the possibility of having had a stranger lurking in her house. She slipped downstairs and called out to the supposed intruder. Meanwhile, Jack had rolled over in bed and realized that Erica was missing. Jack wandered downstairs and put an end to Erica's search just as she was closing in on Mike's position. In an attempt to ease Erica's concerns, Jack agreed to search the house for signs of a prowler or, as Erica believed, an obsessed fan. Jack's search turned up empty. A few seconds later, a frenzied pounding sounded on the door along with the cries of a familiar voice. Opal, distraught from her fight with Palmer, burst into the house as soon as Erica opened the door and begged her gal pal for advice. Opal looked around and eventually noticed that Erica was not alone. Now Opal had doubled her feeling of guilt, seeing that she'd probably interrupted Jack and Erica's night of passion. Erica and Jack welcomed Opal into the house and asked her to explain what had happened. "Palmer is gone," Opal said as she sobbed uncontrollably. Opal's high level of emotion led the couple to believe that Palmer had died! Needless to say, they were relieved to learn that he'd only left for Japan. Opal explained her debacle at The Valley Inn and told Erica that she believes Palmer will leave her for good. Opal was urged to go the airport and stop Palmer from getting on his flight. Opal was ready to zoom out the door until Jack demanded that he be allowed to present the male perspective on the situation. Jack explained that racing to the airport would probably only make things worse. He urged Opal to wait for Palmer to return from his trip and then work on sorting out their problems. Erica concurred and wished Opal the best of luck in getting things back on track. After Opal left, however, Erica and Jack were left to wonder if their relationship would weaken over time. That prompted Erica to evaluate her current feelings for Jack. When she realized that she didn't want marriage to ruin their love for one another, Erica suggested that they break off their engagement. Jack cocked his head to one side and assured Erica that they need not break off their engagement in order to prevent their feelings from diminishing. Content that they would remain in love for the rest of their lives, Erica and Jack went back upstairs to bed. Meanwhile, Mike stepped out of the shadows with a frown planted on his face.
Dimitri's surprise attack easily earned him the upper hand. In a desperate attempt to fend off his attacker, Jim reached for his flashlight. He waved it feverishly hoping to catch a break and connect with Dimitri's head. It didn't work, but it allowed Jim a chance to break free of Dimitri's grip and make a run for it. Dimitri caught up to Jim, but not before Jim could pull a knife from his pocket. Jim flashed the blade and made a lunge at Dimitri's chest. Dimitri stepped aside and grabbed Jim's knife-wielding arm. Dimitri twisted Jim's arm behind his back and smashed his head against a rock several times. Jim tumbled to the ground... out cold. Dimitri was about to slash Jim's throat with the knife, but Edmund's desperate pleas for help captured and diverted his attention. Dimitri raced into the viaduct to see what had happened to his brother. Upon seeing the handcuffs, Dimitri knew that he could probably free Edmund---but only if he could find Jim's keys. Dimitri raced back to Jim's lifeless body and searched for the keys but couldn't find them. Dimitri went back into the chamber to tell Edmund that he was going to head to a small, nearby town to ask for police assistance. Back on the beach, in what can best be compared to a horror movie, Jim's eyes suddenly opened and a maniacal look crept across his face. From inside the viaduct, bot Edmund and Dimitri could hear the sounds of the rusty iron gate closing. Dimitri tried to race to the entrance before Jim could padlock the gate, but he was too late. Jim, weak from this battle with Dimitri, took great pleasure in outfoxing the brothers. Jim explained that since Dimitri had botched his opportunity to kill him, it was now his turn to get a shot at Dimitri's life---and he wasn't going to let it slip by. Dimitri watched as Jim walked away from the gate. He shouted "No!" at the top of his lungs hoping that it would somehow make Jim change his mind. It didn't. In fact, it brought about the return of Jim's evil wit. For each time that Dimitri yelled, "no," Jim yelled "Yes!" Edmund was content to die as his body couldn't fight any longer. Dimitri refused to give up, but saw no way out of their dilemma. Edmund asked his brother if he still carried his "apple peeler thingamajig." Dimitri's face lit up and he pulled his pocketknife from his pocket.
