At the Cory Mansion, Amanda returns home from a trip and told Joe that she just saw Paulina tearing out of the driveway with Dante in tow. When Joe asks Amanda if Dante was okay, Amanda told him that Dante looked happy but Paulina looked terrified and asks Joe what has he done now. Joe isn't sure what made Paulina leave, so Sofia and him go up to her room to see if they can find a reason to Paulina's sudden departure. When they come up short Joe asks Carl if he knows anything about this. Carl responds by telling Joe that Paulina thought he (Joe) was taken legal action against her so he could gain custody of Dante. Joe wonders why Paulina would think of such a thing. Carl then tells him about seeing him constantly meeting with Tyrone and discussing Paulina all the time, which led Carl to believe that Joe was seeking legal action. Joe told Carl and the rest of the family that he wasn't seeking legal action against Paulina, he was working with Gary to clear her name. He found the evidence to clear her and that was what he came to show and tell her. Dismayed to realize how Carl filled Paulina's head with misinformation about why he contacted a lawyer, Joe calls the station and has them put out an APB on his missing wife and son. Joe asks Carl if there was a possibility that she could be back on drugs, which angers Carl even further. Carl told Joe that Paulina isn't on drugs and wouldn't be on drugs or drinking while she is taken care of Dante. Joe spats back at Carl saying Carl filled Paulina's head with all this divorce nonsense, so he doesn't know what her mind might be thinking right now. Just then, Joe gets a call from the state police telling him that Paulina's car was clocked at 97 on a country road. Joe told the family about the call and adds if anyone knows any prayers, they had better say them now. Joe and Sofia leave to go and check out the incident. Amanda says there must be a curse on them, Carl asks if that was directed at him. Amanda and Carl bicker and Amanda says that she's not going to keep apologizing to him for the rest of her life. Amanda and Rachel talk about Alley's play and Carl leaves to check on the twins. Amanda starts crying because she sent Alley to a school way in Switzerland while Paulina was willing to go on the run to keep her child near her. Rachel told Amanda that they will be fine and will get through it. Amanda senses that something was wrong and she asks if anything happened with Carl while she was gone. Rachel tells Amanda how Carl fired Darren and it caused a tiny problem. Amanda asks her mother what about Darren, but Rachel told her she'll tell her about it in the morning. Rachel says goodnight to Amanda and went upstairs to check on the twins. Carl was upstairs trying to sing one of them to sleep, but he or she keeps crying. Carl asks Rachel what she and Amanda where talking about. Rachel tells Carl that Amanda really wants to make things better, but Carl doesn't believe her. Rachel leaves and Carl told the twins that they are his blood, and that was all that counts.
Donna was still at Michael's grave site trying to come to grips with the fact that Victoria was about to tell Jake everything. Donna asks Michael what was she going to do with Victoria. Feeling upset because she thinks that Vicky is following in her footsteps, Donna tearfully explains to her late love how his death will have been in vain if Vicky told everyone what really happened the night of the fatal car accident. When Donna says that she was so afraid, Nick shows up and asks what she was afraid of. Donna says she's just afraid of moving on without Michael. Nick almost leaves, but Donna urges him to stay and talk. Nick told Donna how there was so much he didn't get to say to his dad. Nick told Donna about the problems he's having talking to Sofia and Donna tells him that he can't waste his life thinking about why the accident happened, instead he should focus on his life with Sofia. Nick told Donna that he has some work to do at the Herald, and asks her if she's going to be okay. Donna told him to go on, she will be fine and she needs to speak with Vicky about something. Nick leaves, and Donna told Michael before she leaves too, that she'll do everything in her power to make sure his memory is honored.
