Episodes 958 – 1,000

Ranking of 2019 Character Appearances

All of King’s Bay remained stunned by Spencer and Natalie’s sudden marriage — including the newlyweds themselves. Under scrutiny from their families, they insisted that it made the most sense for Peter’s sake, although Jason was convinced that they were covering something up and vowed to pursue custody of Peter. The pending case caused tensions among members of the Fisher family, particularly between Jason and his brother Tim, who was adjusting to the idea of being a grandfather to Peter. When Paula and Alex also questioned the wisdom of pursuing a messy custody suit, Jason was upset — and even more thankful for Sabrina’s support. Even Bree lashed out at Jason for furthering the divides in their broken family. Meanwhile, Spencer asked Elly to join his and Natalie’s legal team, as their attorneys felt it would help establish continuity, since Elly had been a part of their surprise marriage announcement. Despite her misgivings, Elly — who had decided to stay in town for a while to help Jimmy and Kathleen open their bar — found it difficult to turn down paid work as a lawyer. Spencer was shaken when Loretta Ragan contacted him from prison, offering help with the custody suit, but he declined, insisting that he and Natalie had it under control. 

Another faction of the Fisher family was coping with a different type of baby drama. Tori was relieved not to be keeping her pregnancy a secret anymore, but when Sarah and Matt arranged for her to meet with an adoption agency, she was uncertain about placing her unborn child up for adoption. Matt could tell she was wavering about her future and feared that she might reunite with Zane. When Tori left her phone sitting around, Matt noticed a text from Zane, asking her for another chance so they could raise their child together; he impulsively deleted the message so that Tori wouldn’t be swayed by it. Tori then signed the adoption papers, and Matt offered to bring them to Zane to spare her the painful encounter. Shocked that Tori had already signed off and hadn’t even responded to his text, Zane signed, too. Matt was guilt-ridden but convinced he’d done what was ultimately best for both his daughter and his unborn grandchild. 

Diane and Natalie’s parents, Henry and Claudia Bishop, prepared to leave King’s Bay after their holiday visit, but before they could, Henry collapsed. At the hospital, Diane revealed to the family that Henry had been diagnosed with Stage 4 pancreatic cancer — a secret that he had begged her to keep. Claudia and Natalie were enraged with Diane for not telling them sooner. Natalie was surprised when Spencer showed compassion and helped her out while her father’s hospitalization overwhelmed her. While Diane visited with Henry, he briefly awoke and mistook her for someone named “Therese.” Diane later mentioned the incident to Claudia, whose outsized reaction at hearing that name made Diane think there must be more to the story. She attempted to ask Henry about it during a more lucid moment, but his monitors went wild, and the doctors were unable to save him. The Bishops mourned Henry’s passing, and Diane hired Sarah to investigate her father’s deathbed mystery. 

Samantha joined Jaq Pearson and her friends for a night out. When she received the call about Henry’s hospitalization, Samantha left for the hospital, and Jaq insisted on accompanying her for support. Diane was pleased to see the two growing closer. Jaq (wo preferred to use gender-neutral pronouns) asked Samantha to go on a real date with them. 

Alex traveled to Los Angeles for the premiere of the movie based on his novel. He dreading meeting up with his former friend and co-writer, Liam Cassel, but things were surprisingly pleasant… until Liam introduced Alex to his date, who was none other than Alex’s ex, Seth Ashby! Liam even crudely proposed that Alex step out on Trevor and join him and Seth for a threesome. Alex shut him down and realized that Liam had set up the entire scenario to taunt Alex. Liam warned Alex that since Trevor had cheated on him, he would eventually do it to Alex, too. When Alex returned home, he shared the entire story with Trevor, who assured Alex that he had nothing to worry about. The trip did give Alex an opportunity to catch up with Seth, who took Alex’s warnings about Liam in stride and insisted he had no part in Liam’s spiteful plan. The two exes wished each other the best. 