Back In Pine Valley, Brooke had fallen asleep on the sofa. A hand gently rubbed her shoulder and roused her from her sleep. Brooke looked at Jim in astonishment and asked him how he'd gotten into the house. Jim held up a set of keys that he'd had made. Brooke, now fully awake, looked at Jim's bruised and bloodied face and asked him what had happened to him. Jim claimed that he'd overheard two "punks" talking about Laura's pornographic photos and that after he asked them to stop, they jumped him. Brooke then asked Jim about his meeting with Dimitri. Jim smiled and said that it seemed to go well---but added that Dimitri was acting rather strangely and oddly "chummy." Jim rubbed Brooke's hand and assured her that after tonight Dimitri would "no longer be a problem." Jim returned to The Valley Inn to wash up. Brooke knew that things had gone wrong... terribly wrong.
While Tad slept, Camille slipped out of her bedroom and wandered around the house. She later sneaked into Tad's room. Even in his sleep Tad knew that someone lurked in his room. He jumped up in bed and asked Camille was she was doing. This time Camille's intentions were perfectly honorable---she'd prepared Tad breakfast. Camille's forte, however, is definitely sleight of hand and not culinary magic. She overcooked the coffeecake she planned to feed Tad. Tad was flattered by Camille's "sudden attack of domesticity." Camille, who'd also tackled the laundry, explained to Tad that she felt she needed to pay Tad back for room and board. Tad told Camille that he is not looking for a servant and doesn't expect Camille to do all of the household chores. For some reason, Camille didn't believe that Tad was being sincere and jumped to the conclusion that he expected "sexual favors" in return for his generosity. Tad insisted that he didn't want to have sex with Camille. Then he'd thought about what he'd said and made revision to his remarks. Tad taljed highly of Camille's beauty and said that any man would love to be intimate with her---but not as trade for his being nice.
Even on his wedding day Scott toiled away at WRCW. For a man who about to married, Scott looked like he was headed to the death chamber! The wedding was bumped up several hours because the minister had a scheduling conflict. Scott asked Liza if she'd be able to attend the ceremony. Liza told Scott that she'd be there to support him even if she didn't agree with his decision to marry Gillian. Once Scott left, Ryan sauntered into the office. Liza told him that showtime had been moved up a few hours. Ryan was unfazed. In fact, he was almost relieved. Now that the vows had been moved to an earlier time, Ryan knew that there was no possible way he could go through with Liza's plan. People in high places have all sorts of connections and Ryan was about to find that out firsthand. Liza smiled broadly as she told Ryan that she had a friend at City Hall draw up a marriage license for him and Gillian and a doctor would be by momentarily to do a blood test. Ryan sighed heavily. Liza wasn't done pulling rabbits out of her hat. She had a fellow media mogul create a false magazine article about Ryan. This was no mere forged article---it was a completely fake edition of a nationally known magazine! In the magazine, the editor wrote a bogus story about Ryan being the country's most eligible bachelor. It claimed that Ryan was heir to a horseracing empire. Then Liza pulled a ring box from her desk and handed it to Ryan. Ryan's mouth gaped at the sizeable diamond ring inside the box. "Is this real?" he gasped. "Yes," Liza smiled. "Real zirconia." Ryan argued that Gillian would know that the diamond was synthetic, but Liza insisted that unless Gillian carried a jeweler's loupe, she'd have no way of knowing that the diamond was a fake. Ryan wanted to back out of the scheme, but a reminder that he'd be sent directly to jail quickly put him back in line.
Kevin appeared at the station to give Scott his tuxedo. Kevin voiced his displeasure in Scott's plan to marry Gillian. Scott noted that "everyone and his brother" was opposed to the marriage. Kevin could see that his friend was feeling down in the dumps, so Kevin told Scott that he admired his decision to help out a friend in need. Ryan waited in the hall until Scott was alone before springing his final plan to avoid marrying Gillian. Ryan told Scott that it would be wrong for him to marry a woman he doesn't love. "Gillian's a princess," Ryan stated as he tried to impress upon Scott the fact that Gillian wouldn't be harmed by deportation. Scott said that he didn't expect Ryan to understand his motives for marrying Gillian, adding that he was sure he was doing the right thing.