Over at Jake and Vicky's, Lila's plan to destroy Vicky explodes as the police arrive to arrest Jake for Michael and Shane's death, charging him with negligence homicide. Shocked, Vicky was outraged and told them that there must be some mistake. Ignoring Vicky, the cops set out to handcuff Jake. Vicky grabs onto Jake and told them they can't take Jake away from her. Vicky desperately wants to tell Jake the truth about the night of the accident, but Jake doesn't give her the chance because he thinks it's his fault. Jake was eventually ripped away from her and Vicky tries to call Cass. As Jake was led to the squad car, with various news media around taking pictures and shouting accusations, Lila watches outside from the bushes pleased with what's happening to Jake. Back inside, Vicky reaches Cass's answering machine and leaves a message; she then runs to the door and yells to Jake as the car was pulling off, that she'll get him out of this. As Vicky prepares to get ready to go to the police station, Lila knocks on Vicky's door to gloat. Vicky asks Lila what does she want now. Lila responds by telling Vicky that she did what she had to do. Vicky then realizes that Lila was behind all of this and told her rival that trying to use an innocent man to get back at her was not going to work. Lila sarcastically told Vicky that she was the reason Jake was in this mess and now everyone will see her for the lying adulterer she is. Realizing that Lila was trying to use Jake to get to her, Vicky slaps Lila and told her to get out. As Vicky battles against time to do the right thing to help Jake, Donna shows up still trying to talk Vicky out of spilling the beans to Jake. Vicky informs Donna that Jake has been arrested for Shane's death and it was all her fault. Donna still implores Vicky to keep silent about that night. Vicky told her that an innocent man has been arrested and she will now keep silent about her dirty little secret any longer. Donna told Vicky that Cass was a good lawyer and he'll get Jake off. Vicky looks at her mother with disbelief and told her that she would never put Jake through a trial when they both very well know he was innocent. Donna then uses the fact that Vicky will lose everything if she told Jake the truth. The boys will lose another person they love and Vicky's marriage will be over. Vicky told her she doesn't care about any of that, she will not let Jake go to trial for something that was her fault, she was telling the truth and that was that. Donna answer's back "Over my dead body." Donna then entreats her daughter to reconsider, but Vicky remains determined. Ignoring her mother's pleads, Vicky walks out and heads to the court house.
Upset for not trusting Paulina and feeling if anything has happened to her and Dante it's his fault, Joe and Sofia arrive at the scene of a car accident, and it's Paulina's car. Joe the becomes increasingly worried when Paulina's car is found empty and seemingly abandoned. Fortunately for Joe the car was stolen and the person driving it was a kid who took it for a joyride. As the ambulance gets ready to take the kid to the hospital, Joe asks him where he got the car and the kid says it was left at the airport. Feeling even more guilty for not trusting his wife when she was telling she wasn't on drugs the night of the fire, Joe and Sofia wonder where Paulina and Dante are......
Over at the Herald, Nick and Chris are there discussing herald business when Lila calls anonymously to give them a tip about the biggest story of the year is going down at Police Headquarters. Hearing this news Nick and Chris head over to the station to see just what was going down. Upon arriving, Lila is there playing innocent like she just received the news herself. She informs them that someone was arrested for not warning Shane, but doesn't tell them that it was Jake. She then incites Nick by saying it was the person's fault that Michael died as well. Just then Jake was led in by the police and Lila engineers another ugly scene at the police station, when an outraged Nick attacks Jake while Lila stands by and accuses him of killing her husband. Jake gets confused, because he knows that Lila already knows the whole story. Jake is brought before a judge, and D.A. Dana reads the charges brought against him to the court. The deputy explains to the judge how Jake prevented him from warning Shane. The judge asks Jake how he pleads and Jake says not guilty. The DA stands up and told the judge that in light of the case bail should be denied. Tyrone shows up and jumps to Jake's defense and told the judge that Jake was not a flight risk. Jake speaks in his own defense and says that he did lie, but he tried to warn Shane. Lila starts screaming at Jake for being a liar. Vicky bursts into the courtroom when Lila was telling the judge how Jake hated Shane and wanted Shane to die. Vicky rushes forward and says that she can prove that Jake was telling the truth about calling Shane. The judge asks Vicky if she was witness to the phone call. As Vicky was about to tell the truth, Donna enters screaming, "No!" to Vicky. Jake turns to Vicky and tells her if she has something to tell him, then tell it to him in front of everyone else, she should say it to only him.....
At the precinct, Joe asks Toni to help find Paulina. She gets a tip that she may be at the bus station. Joe said he has to check out something ,Toni went along.
Cindy arrives to find Grant has come home. Grant has good news, he has found the police record of Jake in Lassiter. With a little bribe to the judge Kirkland will be his. Cindy told him that she feel herself unsuitable to be a mother. Grant says not to worry that She will be a good one. A knock at the door, Grant answers it to find Joe and Toni there. Joe storms in to ask Cindy where Paulina is. Grant told him to leave Joe looses it and told Grant he suspects Grant was behind all of Paulina's problems and he was going to solve it. He also calls Grant a dirt bag. Joe leaves and told Toni he was sorry for loosing his temper.