When Jesse, the busboy, failed to show up for a shift at Bill’s on the Pier, Travis suspected that he had been arrested as part of the ongoing case to bring down drug dealer Diego Barrera. District Attorney Audrey Tam, who was pleased by the progress in the case, nevertheless warned Rosie that she had exposed herself to potential danger by being the officer to make the initial bust the prior fall; it would connect her to the investigation in a way that might invite retaliation. Soon afterward, Travis kissed Rosie, but she forced herself to pull away, fearful that she would put him in the line of danger again. Rosie also had no choice but to go see her estranged mother, Juanita Jimenez, to warn her of the potential threat. Juanita, who still blamed Rosie for her late husband’s death, quickly turned Rosie away. 

Brent picked out an engagement ring for Claire. On the night he planned to propose, he dropped off Christian at Molly’s house. Two men emerged and, mistaking Christian for Caleb, tried to abduct him. Molly ran out of the house to help her son. Brent, who realized that he’d dropped the engagement ring in the driveway, returned and leapt into the fray. Although Christian got away, Molly and Brent were knocked out and kidnapped. Christian called 911, and Rosie realized that Diego Barrera had sent the men to exact revenge. Molly and Brent were terrified when they awoke and realized that they were locked in the trunk of a moving car. 

Rosie managed to piece together where Diego was having them taken, and the police raced to rescue them. In the trunk, the former spouses smelled gasoline and then felt a rush of heat. They realized that the car was being set on fire. Despite their fervent efforts, escape seemed impossible. Fearing they were about to die, Brent and Molly confessed their love for one another and kissed. Police arrived in the nick of time to put out the fire, and they were pulled from the trunk and rushed to the hospital. Diego fled the scene, but Rosie headed him off on the mountain road, and the exes faced off with guns in hand. Rather than face arrest, Diego shot himself dead. Rosie was stunned, both by witnessing his death and the realization that her nightmare was finally over. Travis was determined to be there for her in the wake of the trauma. 

Upon receiving word of the kidnapping, Conrad raced to be at Molly’s side, in spite of their recent tensions over Jason and Natalie’s custody dispute. Molly struggled with facing him, as memories of her intimate time with Brent remained at the forefront of her mind. When Claire visited a recovering Brent, she was surprised to find the engagement ring (which had been found in Molly’s driveway) among his personal items and realized that he’d planned to propose. Brent guiltily recalled what had happened between him and Molly when they thought they were about to die. 

Still burdened by the way he’d manipulated Tori and Zane into consenting to the adoption, Matt opened up to his brother, Jake. Any relief he might’ve felt was short-lived, however, because Tori overheard the men talking and forced her father to come clean. Irate, Tori stormed out, and Marcus insisted on driving her home. Despite Marcus’s efforts to calm his cousin, she insisted that he take her to see Zane. Sarah and Matt also went to Zane’s, hoping to head off their daughter, but they were surprised not to find her there. What they didn’t know at the time was that Marcus and Tori had been involved in a nasty car wreck. Marcus’s life hung in the balance after a complicated surgery, while Tori survived — though her unborn baby did not.  

Jake blamed Matt for the chain of events that had left Marcus’s life in peril. Tori also lashed out at her father for his duplicity. Sarah attempted to get through to Tori by discussing her own experience of having lost a child, but Tori was blinded by her anger at Matt. Sarah resolved to stand by Matt and repair their family. Tori was grateful to have Zane by her side as they grieved together, and they bonded when they held a ceremony to say goodbye to their daughter and named her Chiyo, after Zane’s grandmother. Tori shocked her family by announcing that she’d be moving in with Zane after leaving the hospital.  

Marcus, meanwhile, awoke and was given a positive prognosis, though he required extensive physical therapy and was unable to play on the King’s Bay Academy football team the following fall. The teenager was devastated at the thought that he’d caused the car crash that killed Tori’s baby. Jake’s ire toward Matt only increased when he saw what pain his son was experiencing.  

King’s Bay celebrated its first Pride parade, and Samantha attended with Jaq. Tempest was upset to see the two cozying up during the parade. The drag queen who was supposed to appear on Edge of Winter Arena’s float fell ill at the last minute, but disaster was averted when Helen had the idea for Don to fill in. Unbeknownst to Jason and Alex, a mysterious person snapped photos of the friends in a tender moment.  

