Episodes 478 – 528
Brent Taylor wrestled with adjusting to life with a prosthetic leg. He latched onto the idea that he could make sense of it all by figuring out who had been behind Nick Moriani’s miraculous “resurrection.” He asked Claire to pull up the hospital records from the day that Nick “died,” and he visited the lone surviving security guard who had helped Nick hold the family hostage. The guard revealed that he had not been hired by Nick, but by a “Mr. Clayton.” Brent had always presumed that the Mr. Clayton who had brought Tim to the clinic in Vermont was actually Nick, but when he visited Dr. Domingo in jail, Domingo reiterated that Clayton was a different man. Brent revealed his theory to Claire: that “Clayton” was really her father, James Robbins, back from the dead.
Claire was hesitant to believe this, and they traveled to Brazil in search of the truth. Neither told their families where they were going. They visited the site of James’s compound, which had been leveled, and then went to the police station to look up the records from the aftermath of his supposed death. When they asked for Brent’s contact, though, they caused a stir and wound up in a jail cell with a woman named Senorita Estella, who claimed to be a psychic. She told them the key to what they sought was “the palace in the sky.” When the misunderstanding was sorted out and they were released, they looked at the records: human matter had been found in the acid, and James had to be dead. The mysterious Clayton had to be someone else.
At home, Molly ran into a KBPD officer who referenced Brent’s capture in Brazil. This was news to Molly, who informed her brother, Tim. They were waiting for Brent and Claire when they returned home. Tim was shocked to learn that Nick was not the Mr. Clayton who had brought him to the clinic years before, but he insisted that they needed to focus on the future rather than dwelling upon the past. Molly was troubled that Brent had put himself into a dangerous situation in another country without telling her.
Back home, Brent tracked the company Clayton Holdings (which had been listed as the owner of James’s compound) and discovered it to be a front company based in Chicago. Claire questioned Ryan, who insisted he knew nothing about Clayton. Brent went to Chicago to interview a realtor who had done business with “Mr. Clayton” and hit the jackpot when he was able to capture Clayton’s image from a security camera video. The only problem was that neither he nor Claire recognized the man. They briefly wondered if Tim, who had been brought to Vermont by the man who claimed to be his father, might recognize Clayton, but he did not. Caught up in the past, Claire and Tim slept together. Afterward, Claire was optimistic about their future together and even told Brent that it might be a mistake to keep digging into the past. She was stunned when Tim expressed that sleeping together had been a mistake. Feeling that her entire future was up in the air, Claire rejoined Brent in putting the past to rest, once and for all.
A shocking phone call informed Brent that their Mr. Clayton had been found–shot dead in Peapack, New Jersey. He and Claire traveled there and confirmed that the dead man was the same man Brent had seen in the security video. He had Clayton’s false IDs on him, but his real name was Reginald Carter. Outside the police station in Peapack, a car sped by and fired shots at them. Claire was hit in the leg. Though the injury was minor, the incident was a clear warning: they were getting too close for someone’s comfort.
While her husband was busy with his investigation, Molly struggled with her new role as the creative head of Objection Designs. She felt that her coworkers believed the late Camille Lemieux had made a mistake by putting her in charge. She was impressed by the work of photographer Philip Ragan and pursued him for her new campaign, but he refused to do commercial work. She tricked him into thinking he was meeting with a renowned architecture magazine and showed up instead, and this time, she convinced him to hear her out. Cocky Philip was impressed by her ideas and signed on. Molly found him opinionated and pretentious, but also a surprisingly good listener as she opened up about her concerns–first her professional ones and then her troubles with Brent.
Danielle Taylor helped her goddaughter, Elly Vanderbilt, make peace with her parents over the fact that they had never told Elly she was adopted. What Danielle kept to herself was that she was Elly’s biological mother. The teenager returned home to San Francisco, though she kept in touch with Travis Fisher, who was very interested in her. When Travis came to the Taylor house to get the iPod he had left while visiting Elly, he discovered an old letter that Danielle had been looking over–a letter which implied that she once had a child and gave it up for adoption. Travis wondered if Danielle could be Elly’s mother but kept his suspicions to himself.