Mean while at the courthouse, Jake was waiting to hear what Vicky has to say. He doesn't want her to lie for him. Vicky says she can prove he called to warn Shane. Vicky confesses it and the judge tells her to take the stand. Jake wants to talk directly to Vicky, so he fires Tyrone in order to do the questioning himself. Vicky tries to tell Jake the truth but he won't believe her till she told about the call and knew exactly what was said on the end of Shane's part. Jake is stunned and has a raving fit towards Vicky. She does not have the chance to say she did not sleep with Shane. Jake suddenly realizes that was what was wrong with Donna and Marley. Vicky tries to hold on to Jake by putting her hands on Jake's chest. Jake screams do not touch me again. Jake was devastated. A guard told Jake that was enough, and Jake decks him. Jake was handcuffed and taken away. Everyone in the courtroom stares at Vicky. Nick jumps up and accuses Vicky of killing his father just to "get it on" with Shane. Donna says I told you that it would ruin Vicky's marriage. Lila comes up to gloat at Vicky about ruining her marriage with Jake. Vicky says if you wanted someone to blame why not her instead of Jake. Lila says it was because she wants Vicky to know how it feels to loose her man. Vicky says you just made your biggest mistake, and walks out of the courtroom. Back at Grant's, he was saying how he has Vicky right where he wants her. Cindy says she would not be a good mother that Vicky should stay his mother. The phone rings, it was Lila. She told everything to Grant as to what has transpired. Lila wants Vicky to now loose her child. Grant told Cindy all about it and says he was going to go right then and take Kirkland away from Vicky.
At home Vicky was looking at her wedding album. At the jail Jake looks at the same picture out of his wallet, he tears it in to small pieces. Grant shows up at Vicky's place , he looks in the window and sees Vicky crying. He has second thoughts about what he came there to do. Has Grant developed a good heart? he turns and walks away from the house.
Joe fears he'll never see his wife and son again after he finds a farewell note from Paulina. As he works on an article about the latest developments, Nick bitterly wonders how to maintain his objectivity when he reveals that his sister was responsible for his father's death. Gary and Josie drop by to offer Lila their sympathy and are surprised to find her celebrating instead. At the police station, Chris urges his depressed friend not to give up but Jake glumly insists he has nothing left and no reason to get out of jail. As Joe redoubles his effort to locate Paulina, Sofia was overwhelmed with guilt about the way she drove her sister-in-law away. Jake admits he still loves Vicky but told Chris he isn't ready to forgive or forget. Lila explains to Gary why she can't help feeling vindicated now that the truth about Vicky was out. Grant arranges to have Jake released from jail. Joe decides to make a televised appeal in hopes it will convince Paulina it's safe for her to return home. Jake confronts Lila.
Amanda and Matt are out jogging in the park. (The part of Matt Cory is now being played by Jeff Phillips.). Amanda starts talking about the tension between them and Carl. They also discuss how they have been to selfish to realize that Paulina need them and they had been too wrapped up in their lives to notice her needs. Amanda says she wishes Allie were home but the tension at home with Carl would not be good for her. Matt slips up and says he would not raise his child in that home. Amanda catches the statement and Matt finally admits he may be a father, but won't tell who the mother may be.
At the Cory mansion, Rachel was talking with Felicia. They discuss the facts surrounding Paulina"s disappearance. Carl had misunderstood the circumstances between Joe and Paulina's separation. Felicia thinks and says that Carl was not letting Rachel in on the happenings in her on family. Later the conversation turns to the fact that Carl was making decisions without Rachel. He hires a driver without her knowing about it.
Chris and Toni ar getting closer. They discuss the happenings with Jake and Vicky. Chris was worried about Jake.They both feel the a love like Jake has for Vicky might be able to stand the tensions but wonder if love was up to what can keep their own lives together.
Jake arrives at Lila's door and Lila was very surprised to see him out of jail. Jake told her he has friends in high places. He pushes his way into her place. Lila was shaken and leery of Jake being there. Jake told her that after he thought it out that he knew exactly what she had been up to. He had figured out all her schemes. Lila starts getting scared of Jake and tries to use her pregnancy as an excuse, but Jake gets more upset with her and says not to ever throw that up as an excuse. Jake was very angry as he told her what she had done and why. He gets everything right too. He told her he was from the same streets she was from and that she will regret having crossed him. Lila tries her crying trick to no avail. Jake told her she won't be happy for much longer and gives her fair warning not to even talk about it to anyone he loves again. He leaves as Matt arrives. Lila has one of her crying tricks and Matt leaves to talk with Jake.