King’s Bay turned out for the grand opening of Kathleen and Jimmy’s bar, The Wild Lady. Landon urged Rosie to come meet Travis there, but when there was no sign of her, Travis struck up conversation with a young woman at the bar — unaware that she was his cousins’ classmate, Jasmine Knight. He bought her a drink, but Brent arrived with Claire and recognized Jasmine as the girl who’d sent Caleb to buy drugs. Jasmine admitted she’d used a fake ID to get in and left. Feeling like a fool, Travis got to talking with Elly, and she impulsively kissed him — just in time for Rosie to arrive and see them. Travis went after her, insisting that there was absolutely nothing between him and Elly. Rosie believed him, and the couple finally reunited. Travis encouraged Rosie to reconnect with her family, but she remained wary. Travis promised to be by her side the entire time. 

Jason asked Sabrina to come to the opening as his guest. They both enjoyed themselves, though Jason grew irritated when Tim questioned whether it was a date, as he was still annoyed by Tim’s insistence that Jason should drop the pending custody suit. When Jason dropped off Sabrina, he hesitated in giving her a goodbye kiss, and their night came to an awkward end. When Jason arrived home, still kicking himself for the blunder, he was suddenly knocked out by an unseen assailant. Across town, Alex was confused when he received strange texts from Jason, asking him to come over. After putting Chase and a sick Trevor to bed, Alex went to see Jason.  

When Conrad came to pick her up for the grand opening, Molly felt she had no choice but to end their relationship. Brent was concerned when he found out that Molly wasn’t coming because she claimed to be ill. After dropping off Claire — who’d been called into the hospital for an emergency shift — Brent impulsively went to see Molly. She confessed that she was feeling fine but had broken up with Conrad. She then admitted that she hadn’t been able to stop thinking about her and Brent’s admission of love to one another. Brent was overcome and reiterated his own feelings for her. The exes made love. When they awoke the next morning, however, Brent’s guilt over having cheated on Claire was evident. Molly, who’d been hoping for more of a reunion, was crushed, and Brent told her that he needed time to sort out his feelings. Later, when Claire learned about the breakup from Conrad, she questioned Molly about it. Molly dodged any admission of what had happened between her and Brent. 

The morning after The Wild Lady’s opening was the hearing over Peter’s custody. Everyone was surprised when Jason was late, without even a phone call to explain why. At home, Jason was horrified to awaken late and with what felt like a hangover — and with Alex in his bed. Neither man seemed to have any idea how they’d wound up that way. Jason denied having sent the texts asking Alex to come over. In his panic, he even wondered if Alex had engineered the situation, an accusation that hurt Alex terribly. Jason placed a call to his family at the courthouse, lying that he’d gotten a flat tire, and soon made it to the hearing.  

However, Spencer and Natalie’s attorneys presented photos from their P.I. that contradicted Jason’s story about having had a flat tire that morning, instead insinuating that he’d had an overnight guest and overslept. Coupled with a variety of photos of Jason and Alex together, it was implied that Jason was having a secret affair with Alex. The judge threw out his suit, awarding custody to Peter’s biological parents. Jason accused Spencer and Natalie of having set him up, but they denied any knowledge. Alone, Elly took a phone call implying that she’d been behind the setup.  

Trevor was furious when he woke up and had no idea where Alex was. Alex arrived home and insisted that someone had lured him to Jason’s house and then drugged him. Determined to prove that he was telling the truth, he went to get a blood test. When Jason consulted with Sarah, she suggested that he go for a blood test, too. Having had more time to process the situation, Jason apologized to Alex for having doubted him. Sabrina tried to stand up for Jason to Natalie, and Natalie nastily planted the seed in insecure Sabrina’s head that maybe something really was going on between Jason and Alex. This caused Sabrina to pull back from her friendship with Jason.  