Ryan Moriani came to thank Danielle for bringing him home that day she found him passed out in the park. Danielle admitted that she understood what he was going through, because she was a recovering alcoholic; Ryan lashed out at the implication that he might be an addict. Feeling lost, Ryan escaped to a cabin in the mountains of central Washington. Diane Bishop was determined to sign him to a contract to write his memoirs for Vision Publishing, so she and Ryan’s half-sister, Sarah, tracked him to the mountains. They found Ryan drunk and depressed, but Diane managed to convince him to sign the contract.
Molly revealed to her mother, Paula, that Ryan had passed out drunk in the park. Paula was alarmed and confessed that she had gone to see her son. Ryan remained estranged from the Fishers but brought Jason and Courtney a gift for their baby. Jason thanked him but was not ready to accept him back into his life. The Fishers were irate when they learned of Ryan’s plan to write the book, finding it exploitative. They grew even more upset when they realized that Sarah had known about Diane’s plan and not told them.
Surprisingly, Bill Fisher was the one to convince the family that Ryan’s actions should have no bearing on their own happiness. Tim in particular was furious with Diane over this latest stunt, but as a Vision employee, he had to be a part of the process.
Danielle was supportive of Ryan’s decision to pen the book and even agreed to have dinner with him. She was, however, nervous that Brent and Molly might find out. Sarah, who along with Diane witnessed the dinner date, spitefully told Molly about the burgeoning closeness between Danielle and Ryan. Molly and especially Brent warned Danielle to be careful where Ryan was concerned. Still, Danielle helped Ryan begin to write his book; grateful, he kissed her. Danielle, unsure what to think, took off. Later, when Ryan came to see her, he could tell that something was wrong, and she confessed to him about the Elly situation. She was having more and more difficulty keeping the truth from Elly, especially when the teenager requested Danielle’s help in tracking down her biological parents.
Travis, still troubled by his family situation, took a job working at his uncle Jason’s ice arena. When he failed his driver’s license test, he tried to forget about it by hooking up with Amelia, a very aggressive classmate. When Elly returned for a visit, a jealous Amelia made sure Elly found out about her and Travis. Elly, hurt, played it off like it didn’t matter. She told Travis that it was fine, because they were just friends. He was crushed. Then he received advice from a surprising source: Claire. She advised him to tell Elly exactly how he felt. They rushed to catch Elly before she left for the airport. Travis told her that he had made a mistake with Amelia and really liked her, and they shared their first kiss. For the first time in a long while, Travis saw Claire in a different light. However, he struggled with keeping quiet about his suspicions regarding Elly’s parentage, especially as Elly made it clear that she wanted to learn more. Travis went so far as to ask Danielle pointed questions, which she dodged. She casually mentioned the questioning to Ryan, who paid his nephew a visit. The two realized that they both knew the truth and shared an unspoken vow not to say anything to anyone.
Tim demanded that Diane let him read Ryan’s first draft. She agreed, on one condition: Tim had to find a suitable co-author to help Ryan prepare the book for publication. He brought in Cassandra Ward, who proved to be not only a talented writer but also a strongheaded match for Diane. Tim read the book and was relieved by its content. He was finally able to put the past in the past and focus on his future, as he had already lost so many years. He and Cassandra connected and began dating.
Brian Hamilton finally accepted that Diane might be a good friend and a good sex partner, but they would never have the romantic relationship that he wanted. He surprised Diane by revealed that he had received a job offer from the publishing they’d once worked for in Los Angeles. He accepted the job and left King’s Bay, his friendship with Diane restored. At the airport, he ran into his ex, writer Serena Scott, and things looked promising between the two of them.
In spite of their growing friendship, Danielle continued to resist Ryan’s efforts to get closer. But she remained drawn to him and eventually asked him to go on a date. She told Brent and Molly of her plans, and while Brent was horrified by the idea, Molly convinced him to respect his sister’s judgment, even if he didn’t agree with it. Danielle and Ryan’s date made both of them optimistic for the first time in a long while. Ryan, grateful for her help with his writing, returned the favor by encouraging her to channel her emotions into music, the way she used to do. On Christmas day, they slept together for the first time.
Sarah Gray continued to pull away from her husband, Matt. She found herself unable even to sleep in the same bed as him and, even worse, unable to tell him–or herself–how long her malaise might last. Determined to make an effort, Sarah arranged a romantic night for the two of them, but when things became intimate, she immediately drew back. Soon she took off for the mountains of central Washington to help Diane Bishop with a secret mission, and her abrupt departure made Matt realize how severe their problems were. While in the mountains, Sarah became lost in the snow; a man named Graham Colville rescued her and helped her find her way back.