Eugenia was crushed to hear that Gillian had to pawn the family's centuries-old tiara to pay for her wedding gown. The tiara had apparently been a vital part in the Andrassy women's weddings for generations. Kelsey reported to begin her maid of honor duties, but Gillian wanted no part of Kelsey's "assistance." Gillian feared that Kelsey would splatter her with paint or put fish in her shoes or anything else that would ruin the wedding. Kelsey insisted that she had no designs on ruining the moment unlike Gillian who would be destroying Scott's entire life if she went through with the I do's. Gillian took offense to Kelsey's comment. She snapped that Kelsey's remarks made her sound like "the black plague." Liza appeared at the door toting a wedding gift. Gillian refused the present, commenting that she believed that the package would explode in her face. Liza laughed and assured her that the package wasn't booby-trapped. Gillian gleefully opened the package, but was befuddled by the contents: a silver bowl. Liza remarked that it was ironic that Gillian had chosen silver over gold. Gillian, of course, had no idea what Liza was talking about. Liza told Gillian a story about Ryan's family's background and how Ryan will soon be a rich man. Gillian didn't believe what she was hearing, but when Liza produced the fake magazine, Gillian was singing a different tune. Kelsey returned to the room and was immediately confronted about Liza's findings. Kelsey could tell that Liza was up to something and played along with her. Gillian nearly turned green when Liza said that the Lavery family makes Adam look like a pauper!
Tim cut class to visit his mother's grave. There he told Natalie that he's been getting along with Trevor in the recent months. He also told her how he believes that he might be responsible for Janet's decision to hire an actor to pretend to be her ex-husband. Tim would have preferred if Janet were to stay out of the picture forever, but he knew that it would be selfish of him to deny his father happiness. Tim cast a glance at a lone tulip that had bloomed on the grave. He realized that Janet had told the truth when she said that she'd planted the bulb. That was just before Tim accused her of locking him in the meatlocker. He felt badly for doubting her and even worse for trying to get her thrown back in prison. Janet appeared behind Tim and told him that she planned on planting more flowers later in the year. The two exchanged small talk for a few minutes. Janet told Tim that Natalie would be happy that Tim had stopped by. Tim apologized for cutting class, but told Janet that he'd be going back to school. When she was alone, Janet told her late sister that she'd made good on her promise to get out of Trevor's life.
Back at the Dillon House, Tim was scolded for skipping school. Tim said that he had a good reason for his unexplained absence from school. Tim told Trevor that he believes Janet hired a fake Axel. He was stunned when his father told him that he already knew that. Trevor explained that the faux Axel was supposed to prove to that Janet didn't love him. On the contrary, Tim argued, Janet really does love Trevor and the fake Axel was only hired because of the hard time he'd given Janet. Trevor hadn't considered that possibility. He gave his son a hug and thanked him for looking out for him. Then Trevor called Derek and asked him to send an officer to the airport to round up Axel Green! Some time later, an officer dropped Axel off at the house. Albert protested his wrongful detainment, but Trevor ordered the actor to "can it."
Kelsey didn't quite keep her promise of not ruining the wedding. When asked to play Wagner's "Wedding March," Kelsey put on "The Ride of the Valkyries." Gillian quickly put on the correct track and the procession began. Liza anticipated that Ryan would arrive just in time for the "speak now or forever hold your peace." He didn't. Liza gritted her teeth and told herself that she would make sure that Ryan is sent directly to jail. Kelsey, meanwhile, fantasized that Scott pushed Gillian aside and informed that minister that he would be marrying Kelsey instead. There were no interruptions and the ceremony continued. The minister asked Scott if he could "love, honor, and cherish" Gillian. Before Scott could answer, Ryan burst into the chapel and announced that Scott couldn't fulfill those vows---but he could.
Ryan's interruption, while slightly behind schedule, provided some much needed excitement for the wedding party. Ryan ordered Scott to step aside so that he could marry Gillian. The minister was dumbfounded, asking if the interruption was some kind of joke. If it was, the minister made it know that he didn't get it. "The only joke," Ryan replied was that Gillian was prepared to marry a man she didn't love. Kelsey beamed at Ryan's gallantry and Eugenia seemed enthralled by the real-life soap opera. Gillian demanded that the wedding proceed, but Scott suggested that they hear what Ryan had to say. Liza broke her silence and reminded Gillian that Scott had made no attempt to hide the fact that he doesn't love her. The minister announced that he could not marry the couple if the allegations about their lack of love were true. Gillian was furious and ordered the minister to continue the ceremony before she was deported. "The rites of matrimony," the minister lectured, "were not created for your convenience." Without warning, Ryan bent down and hoisted Gillian into the air. He then carried her---flailing, kicking, and screaming all the way---out of the chapel.
