"Miranda led AJ over to a chair to sit down, and she apologized that he'd been beaten up. He swore that it hadn't been her fault, but she wailed that people at school wouldn't sit next to her or even look at her. AJ blamed Hunter, and Miranda lamented that if other kids associated with her, then they risked being humiliated or bullied. She refused to keep doing that to AJ, and she insisted that AJ stay away from both her and Hunter to be safe. AJ proclaimed that no one controlled him, and he vowed that he'd never turn his back on her, because she was his best friend and his family.
At Jane's Addiction, JR greeted Kyle by name and mentioned that he'd heard that Kyle had turned into an entrepreneur. JR asked what was in Kyle's backpack, and Kyle nervously replied that it contained books for school. Kyle tried to rush off, but JR said that he knew that Kyle supplied extra juice to his teammates, and he demanded that Kyle turn over the backpack. When Kyle hesitated, JR threatened to tell Kyle's coaches, parents, and the police about Kyle's steroid habit. JR promised that no one would ever know if Kyle handed over the drugs and let JR dispose of them.
At the Chandler mansion, JR found steroids in Kyle's backpack, but he quickly hid the bag as Cara walked in. JR said that he had just been thinking about her, and she asked if it was a good time. He claimed that he had been catching up on the stock market, and he inquired about her trip to the amusement park. Cara gushed that she'd had the best time with Oliver, and she presented JR with a souvenir cap as a token of her gratitude. She said that there was no way to repay JR for allowing her to be with her son, and she hugged JR.
JR asked if the hospital had given Cara a hard time for taking time off, but she revealed that the Chandler mansion had been her first stop. JR was honored, and she noticed that he was getting around much better. He credited a balance of diet and exercise, and he said that he knew that she'd catch him if he fell. Cara scheduled a therapy session for the next morning, and JR asked if she wanted to grab dinner.
Cara insisted on buying, but JR replied that he was too old-fashioned to let her pay, and they compromised by deciding to go to Jane's Addiction. Miranda and AJ arrived home, and JR and Cara gasped at AJ's injuries. AJ fibbed that he had been hit by a line drive in a pickup game, and Cara briefly examined his face. Cara assured AJ that it looked worse than was, and she instructed him to apply ice. JR wanted to cancel their dinner plans, but AJ insisted that he was fine, and JR reluctantly agreed to go.
While walking through the town square, Cara marveled at JR's progress, and she called it a miracle. She commended his tenacity and determination, and he suspected that she was really calling him hard-headed and stubborn. Cara proclaimed that she was proud of JR.
Miranda and AJ played a video game in his room, and she won multiple times. He said that he'd let her win because she was a girl, and she playfully bopped him with a pillow and jumped on top of him. Miranda threatened to tickle AJ until he admitted that she'd won fairly, and they shared an awkward moment. She released him, and he agreed that she'd won.
Miranda declared that she wasn't a girl anymore, and she needed to learn to fight her own battles by ignoring Hunter until he left her alone. AJ pointed out that Miranda had been known to cry at cat food commercials, and she wondered if AJ thought that she couldn't handle herself. AJ called her sensitive, and he knew that Hunter pushed the right buttons, but AJ wouldn't let that happen. Miranda reiterated that she needed to learn how to deal with her problems on her own.
JR popped into AJ's room and asked how AJ's face was. AJ replied that it wasn't bad, and JR pressed AJ to tell him who'd really given AJ the shiner. Miranda encouraged AJ to tell the truth, and AJ explained that Hunter had bullied Miranda, but when AJ had tried to confront Hunter about it, Hunter had been with his buddies. AJ didn't want JR to make things worse, and JR appreciated that AJ had been straight with him. JR said that the situation had to stop, because two people he loved had been affected.
JR promised to keep it quiet, but he wanted to talk to Hunter's father. JR left, and Miranda noted that perhaps JR could help, but AJ doubted it. Miranda and AJ hugged, and they appeared to be about to kiss, but his phone rang. Miranda realized that it might be Heather calling, and she stepped out. AJ answered the phone, and Miranda heard him tell Heather that he had just been hanging out. A torn Miranda closed the door behind her.