In the meantime Jake comes across a guy on a motorbike trying to fix it. Jake says let him try. Jake fixes it and the guy was about to leave when Jake takes off his expensive watch and offers to buy the bike, he throws in his wallet. The guy went for it. Jake gets on bike and says he was weighed down with them anyway. Matt shows up and told him to leave Lila alone
When Matt left Lila, she changes her behavior. She was now gloating to herself how she isn't afraid of Jake at all . Very smugly she calls Donna on the phone and told her to come over she has something to talk to Donna about.
Over at the Cory's, Rachel asked Amanda what she overheard when she came in on her and Felicia's conversation. Amanda told her mother she hadn't heard anything. Rachel then told Amanda that there are too many secrets around here and if she heard anything they were talking about to just tell her. Amanda told her mother there was nothing to tell as the two of them start to bicker. Joe bursts into the Cory mansion and told Rachel and Amanda about the broadcast and hopes that Paulina will call the mansion. Amanda suggests he have the cops look for Paulina, but Joe says if he treats her like a criminal then he'll loose her forever.
Jake was about to hop on the motorcycle he just bought from some guy and leave for parts unknown, when Matt shows up to confront him about threatening Lila. Jake asks Matt if he was defending Lila now. Matt told Jake that Lila is pregnant and Jake just can't walk into Lila's place and threaten her. Jake tells Matt, yes he can and if Matt gets in his way, he'll wipe the streets with him. As they argue, Jake informs Matt of Lila's schemes. He told him that Lila set him and Vicky up because she's after Shane's money and she's damn happy about it. Jake told Matt that Lila was a wacko and will be a terrible mother. Matt warns Jake once again to stay away from Lila and Jake says he's gone. Matt walks off and Jake was startled to learn about Paulina's disappearance when he sees A poster about Paulina and Dante missing. He then rushes over to the Cory's.
Over at Lila's Place, Donna shows up at Lila's and demands to know what does she want to speak to her about. Lila told Donna that she wants to talk to her about Vicky. Donna responds by telling Lila "what makes you think I would have anything to say to the tramp that tried to ruin my daughter's life. Lila then tells Donna that she wants her to talk Vicky into handing over Shane's estate or she will file a civil suit against Jake. Donna told Lila that she was a no good tramp who doesn't care who she hurts as long as she gets Shane's money. Lila tries to put it all off on the fact that she was only doing this for her unborn child. Donna doesn't want to listen to this and tries to walk away. Lila told Donna that she knows that Donna helped Vicky get away from the scene of the crime and she'd hate to have to expose Donna as well. Lila suggests that Donna talk to Vicky about Shane's estate and when Vicky has handed it over, she will drop the charges against Jake and they can all forget about that terrible night. Donna told Lila that she doesn't have anything to go on. Lila assures Donna that she can drum up enough evidence to open an investigation and also win a suit against Vicky and Donna can be named as an accessory. Lila then asks Donna if she has made herself perfectly clear and do they have a deal. Donna gets fed up with Lila and told her that she's on her own. As Donna was leaving, she runs into Matt and begs him not to get involved with this trash. Donna leaves, but not before warning Matt about Lila. Matt asks Lila why Donna was there, but she doesn't give him a straight answer. Matt told Lila that he was there for the baby and the baby only. If the baby is his then he will be around to raise the baby. Lila told Matt she doesn't know why he insist on thinking the baby was his when it's Shane's. Matt informs Lila that she won't get rid of him until he has concrete proof that the child she's carrying was not his, so until then he was there for the duration of her pregnancy. Lila then told Matt that she can prove to him once and for all that this was not his child, by having a ultrasound.