At McKay's, Janet briefed Belinda on her successful scheme to keep Trevor away from her. Belinda couldn't believe that lengths that Janet had gone to get rid of a man---hiring an actor to portray her ex-husband? Janet even opted to avoid Holidays since she knows that Trevor is a regular at the restaurant. Janet explained that she had to hire an actor to play the part because Belinda refused to mail her fake love letters while on her trip to San Francisco. Belinda pulled her cellphone out of her purse and dialed Trevor's number. Suddenly, Janet grabbed the cellphone and plopped it into a pitcher of ice water. Belinda looked on in shock as her two-hundred dollar phone sunk deeper into its watery grave. Janet insisted that no one could ever tell Trevor about her charade. Janet also threatened to have Belinda's license revoked if she violated the attorney-client privilege. Belinda reminded Janet that, foremost, they were friends and stated that friends help each other. In what appeared to be the obvious, Belinda told Janet that Natalie was dead. She added that Janet's late sister would want to see her happy---and Trevor too. Janet told Belinda how things have calmed at the Dillon home and how happy she is to see that Tim and Trevor are getting along again. Her plan worked, Janet insisted, and it made everything right again.
Albert was furious with Trevor for having him detained. Trevor demanded that Albert 'fess up about his scam. Albert didn't squeal---even when Trevor pinned him down on the sofa and threatened bodily harm ti him! In the end it was a sneaky move that brought out the truth. Trevor said that he had to hand it to Axel for his performance, claiming that he was a regular Robert DeNiro. Albert got caught up in the moment and asked Trevor if he really believed that he was as talented as Robert DeNiro. Trevor smiled and yelled, "Gotcha!" Albert confessed that he'd been in cahoots with Janet and felt relieved that the truth had come out. Albert called Janet's scam "very romantic." Trevor had a very other words to describe what Janet was doing and "romantic" wasn't one of them. Albert explained that Janet didn't want to ruin Trevor's relationship with Tim. He also told Trevor about Janet's vow to Natalie that she'd steer clear of him. Trevor faced a dilemma---he had vowed to love Janet unconditionally, but he also didn't want Janet to break her vow to Natalie. Albert watched Trevor pace around the room in deep thought. He figured that Trevor wouldn't notice that he was sneaking towards the door. He was wrong. Trevor grabbed Albert by the neck and pulled him across the room. Albert feared that Trevor was going to punch him or otherwise bruise or injure his face. Trevor smiled as he tugged on Albert's puffy cheeks. Trevor had a plan to get Janet back into his life---and it involved Albert.
At the viaduct, Dimitri got nowhere in his attempt to break Edmund's handcuffs with a rock. On several occasions, Dimitri hit Edmund's hand with the rock. Edmund asked Dimitri to be more careful leading Dimitri to wonder how Edmund could have "been so dumb" to get blindsided by Jim. Edmund looked around and noted that Dimitri had also fallen victim to Mr. Thomasen. Edmund told Dimitri how he'd been able to conjure up images of Maria to help him through the ordeal. Dimitri mused that if Edmund could envision Helga, she'd be able to melt the handcuffs with one glance. Dimitri felt a need to apologize to Edmund again for sleeping with Maria. Edmund didn't want to talk about it, but Dimitri wanted his conscience clean just in case they didn't get out of the chamber alive. Edmund gritted his teeth as he repeated that he didn't want to talk about it. Since Edmund was a captive audience, Dimitri continued his apology. Edmund threatened to kill Dimitri if they ever got out of their predicament---but not until after he'd killed Jim. An approaching storm sent the waves crashing against the beach. It was only a matter of a few hours before the seawater would fill the room. "No matter what happens," Dimitri said as he resumed his feeble attempt to break the handcuffs. "I'll always love you."
Ryan hauled Gillian to the hunting lodge, the place where they first kissed. Gillian accused Ryan of only being interested in "ravaging" her body. Ryan admitted that he was one of the many men who lusted after Gillian, but quickly explained that there was more to his feelings than just lust. He told Gillian that he can look into her eyes and tell that she doesn't love Scott. Ryan smiled softly as he told Gillian that he never envisioned himself feeling so strongly about a woman. He added that he doesn't want to sit back and watch Gillian become another man's bride. Gillian's vocal objections ceased and she seemed hypnotized by Ryan's sweet words. Ryan pulled the (faux) diamond ring from his pocket and presented it to Gillian. Her eyes lit up and she happily allowed Ryan to place the ring on her finger.