At the police station, Lea told Zach that the facial recognition software hadn't returned any hits on the man in the photo, and she surmised that the man had kept a low profile. Zach believed that the man had been part of the Koslov family, since the man had been wearing the same icon as Uri. Lea enhanced the image of the medallion, and Zach noticed a maker's mark. Lea complimented Zach's eye, and he inferred that she really meant that he was strong and good-looking. Lea called Zach annoying.
Zach and Lea posed as Mr. and Mrs. Highgrove, and they met with Mr. Constantine, a jeweler. Zach explained that they were going overseas, and his wife wanted some new jewelry. Lea admired Mr. Constantine's briefcase full of beautiful pieces, and she asked if he'd made them. Mr. Constantine replied that he had, and Zach picked out a brooch. Lea was clearly affected as Zach pinned it to her dress and kissed her cheek.
Lea inquired whether the jeweler did custom work, like engraving a family crest on a pendant. She pulled out the Koslov medallion, and a shaken Mr. Constantine questioned where she'd found it. She claimed that it had belonged to an ex-lover, and Mr. Constantine admitted that he had done the work. She assumed that he knew the Koslovs, but he hesitated to acknowledge any association with them. Lea elaborated that Uri had been mad at her when she hadn't wanted to give the medallion back after they'd broken up, and she wondered if it was one of a kind.
Mr. Constantine confirmed that he'd made three medallions -- for Uri, Uri's father, and Uri's brother, Vladimir. Lea contended that since she was happily married, she wanted to give the medallion back to Uri, and she asked how she could contact Uri. Mr. Constantine became flustered and declared that he was much too busy to take on custom work. The jeweler tried to rush out, but Zach reminded him that Zach hadn't yet paid for the brooch. Mr. Constantine took Zach's money and made a hasty exit.
At the hospital, Dr. Anders reported to Jesse, Angie, and Dixie that Cassandra's tests for STDs, HIV, and hepatitis had all been negative, but Angie observed his solemn expression, and the doctor revealed that Cassandra was pregnant. Angie worried that Cassandra was already sick from withdrawal and that the drugs could have already hurt the baby. Dixie contemplated the chances of Cassandra carrying the child to full term, but Jesse snapped that Cassandra couldn't relive her nightmare for the next nine months. Dixie pointed out that ultimately, it was Cassandra's decision to make.
A distraught Angie entered Cassandra's room, and Cassandra begged for drugs to stop the pain. Dr. Anders explained that full withdrawal was very unpleasant, and suboxone would lessen it, but it could take a few days for Cassandra to feel normal. As Jesse looked on, Cassandra pleaded with Angie to make it stop, and Angie swore that Cassandra would get through it. Angie promised that she and Jesse weren't going anywhere, but when she turned around, Jesse was gone.
Jesse called Uri and demanded an urgent meeting about Zach. Later, Jesse met Uri in an alley, and Uri snidely hoped that Jesse had good news about Zach, but Jesse punched Uri and slammed him up against a building. One of Uri's men appeared and grabbed Jesse, who spat that Cassandra was pregnant. Uri pulled out a blade and held it to Jesse's throat. Uri snarled that no one had ever attacked him and lived, and he warned Jesse not to try to find him again.
Uri threatened to kill Jesse's family if Jesse continued to ask questions, and he asked if he was clear. Uri called Jesse a brave man, but there was a fine line between being brave and foolish. Uri advised Jesse not to be stupid enough to cross the line again, and he smacked Jesse across the face. Uri's goon kicked Jesse in the ribs, and Jesse lay wincing on the ground as the men walked away.
Cassandra screamed to make the pain stop, and Angie assured her that the medicine would start working soon. David put his hands on Angie's shoulders and swore that Cassandra would make it, and they stepped outside the room. David told Angie to call him if she needed anything, and she thanked him for being there. David left, and Zach approached and hugged Angie. Angie reported that Cassandra had been having a tough time, and Zach asked for Angie's permission to show Cassandra a picture.