Back at home, Matt thought it would be best if he moved out temporarily. Sarah, feeling guilty, suggested that she be the one to move out instead; she also began seeing a therapist. On the therapist’s advice, Sarah planned some no-pressure family time for herself, Matt, and Tori, but the pleasant outing turned sour when Tori asked if Sarah would be coming home yet. Meanwhile, Graham Colville turned up in King’s Bay on business and sought Sarah out. She felt that it would be inappropriate even to have dinner with him, but Graham left his number with her in case she changed her mind.
After some prodding from Diane, Sarah admitted that she did find the somewhat older, sophisticated Graham attractive. Diane advised her to give the dinner a shot. While the couple dined at Windmills, Diane and Brian sat at a table in the back, ready to intervene if Sarah gave a signal that something was wrong. Sarah got so swept up in conversation with Graham that she inadvertently gave the signal (pulling her back into a ponytail) without realizing it. Diane and Brian clumsily rushed over. Graham figured out what Sarah had done and was amused. She was surprised at how much she enjoyed the dinner date, especially as an escape from the turmoil of her regular life.
However, she also felt guilty about it, so she confessed to Matt. He responded by serving her with divorce papers. Sarah attempted to change his mind, but Matt didn’t think their marriage could be repaired. With their marriage ending, Matt felt that it would be inappropriate for him to continue as Bill’s partner in their new restaurant venture. Bill reluctantly agreed and thought that he should speak to Sarah about the matter. She told him, “You can do whatever the hell you want,” which was all the proof Bill needed that he had to make his daughter his priority during this time. While Bill continued to develop his new restaurant, Matt instead took a job in the kitchen at Windmills.
Meanwhile, Graham announced that he was renting a house in King’s Bay while he oversaw the development of a new commercial real estate project. Sarah resisted his invitations to spend more time together. One night, however, she visited Pier 22–the former site of the Fisherman’s Pier, where her whole life had changed in the explosion–and was shocked to run into Graham, who was equally surprised to find her on the property that his company had just purchased. Sarah found herself opening up to him, and they spent more time together. She even helped him move into his new house and was intrigued to discover old photos of Graham with a very young child. She questioned him, and Graham responded, “Being a parent is not something I’ve ever had the pleasure of doing.” His continual refusal to talk about his past disturbed Sarah, who nevertheless tried to bury what she considered to be aimless suspicions and rationalized that she didn’t need to be that close to Graham.
After learning that her parents had invited Matt to their house for Christmas dinner, so that he could spend the day with Tori, Sarah brought Graham with her. She hoped to make Matt jealous. When it had the opposite reaction–driving Matt even further away–Sarah was hurt that he didn’t want to fight for what they once had. Hurt and resentful, she took Graham home and slept with him for the first time.
Lauren Brooks underwent a biopsy for the lump she had found in her breast. At the hospital, she and her family ran into Brent Taylor. Lauren’s mother, Roz, lied that Trevor was undergoing a minor procedure; Brent relayed the news to his brother, Josh, who got in touch with Lauren to express his concern. Lauren again had her mother lie for her, but when the biopsy results came back negative, she realized that she had been wrong to lie and push Josh away–but by that time, he was sleeping with Sabrina Gage. Lauren confided in her friends Jason Fisher and Courtney Chase about her cancer scare.
Josh and Sabrina continued their sexual relationship, though she was reluctant to make it anything more. She claimed that she and an ex were on the verge of reuniting. Josh convinced her to date him as her date to the ice arena’s grand opening, where he hoped to make Lauren jealous. At the event, Courtney mentioned Lauren’s cancer scare to Josh, presuming that he knew about it. Josh confronted Lauren and derided her for lying to him, especially after she had broken up with him for lying to her. He claimed that he wanted nothing more to do with her.
Alex Marshall grew tired of Seth Ashby’s uncertain presence in his life. Seth asked Alex on a real date, unaware that his ex-fiancée, Miriam Frost, was in King’s Bay watching him. She crashed their date and intimated that Seth simply needed time to get over his “phase.” Alex caught them talking and left the restaurant. Seth chased after him and, to prove his intentions, kissed Alex right there on the sidewalk, in public and in front of Miriam.