Back in the chapel, Kelsey wondered if Ryan was only interested in marrying Gillian so that he could get his hand in the royal coffer. Liza smiled and cocked her head to one side as she told Kelsey that Gillian is penniless. Liza told Kelsey all about how she'd gotten Ryan to agree to marry Gillian complete with all the details of Ryan's kickback scheme. A few seconds later the "Wedding March" played and Ryan and Gillian made their way down the aisle. Then without interruption, the couple was married. In the pews, Kelsey couldn't believe how easy it was for Liza to save Scott from Gillian's wrath. Liza told Kelsey that she has "the makings of a great schemer," but told her that she just needs to hone her skills a bit. Then after the vows were exchanged and Ryan kissed the bride, Kelsey and Liza celebrated by giving each other "five."
An unsuspecting Laura found Jim sitting on the sofa reading the newspaper. She didn't know that Jim had a key to get into the house. Brooke arrived home and found Laura sitting on the couch next to Jim. She panicked momentarily until Laura privately assured her that she was okay. Jim offered to take his "favorite ladies" out for a bite to eat. He was concerned that Phoebe was no longer staying with Brooke. Brooke explained that Phoebe was staying with a friend so that she could get a change of scenery. In an attempt to get rid of Jim, Brooke told Jim that the legal department had nixed a planned article in the upcoming edition of Tempo. Because of the change, Brooke needed Jim to take some new photographs for a new article. Jim agreed, but warned Brooke that after they were married he'd be hiring an assistant to help him out at work. By doing that Jim would have more free time to spend with Brooke. After Jim left, Brooke told Laura that she'd arranged for her to travel to China with Rachael, the woman who's been housing Laura in Boston. Laura protested Brooke's decision to send her away, but Brooke insisted that it was the safe and logical thing to do. Laura was determined to do her part to get Jim sent up the river and asked that she be allowed to testify at Jim's trial. Brooke again put her foot down. She told Laura that she would not allow her to go through the heartbreak of testifying and reliving her painful memories. A cab arrived a short time later and Brooke told Laura that she her ticket would be waiting for her at the airport. Laura tearfully walked out the door. Brooke dusted herself off and tried to regain her composure. She casually walked over to the desk and removed Dimitri's handgun from the drawer. She placed it into her purse and headed towards the door.
Since he hadn't seen Brooke since his return from Pigeon Hollow, Tad journeyed to Brooke's office at Tempo to tell her how Jamie was doing. When Tad entered the office, he found Jim sitting in her chair with his feet up on the desk. Jim spun a tale about having gained prominence at Tempo since he bonded with Edmund. Tad found to hard to believe that Jim and Edmund were now best pals, but he heard Jim out. Jim claimed to have detected a "visual manifestation of grief" from Edmund. In short, he claimed to have provided some support for Edmund, who, he felt, was finally realizing that Maria was really gone. Jim's statement allowed him to lay the groundwork for bolstering Edmund's supposed suicide. If Tad found Jim and Edmund's friendship a surprise, he was in for an even bigger surprise. While referring to Edmund's role as a single parent, Jim asked Tad if he could help Jamie get over his concern over his impending marriage to Brooke. Tad's face dropped. He had no idea that Brooke and Jim were so serious. He had to force a weak smile and in an attempt to keep the smile firmly planted on his face, he found himself mumbling through the forced smile for the rest of the conversation. Tad congratulated Jim and then headed out to find some answers to the many questions that had popped up in his mind.
After the wedding, everyone gathered in the main house to celebrate Ryan and Gillian's marriage. The celebration was short-lived as Ryan and Gillian couldn't wait to be alone. After the happy couple left for the hunting lodge, Eugenia thanked everyone involved for joining her in celebration. Eugenia admitted that Gillian can be quite trying at times, but she predicted that she would "blossom" into a more mature woman very soon. Eugenia was drained from the day's events and adjourned for the evening. Liza wanted Kelsey and Scott to have some time alone, so she also excused herself for the evening. Kelsey chased after Liza and thanked her for saving her life. Liza told her that she'd actually saved Scott's life---not hers. But, she quickly added, there was no reason that Scott had to find out what she'd done for him. Kevin also sensed that Scott and Kelsey could use a few moments together and he followed Liza out the door. Kelsey couldn't wait to find out if things between her and Scott had changed now that the Immigration fiasco was out of the way. Scott put his hands in his pocket and announced that he and Kelsey were right back where they started from before Gillian entered the picture. That really didn't clear anything up for Kelsey. She asked Scott to imagine a large billboard. On this billboard, she said, were the words "Kelsey and Scott." She squinted and asked him if he could read what was written underneath their names. "Best buds again," Scott replied. The look of dismay on Kelsey's face was overwhelming. "Buds," she repeated unenthusiastically. Even though it wasn't what Kelsey wanted to hear, she knew that being "buds" was a start.