Angie wondered if the photo might help catch the monsters who had tortured Cassandra, and she agreed to let Zach in. Lea watched from the doorway as Zach called Cassandra's name, and Cassandra stirred. Zach asked for Cassandra's help, and he inquired whether she was up for looking at a photo. She nodded, and she cringed in horror when she recognized Uri and Vlad. She identified Uri as the man in charge, and she added that Vlad had followed Uri's orders.
Jesse returned to the hospital, and Angie approached him in the hallway. She asked where he'd been, and he claimed that he'd needed to clear his head. She asked what had happened to his face, and he lied that he'd been clumsy while leaving in a hurry. Jesse questioned how they could tell Cassandra that she was pregnant after everything she'd been through, and Angie begged him to stay strong for her and Cassandra. Jesse pledged to kill the men who'd hurt Cassandra, and he and Angie hugged.
At Jane's Addiction, Dixie asked if she could join Dr. Anders, who remained abrasive. She remarked that she'd done research on his doctorate, and she was confident that the Hubbards were getting the best possible care. Dr. Anders coldly stated that he could have told her that, and Dixie asked why he'd moved to Pine Valley. He tersely disclosed that he'd been offered a staff position, and she inquired whether he'd been unhappy in Denver.
Dr. Anders looked irritated, and he questioned whether Dixie was psychologically profiling him. Dixie replied that she was simply getting to know him, but he said that he didn't do well with chitchat, and he began to leave to go to an appointment. Dr. Anders suddenly offered to give Dixie his initial conclusions about her, and he told a stunned Dixie that she was the most attractive therapist he'd ever met.
At the hospital, Cassandra had a nightmare. In it, she was trapped in the dark hospital corridors. Doors shut and locked, and a stripper pole appeared. Hands groped at her, and a man approached her with a syringe. She ran into a room that appeared to be Jesse's apartment. Uri appeared, and Cassandra screamed. She awakened, crying, "No! No!" Jesse comforted her.
Later, Dr. Anders matter-of-factly told Cassandra that heroin addicts went through withdrawals all the time, and there was no reason she couldn't get up and walk around. Jesse admonished the doctor for his brashness, but Anders ambivalently left the room.
Dixie followed Anders into the corridor to tell him that he needed to find himself some bedside manners. Scoffing, he said he didn't pamper his patients; he gave them the truth, which was what they needed. Dixie didn't believe one had to be cruel to be truthful. Anders didn't see how telling an addict to exercise was cruel, and he wondered when someone would tell Cassandra about her pregnancy.
Anders decided that if Cassandra's parents or Dixie didn't do it, he would. Dixie asked if he were really that insensitive. He said he was professional, and she should try it sometime. Dixie looked astonished as Anders walked off. A determined gleam appeared in her eyes, and she marched forward.
In a hotel room, the pajama-clad Lea and Zach discussed Vlad. Lea suspected that Vlad had been killed along with Uri. Zach thought it was a possibility and told her to get dressed. He hoped he'd never tell another woman to do that, but they had work to do.
The pair went into town, and Zach asked Lea if it were possible that Vlad was dead, but not Uri. Lea reasoned that brothers would have similar DNA, but she said killing one's own brother to set Zach up was despicable. Zach thought it was genius; Uri could destroy Zach and disappear at the same time. Lea asked about the matching dental records, and Zach said he'd discuss that with Jesse.
Later, Lea and Zach found Jesse in Cassandra's empty room and shared their theory about Vlad and Uri. Lea said that familial murder ran in the Koslov family, and the senior Koslov had been suspected of killing his brother in the 1990's. Jesse offered to check it out, but he reminded them of the matching dental records. Lea asked about the possibility of them being the wrong records.
Just then, Angie and Cassandra interrupted as they returned to the room. Lea and Zach asked how Cassandra felt, and Angie said her daughter needed to rest after the first real walk of the recovery. Zach and Lea left, and Angie was surprised when Jesse left, too.