Jason was puzzled when he got back his blood test results and there was no sign that he’d been drugged — but then he found out that Alex, who had been tested hours before Jason was, had tested positive for Rohypnol. The extra time had given the drugs time to leave Jason’s system. Convinced that someone had set him up to miss the hearing, Jason vowed to file an appeal and win custody of Peter. Alex presented the test results to Trevor, who believed him. Although they were able to mend the rift in their marriage, Trevor admitted some insecurity about Alex’s closeness with Jason, and they promised to be more open in their communication.  

Sarah reported to Diane that she’d found records of a woman named Therese DeLuca, who’d worked for Diane’s grandfather’s company in the 1960s. What was really striking was that Diane’s grandfather, Dick Bishop, made payments to Therese DeLuca every year until his death in 1981. Diane was sure that she’d tapped into a family mystery and was determined to solve it. Diane made a secret trip to Ohio in search of Therese DeLuca. Instead, she met Therese’s sister, Cindy, who informed her that Therese had died the previous year. When Diane mentioned her relationship to Dick Bishop, Cindy became angry. She gave Diane a locket and told Diane to ask Claudia about it. When Samantha saw the locket, she wondered why it was identical to a locket that her late grandfather Henry had owned, which had been among some of his belongings that Claudia had let Samantha keep. Diane filled in her daughter on the mystery of Therese DeLuca but swore her to secrecy for the time being. 

Spencer found himself questioning the way the custody hearing had ended and, recalling Loretta’s offer of help, flew across the country to see his adoptive mother in prison. She angrily assumed that Elly had revealed something to him, which made Spencer realize that Loretta had hired the P.I. (and likely masterminded the plot to make Jason miss the hearing) and somehow made Elly take credit for it. Concerned about Elly’s involvement with Loretta, he later asked the attorney about it, but she snapped at him and refused to elaborate any further. Spencer was left certain that there was more to the story. However, with the custody case settled, he proposed to Natalie that they could finally divorce. She was reluctant to give up everything that came with being his wife. 

When Tempest realized that Sabrina had pulled back from Jason, she told her about the drug tests and urged Sabrina to get over herself and be there for Jason. Sabrina, who felt insecure about Jason’s feelings for her, was uncertain about how to proceed. When Spencer taunted Jason about the outcome of the custody case, Jason lost his cool and punched him in front of a number of witnesses at the arena. As a result, the judge tossed out Jason’s appeal, effectively ending the custody dispute for good. Jason struggled to accept that he wouldn’t be raising Peter at all. He went to Sabrina and explained to her what had actually happened the day of the hearing, and she apologized for ever doubting him. She also admitted that she had developed feelings for him that went beyond friendship, and Jason asked her to go on a true date. 

Between the custody situation and Tori’s estrangement from the family, the Fishers celebrated a very divided Thanksgiving, with some family members at Paula’s house while others gathered at Spencer and Natalie’s. Samantha brought Jaq as her date, which delighted Diane, though it caused friction when Tempest arrived and saw them together. Diane also had a chance to talk with Tori and Zane; hoping to loosen Zane’s hold on Tori, Diane offered to help her get a job at KBAY. However, Zane later came to her, asking for help with a listing for an IT opening at the radio station. Diane was reluctant but still hoped that putting in a good word would ultimately benefit Tori. 

As the year drew to its end, Molly went to speak with Brent about their tryst, but their conversation grew heated and she was unable to reveal what she’d planned to tell him: that she was pregnant. She finally blurted it out on Christmas Day — unaware that Claire, who’d hoped that Brent would propose to her that day, was present and overheard the shocking news. Sarah and Matt also went to see Tori and Zane on the holiday, without any agenda other than beginning to mend fences, and they were encouraged by Tori’s civil reception to them. Bolstered by his encounter with Tori, Matt went to see his brother, hoping to patch things up with Jake. Jason showed up at Natalie and Spencer’s with a present for Peter, and something for them, as well: he explained that, for Peter’s sake and for his own, he was giving up on pursuing custody. He sadly retreated, determined to move forward even in the face of this grief. But Natalie was even more shocked when she answered the doorbell during Christmas dinner and found Loretta Ragan at her doorstep!