At the hunting lodge, Gillian seemed to have doubts about her holy union to Ryan. Ryan assured her that he still loved her. "Without you I am nothing. Without you, I have no future," Ryan said softly. They shared a kiss, a kiss that led to their first physical display of their love for one another. Even after they made love Gillian still wondered if they'd done the right thing by getting married. She thought for a few moments and convinced herself that they made the right choice. Ryan agreed, asking if anything that felt so good could possibly be wrong.
Still searching for Brooke, Tad showed up at Brooke's house and found Phoebe packing her belongings. Phoebe claimed that she was going to be staying with Juanita Ramsey for a while so that Brooke could have "psychological space." Tad knew that something wasn't quite right; First Brooke had abruptly decided to send Jamie to Pigeon Hollow and now Phoebe was going to coalesce at a friend's house. Tad asked Phoebe if she knew where Brooke had gone. When Phoebe couldn't offer a definitive answer, Tad surmised that Brooke's "overeager fiancé" had something to do with everything that was going on. Phoebe confessed everything that she knew about Jim Thomasen---including the disappearance of Edmund and Dimitri. Tad did not approve of Dimitri leading the search party, at one point comparing him to Satan, and announced that he was going to find Edmund himself.
In the viaduct, Edmund's condition deteriorated rapidly. His body was finally ceding to the harsh conditions Edmund had been forced to endure. Dimitri held his hands beyond the iron gate and collected a small amount of rainwater so that Edmund could have something to drink. The liquid refreshment provided Edmund with a temporary boost. He gathered his thoughts for a few moments and asked Dimitri to search the chamber for an iron bar that he pried loose from the wall. Dimitri splashed around in the storm sewer, coming up empty on several occasions. Finally, he was able to find the bar and used it as a lever to break open Edmund's handcuffs. Dimitri struggled with the first cuff, but he ultimately succeeded in freeing his brother. He moved to the second cuff, promising Edmund that they'd soon be free.
Allie successfully treated another young patient, but even the rush she felt from helping someone in need couldn't make her forget that someone could find out about her faked college transcripts. Allie compared the nervous feeling to being naked. Jake, however, told her that no one would find out about her past. Opal scurried over to the couple and asked them if they'd like their fortunes told. Opal was recruited to do tarot card readings at Phoebe's bazaar. Neither of the two doctors were willing to have "Madame Celestia" read their fortunes. Opal dashed off to find another guinea pig allowing Joe and Ruth to join the pair. Joe told Allie that the board had acted on David's recommendation and unanimously approved her appointment to Chief Resident of Emergency Services. Allie flatly turned down the position and its accompanying title leading Joe to question her decision. Jake pulled Allie into an empty examining room and scolded her for passing on the big promotion. Allie decided that she had only one course of action---to tell Joe the truth about her college records. Back outside, Jim stunned Joe and Ruth with the news of his engagement to Brooke. The Martins were quite pleased with the news. Jim had a concern, however. He told Joe and Ruth that Phoebe desperately wanted to dance at the wedding. Since her physical therapy was going along so well, Jim felt that he owed the hospital something in return. He asked if it would be possible to donate a sizeable amount of money to the physical therapy department. After Jim had finished wheeling and dealing, Opal flagged him down and recruited Jim as an unwilling participant in her tarot card readings. Opal flipped over the first card and her face turned ghost white. Jim noticed the look of concern on Opal's face and asked her to explain the meaning of the card. The card, she said, was the death card. The next card revealed that the impending death would be unpleasant... and very soon. Opal smiled weakly and told Jim not to put too much faith in the cards because, after all, they're just cards...