In the corridor later, Angie and Dixie conferred about revealing Cassandra's pregnancy. Angie didn't want to jeopardize the recovery by keeping things from Cassandra, who was already sensing that there was something they weren't telling her. Dixie agreed that maintaining trust was a critical part of the recovery. Angie thought Cassandra was physically strong but emotionally fragile.
Dixie said Cassandra could handle the news better from Angie. Angie wished Jesse was there. She didn't know where he'd gone, and she couldn't reach him by phone. Dixie guessed police work had called him away. Angie said she couldn't wait, and Dixie offered to be there if Angie needed support.
Angie returned to her daughter's room, and Cassandra immediately asked what was wrong. Angie mentioned the blood tests, and Cassandra got upset. Angie quickly said that Cassandra didn't have any diseases, but in a quiet voice, Angie revealed that Cassandra was pregnant.
Cassandra gasped in shock, and Angie said that Cassandra didn't have to do anything at that moment. Cassandra sobbed, and Angie rocked her daughter as she cried.
Elsewhere in the hospital, Jesse collided with Joe. Jesse admitted that his mind was just in a million different places. Joe remarked that Angie and Jesse were living a parent's worst nightmare, but Cassandra was strong like her mother. Joe felt that Angie and Jesse would see Cassandra through it.
Jesse wished it was that simple. Joe urged Jesse to forget about everything else and concentrate on Cassandra and Angie, who needed to know that he was there for them. Jesse uncomfortably nodded.
In Jesse's office, Lea researched something on the computer. Zach felt as if they were going behind Jesse's back, but she reasoned that Jesse had a lot on his plate with his family. With Zach's freedom on the line, Lea didn't think they could wait for Jesse to do the research.
Lea searched Jesse's emails for the name of Uri's dentist but found nothing. Zach thought that was odd. Lea located the dental records on the hard drive, and Zach asked if all Jesse had done was save them on the computer. Zach wrote down the contact information from the x-ray, and Lea said they'd check the dentist out to see if he'd made a mistake.
At the mansion, Cara tried to teach JR a yoga pose. He collided with her, and they fell on the sofa. Dixie entered and joked about the position she found them in. Cara and JR recomposed themselves, and Dixie said she was there to say that Brooke's interview with David would soon air.
On the set of Talk Tempo, Brooke opened her show by stating that she'd be talking with David Hayward, who hoped that his life-saving invention would turn his life around. "But when is it too late to reinvent yourself, and how far do you go in the wrong direction before it's too late to turn yourself around? We'll find out when we come back," Brooke said.
After the commercial break, Brooke discussed David's release from prison, which was where he'd been after attempting to murder JR. David remarked that JR should have been in prison for killing David's daughter. Though Brooke was sorry about Marissa, Brooke stated that David had been in other legal entanglements, such as when he'd been caught conducting experiments on human subjects.
David replied that the charges had been dropped. He asked if Brooke had a point, or if she just wanted to depress him with reminders of his dark past. Brooke asked why he'd chosen to start anew in a town containing people he'd alienated. He responded that he'd experienced triumphs there as a cardiac surgeon, and he'd saved the lives of countless community members, including the life of Erica Kane.
David felt that he'd made the right decision in returning to Pine Valley. He noted that he'd already partnered with Cortlandt Electronics, and the deal had poised the company to become the leading producers of medical devices in the country. David felt that the partnership would revitalize the weak economy and return jobs to Pine Valley.
Backstage, Pete watched the interview while standing next to Celia. Colby noticed the pair together and whispered to Pete that she had to move him because Dimitri didn't want any visitors near the crew during the interview.
As the interview progressed, Brooke asked why David would shoot a defenseless man at point-blank range. In David's opinion, JR had hardly been defenseless. David said JR had planned to do harm to one or more guests at the party, and David had used the gun that JR had pointed at David's daughter.
Brooke contended that David's prints had been on the gun that had fired upon his daughter. David said it was because he'd struggled over the gun with a drunken psychopath. David figured he'd never forgive himself if, while struggling with that monster, he'd somehow helped JR exact his revenge.