At Jake and Vicky's, Vicky was at home and was trying to pull herself together. She ends up burning up the toast and then winds up on the floor crying. Grant enters finding a weeping Vicky curled up on the floor of her house. A sympathetic Grant reaches out to console his ex-wife and Vicky hugs Grant, thinking he's Jake. When she realizes that it's not Jake it's Grant, Vicky is angry and told Grant to get out. Grant told her he's there because he was concerned that the reporters would cause problems for Kirkland when he came home from school, but Vicky told him she didn't send Kirkland to school today. Vicky wants to know if Grant came over because he plans to use this whole incident against her to get custody of Kirkland. Grant hands Vicky some legal papers and says he's going to do what was best for his son. The legal documents contain all of Jake's past crimes and Grant told Vicky that he would have no trouble at all getting custody of Kirkland now. Grant then rips up all the documents and told Vicky that he's not going to seek custody after all she's lost. Vicky was still suspicious and thinks he's still planning to file for custody and he's just acting nice to throw her off track. Grant says that when Michael died he realized how much Kirkland needed his mother. Vicky tells him that Kirkland's always needed her, but that never stopped Grant before. He then told her that his anger towards her was hurting Kirkland as well, because now Kirkland was old enough to start asking questions, Grant doesn't want to answer. Vicky asks Grant what kind of questions. Grant tells her that Kirkland was always asking him why he makes his mommy feel so bad. Grant told Vicky he knows how she's feeling because he was in a similar situation when Ryan died. Eventually Vicky gets sick of hearing him and tells him to just go away. Grant told her that she'll be just fine and Lila was no match for her because he knows how hard it was to bring her down, he's proof of that and then leaves.
Back at the Cory's, Joe continues to paste around hoping that he'll hear from Paulina. Rachel and Amanda are their trying to lend Joe some moral support, plus keep him calm. All of a sudden Jake burst in at the Cory's and asks Joe if he was happy now, because he deserves it. Jake and Joe start to yell at each other, and Jake told Joe that he thought he was gonna tell Paulina he believed in her. Joe told him that he never got the chance, because when he showed up at the Cory's in a squad car, Paulina jumped to the wrong conclusions and split with Dante. He then adds, that Carl filled Paulina's head with a bunch of nonsense that wasn't true. Rachel told Joe that if he had been there for Paulina in the first place none of this would have happened. Jake then starts to blame Joe for Paulina running off in the first place and asks him why he isn't out looking for her. As the two of them shout accusations back and forth at one another. Amanda told them both they need to cut out the macho crap and work together to find Paulina. Amanda then leaves to do her own investigating. Joe and Rachel have a heart to heart talk and Joe was angry that Carl jumped to the conclusion that he was going to divorce Paulina. As they all nervously wait for the phone to ring, Jake tells Joe that if he had believed Paulina from the beginning he wouldn't be in this mess now. Then Jake told himself what was he talking about he believed Vicky and look what that got him. Joe told Jake to go home as Rachel looks at Joe with a disapproving eye. Joe then apologizes to Jake and told him that no one deserved what he went through in court. Jake told him it sure wasn't fun when Joe's boys in blue showed up to haul him away. Rachel and Joe asks Jake to give Vicky a chance to explain. Jake told them both that he asked her time and time again what was wrong, because he could see that something was tearing her up inside but she never told him. Both men terribly regret what is going on in their marriages and sit there and sulk. Rachel lectures both Joe and Jake and she told them that they married their wives and they have to believe in their wives. Jake doesn't like being lectured anymore about Vicky, so he storms out.
Meanwhile, Paulina was in Chicago hiding out with her old time Gold Street friend Hannah. Paulina thanks Hannah for giving her and Dante refuge. Hannah tells Paulina it's the least she can do for Paulina looking after her all those years ago. Later when both Paulina and Hannah are out of the room, Joe's broadcast comes on the TV. Dante was the only one who sees the broadcast and Paulina returns after the broadcast was over. Paulina wonders if she should call home, but Hannah talks her out of it. When she tries to get a prescription filled for Dante, she realizes someone's checked there for her. Unfortunately, Joe has already called all the pharmacies and she thinks Joe may be coming for her, so she decides to immediately leave. Hannah begs Paulina not to go back on the run, but Paulina panics and told Hannah that she and Dante have to run. Paulina packs up her stuff and as she's leaving, she see's Amanda in the hall. Scared, she rushes back in the apartment and tries to keep Dante quiet, as Amanda knocks on the door.....
Meanwhile at Bay City General, Lila and Matt show up for her appointment with the doctor. Matt told Lila that he felt the need to protect her and the baby from Jake. Lila thanks Matt and then heads in for her sonogram. Once inside the doctor's examining room, Lila talks to her doctor about trying to convince Matt that the baby isn't his.
Back at Jake and Vicky's, Vicky was sitting at home pondering the way her life has turned out, when she gets a knock on the door and opens it to a returning home Jake.....