Even though Dimitri and Edmund have not been on the best of terms lately, Tad hoped that somehow Dimitri had been able to find his missing half-brother. Tad arrived at Dimitri's loft and found the door ajar. He cautiously entered the condo and called out to Dimitri. Instead of finding Dimitri, Tad saw the shadow of an unknown intruder lurking around inside. The mystery man, who had previously been skulking around Linden House, assured Tad that he was a business associate of Mr. Marick and not a prowler. Of course a prowler wouldn't be likely to admit that he was a prowler, so that didn't lend much credibility to the man's statement. The intruder made an awkward movement and reached into his jacket. Tad feared that the man was going to pull a gun, but instead the intruder produced an envelope. Tad wondered if the envelope had anything to do with Edmund's disappearance. He flicked on the light and got a good look at the man. Tad could've sworn that he'd seen the man before. The man, who strongly resembles Mike Roy, smiled and stated that he has "one of those faces." The man offered Tad some information on the contents of the envelope. He told Tad to tell Dimitri that the lab analysis showed that the sand came from Sea Cliff Beach, New Jersey. Tad laughed at the man's tale and asked to see the man's identification. The photo ID claimed that the man's name was "Mr. Jeffries," but little else was learned. Tad wandered over to the envelope and looked inside. He was shocked to see that the envelope really did contain sand. When he turned to Mr. Jeffries to ask him more about the sand, the man had apparently vanished through the still open door. Tad repeated "Sea Cliff Beach" several times before dashing out the door. What Tad didn't realize was that the man never left; He'd simply hidden in another room and waited for Tad to leave.
A security guard's refusal to let her into the Tempo offices infuriated Erica. She snapped that she was a superstar and not some common person who might steal a copy of Tempo's latest "fluff" journalism. Erica burst into Brooke's office and informed Brooke that she had "a bone to pick" with her. Only Brooke wasn't sitting behind her desk---but Jim was. Jim introduced himself as Brooke's fiancé and explained to Erica that their paths had crossed once or twice previously. Erica seemed less than interested in Jim's small talk. She wanted to talk business. Erica explained that Tempo was raising its ad rates and that she, as head of Enchantment Cosmetics, was not happy. Jim, reminding Erica that he is a partner in the magazine's operations, asked Erica to have a seat so that they could discuss the matter. Erica sort of looked around the office and politely told Jim that she'd rather discuss the matter with a more experienced person like Brooke or Edmund. Jim noted that Brooke was in New York shopping for her wedding trousseau and Edmund was "somewhat indisposed." Jim's choice of words concerned Erica leading her to ask what had happened to Edmund. Jim touted his supposed friendship with Edmund and confessed that Edmund hadn't been himself lately. Jim surmised that the realization of Maria's death had pushed him to his breaking point. Erica gasped softly and implied that Jim could not possibly be a friend of Edmund's. If Jim were Edmund's friend, she said sharply, he would have realized that Edmund has no breaking point---he's a pillar of strength. "Everyone has their breaking point," snarled Jim. Erica rose from her chair and again asked Jim to have Edmund or Brooke contact her. As Erica walked away, Jim's frustration became more apparent. Whereas he had been referring to Erica as "Miss Kane," Jim now decided to shout out Erica's first name and ask that she stop. Jim's outburst caused Erica to freeze mid-stride. Jim quickly corrected himself and apologized to Erica for not calling her "Miss Kane." Jim reminded Erica that as Brooke's so-to-be husband, he and Erica would be traveling in the same social circles. Hammering out the advertising agreement would be a great first step to a possible friendship. Erica titled her head to one side and cast a backward glance over her shoulder. "This is just business," Erica smiled somewhat sarcastically. As Erica left the office, Peggy appeared at the door. The two women discussed their concern over Edmund's sudden disappearance. While Erica and Peggy talked, Jim received a phone call from Brooke announcing that she'd returned from her trip to New York. Jim tried to bring up the matter of Enchantment's ad campaign, but Brooke didn't want to talk business. Jim hung up the phone and told the two ladies that he had to head off for a secret rendezvous with his love. Before leaving, however, he told Erica that Brooke had handed over the Enchantment account to him and that Erica would now have to deal directly with him. After Jim sauntered off to his meeting with Brooke, Erica told Peggy that she believes Brooke has finally lost her mind for falling for Jim. Peggy told Erica that she hadn't heard from Dimitri of late either. She envisioned her "Dimmie" sitting along in his loft with all of the lights off and the phone off the hook. Peggy would liked to have been able to drop by to make sure that Dimitri was okay, but she had other commitments. Erica assured Peggy that she would check on Dimitri for her.