David asked what Brooke would have done if a person had killed her child before her own eyes. Brooke stated that shooting JR hadn't "brought" back Marissa. Sadly, David agreed; however, he admitted that when he'd turned the gun on JR, he'd wanted JR to suffer the same fate as Marissa had.
After the interview, Colby told David that he'd tried to kill her brother, but he'd managed to make her tear up during the interview. David took that as a compliment and invited her to go for a late breakfast. Colby's eyes narrowed on Pete, who was talking to Celia, and David guessed Colby would prefer to eat after her victory lap. David wished Colby luck and then took off.
Across the room, Pete said Celia appeared to be in her element at the studio. Celia complimented David's performance and said Pete and David would have a profitable venture. Pete replied that it didn't mean much without someone to share it with.
"Anyone for a late breakfast?" Colby asked, placing her hand on Pete's shoulder. "Well, you don't have to worry about that, do you?" Celia quipped to Pete and strode off.
Back at the mansion after David's interview, Cara stared thoughtfully at the television, and JR asked what was wrong. She said she hadn't listened when people had advised her to stay away from David, and she couldn't make that mistake again. JR replied that she wouldn't make it with JR. Cara stated that JR was her patient, and she couldn't cross any lines.
JR figured that it had been hard for Cara to hear what David had said, and JR couldn't pretend he hadn't done it. JR claimed he'd changed, but Cara replied that she didn't get involved with patients. He figured he wouldn't be a patient for long, but Cara asserted that her main focus was helping Mackenzie recover and returning to Oliver, who was in Puerto Rico.
JR claimed that he understood and reasoned that Cara was still his therapist for the time being. She agreed that she was his as long as she was in town.
Since the session had ended, Cara decided to leave for the hospital. JR asked her to talk to his cook about his smoothies because the cook didn't get it. Cara left to do that, and JR pulled out some paper to write something down from his phone.
At the coffee shop later, Cara ran into David. She remarked that she'd seen his interview, and he asked for her honest opinion about how badly he'd damaged his reputation. Cara stated that he'd done well, and she'd seen a glimpse of the old David Hayward. He wasn't sure if that was good or bad. "It's good..." she thoughtfully uttered.
Cara stated that the man David had been in the interview had reminded her of the kind and gentle man who'd gotten her through the cancer scare. David stated that people didn't change, and he was still that man. As she tried to walk off, he added that he'd told her before that he'd lost everything due to what had happened that night, and he didn't just mean Marissa.
Upset, Cara stated that she wasn't going to defend her action. David said he was trying to accept and live with what she'd done. He told her that she didn't have to speak; he was the one trying to apologize. He felt he'd lashed out at her before because she'd crushed his dream. More than anything in the world, he'd wanted that baby, and he'd believed it would change everything.
Cara shed tears, and she uttered that she couldn't. David said he'd just thought she should know. He asked her to enjoy her coffee. As he turned to leave, she asked him to wait. She said she had to tell him something. "I'm so sorry," she cried. Nodding, he said it meant a lot to him. David walked out, and Cara shed more tears.
Later, JR was in a building courtyard, practicing boxing moves. David happened along and quipped that he'd thought killing someone would have quelled JR's hunger. JR jabbed at David, who moved, and JR said he felt too good to let David to take him down.
David noted that the physical therapy was working for JR, and David had seen JR's therapist at Jane's. JR asked if Cara was okay, and David replied that he wasn't the one known for attacking women. "Not physically," JR quipped. David added that he and Cara had made their peace, and whatever Cara was doing for JR was really working.
Because he'd never seen a coma patient recover so quickly, David wondered if JR were downplaying his recovery so that Cara would motivate him longer. JR called that an insult to Cara, but David retorted that it was an insult to JR. David stated that he knew the real JR, who'd lie, cheat, and steal to get what he wanted. JR reasoned that if David really thought that was who JR was, it would be wise of David to steer clear of JR."
- soapcentral.com