Alex’s ex, Trevor Brooks, pursued new modeling opportunities after being dropped by Objection Designs. His agent sent him to a party in Seattle, where he reconnected with the designers of a new line of jeans. Miriam turned up at the same party and proposed to Trevor that they work together to separate Alex and Seth. Although Trevor found the prospect appealing, he couldn’t bring himself to do something so underhanded.
When Seth tried to take their physical relationship to the next level, Alex realized that he needed to make things work with Trevor. He tracked him to their special spot by the river, where their relationship had begun. Alex raced there, ready to pour out his heart, and was stunned when Trevor revealed that he had accepted an extended campaign in Europe. He had to do it, not only for his career but for himself. The men tried to figure out how they had so thoroughly messed up something so perfect. Trevor left town.
With Trevor gone, Alex was reluctant to move on with Seth, but Seth eventually convinced him to give a relationship a shot. Seth’s parents visited King’s Bay, and he invited Alex to join them for dinner–strictly as a friend. He wanted his parents to get to know Alex as a person before he came out to them and revealed the relationship. Alex agreed but found the experience with the judgmental Ashbys thoroughly uncomfortable. He told Seth that it might be time to re-evaluate what they were doing. The men decided to take things slowly until Seth sorted out his life.
Jason Fisher was nervous about his impending fatherhood, but he proposed to Courtney Chase. She feared that he was only proposing because of the baby and turned him down. After Lauren made her look at the situation again, Courtney rushed to Jason and told him that she had been wrong to turn him down–of course she wanted to marry him. When they announced their engagement, Sabrina Gage reminded them of the provision in Shannon Parish’s will: that Jason would not be entitled to his inheritance if he were married to Courtney. They nervously had a lawyer look into the matter.
Meanwhile, Jason celebrated the opening of his renovated Edge of Winter Arena, a state-of-the-art ice skating facility, with a grand party. A health inspector arrived at the event to shut the event down, claiming that papers for the café had not been filed properly–a task with which Jason had entrusted Courtney. Jason lashed out at her for having shirked the responsibility. Sabrina stepped in and swiftly resolved the matter. Later, in private, she paid the man, who was not a health inspector at all, but an actor.
Jason apologized to Courtney for his outburst, and they received wonderful news: the provision in Shannon’s will only applied to the initial time of the inheritance. They could get married.
While they celebrated, Sabrina stormed out of the party. She tore through her home in a rage and cut her wrists. Panicked, she stared at her new face in the mirror–she was really Shannon Parish with reconstructive surgery! She had lured a lonely doctor into an affair and used him to escape the mental institution by faking her death. Afterward, she killed the doctor to ensure his silence and then smashed in her own face with a brick, so that there would be no identifying “before” photos from her surgery. Now she was back in King’s Bay, determined to have Jason for herself.
Shannon/Sabrina picked a fight with Courtney, who went into labor as a result. She gave birth to a baby girl, whom they named Sophie. A suspicious Courtney enlisted Lauren’s help in investigating Sabrina. When Lauren looked into Sabrina’s résumé, she discovered that everything checked out… except for the most recent job, for a small company in Washington that seemed never to have existed. Lauren swallowed her pride and asked Josh, who had been sleeping with Sabrina, if he could help. The next time he and Sabrina hooked up, Josh was thrown when he tried to remove her sweater and she flipped out. What he did not know was that she was trying to conceal the self-inflicted scars on her arms. He reported back to Lauren about Sabrina’s strange outburst; Lauren realized how jealous she was of Josh’s relationship with Sabrina but kept her feelings to herself.
When Tim cancelled plans to meet Jason for drinks one night, Sabrina took advantage of the situation and suggested that she and Jason go out together instead, to finish working on the arena’s schedule. She proceeded to get him drunk and planned to take him home, but they ran into Alex and Seth. Alex offered to drive Jason home, while Sabrina and Seth got to know each other better over drinks. Courtney was irritated to learn that Jason had been out drinking with Sabrina. She warned Jason not to trust Sabrina, but he remained skeptical of her concerns. Shannon planned to use this difference of opinion to drive a wedge between the couple for good.