Outside Mateo's room at Chandler Mansion, Allie suffered from another bout of her transcript-fixing depression. Allie felt that no matter what she did as a physician, she would never feel a full sense of accomplishment because she hadn't truly earned her right to be practicing medicine. Jake told Allie about all of the unknown mysteries that can occur in a doctor's daily regimen such as seeing young children suddenly wheelchair bound because they decided to drink and drive. He asked her if she wanted to discredit the manner in which she saved Mateo's life just because of "a little technicality" with her degree. The pair entered the room and learned that Mateo had not "communicated" in the past twenty-four hours. While Jake explained to Hayley that Mateo would need time to fully recuperate, Allie performed a check-up on the comatose patient. The good news was that Mateo's pupils still responded to light---the bad news was that he didn't appear to have made any noticeable progress. Jake explained that not all progress can be measured through visual observation. Some of the changes, Jake continued, are internal and otherwise invisible to the naked eye. Allie called Hayley and Jake to Mateo's side. They watched as Mateo's breathing pattern changed and his eyes began moving rapidly back and forth. Jake wanted to readmit Mateo to the hospital so that a staff of professionals could observe him around the clock. Hayley, however, refused to let her husband be taken from his safe haven. She successfully argued that all of Mateo's progress had been made while at the mansion. Deep in his visions, Mateo entered Stuart's art gallery. Strangely, all of the artwork was missing. As he walked around the gallery, he saw a woman, her back turned towards him, staring out the front window. He recognized the blonde hair and called out Hayley's name. As he walked toward the woman, she did not respond to Hayley's name. He tapped the woman on the shoulder and asked, "You're not Hayley, are you?" The woman turned around and revealed her face: It was Brooke.
Erica dropped by Dimitri's loft. She knocked on the door and called out her ex-husband's name. Inside, the mysterious intruder recognized Erica's voice and walked towards the door. He unbolted the door and turned the doorknob so that the door would open slightly. Erica pushed the door open and walked inside.
At the Gallery, Brooke walked mechanically around the floor. She placed a metal box on a bare desk and rummage through an assortment of objects. One of the objects was a small rock hammer. She then reached for a handgun and checked to see that it was loaded. When Jim arrived, Brooke was hidden behind a large curtain. She popped out of nowhere and startled Jim slightly. Brooke told Jim that she had a surprise for him---a wedding gift. Jim smiled in anticipation of a wonderful surprise. Brooke informed her fiancé that she'd rented the gallery for one evening so that she could show off some of Jim's photographs. Jim was stunned. He'd never had a private showing before. Brooke smiled coldly as she recounted stories of the history of art. In Victorian times, Brooke said, artists painted pictures of dead children wearing their Sunday best. Brooke's face turned a shade of crimson as she stated how enraged she would have been had someone taken photographs of Laura. Jim's eyes widened, as he feared that Brooke might be referring to Laura Kirk. Brooke was, however, referring to her other daughter Laura. Brooke also announced that some of their friends would be dropping by to examine the exhibit. Jim reveled at the idea of becoming a well known artist. He figured that he wouldn't have enough time to work at Tempo and snap photographs. He decided that he'd have to hang up his camera, but Brooke refused to let him do that. "Your work is so you," Brooke said frigidly, adding that people can learn more about the man behind the camera by viewing Jim's work. Jim waited with bated breath for a sneak preview of the exhibit. Brooke started to unveil the photographs and Jim flashed a cocky, over-confident grin. When he looked up at the wall of prints, his face dropped. Brooke pursed her lips as she stepped out in front of a wall covered with the photos Jim had taken of Laura.
In the viaduct, Edmund determined that he wasn't going to be able to make it out alive. He urged Dimitri to go on without him. Dimitri, of course, refused to leave his brother behind. He climbed a drain and used the metal bar to pry open a grate. It took Dimitri several minutes to break free one side of the cover. Dimitri wanted to take another attempt at the second shackle that bound Edmund to the wall, but Edmund again encouraged his brother to move on. Dimitri, with tears in his eyes, told Edmund that he would come back from him. The storm raged on and the wind-blown rain made it almost impossible for Tad to see anything. He called out Edmund and Dimitri's names, but the pounding surf all but drowned out his cries. A thunderous roar momentarily distracted Dimitri. Against Edmund's advice, Dimitri walked towards the iron gate to investigate the noise. A blast of seawater flooded into the viaduct, knocking Dimitri off his feet. The ocean continued pouring into the chamber and it would be only a matter of time before all of the air was replaced by seawater.
