Mike continued to ponder about the button while he was walking around the lime pit. He happened upon some brush that he remembered finding on Diego's jacket the night before. Mike thought that Diego being at the lime pit was a crazy idea, but he began to see that maybe that made sense. A car pulled up and a man approached Mike and asked him if there was a problem. Mike told him there was not and asked the man about how unique the brush was and if it grew anywhere else in the city. The man told him it only grew near the lime pit.
Diego, with buttons from the shirt he was wearing the night "Umberto " died, stood in front of something that was smoldering at the Snyder pond. He thought back to the day when Mike had been on the phone with Margo. Mike had told her that he might have found proof that someone else had been there in the brush that night at the lime pit. Lily then showed up at the pond, glad to have finally found Diego. She inquired as to what was burning. Diego said it was just some old papers. Lily told him that Lucinda had invited them over for dinner.
Lucinda, who was getting ready for her dinner guests, greeted John, who was just getting home from the hospital. John said he'd had a long day but asked her if she wanted to play a game of canasta. Lucinda told him that she was having Lily and Diego over for dinner. John said he would leave when they arrived. Lucinda wanted to know how John was doing on his mission about Martin and how Lisa was making a fool of herself. John said he couldn't tell Lisa anything because he didn't have any credibility with her. Barbara had refused to help John.
Lily and Diego showed up. Lucinda and Lily asked John to stay, but he said he was tired and wanted to get some rest and then he left. Lucinda then turned her attention to Diego and told him she wanted to know everything about him. Lucinda had no idea that Diego was so well travelled. He had learned English and all his other studies from a man who was from an impoverished home. Diego told her he found happiness in his travels. Lucinda asked him if he had any children. He said he had none. Lucinda wanted to know how he felt about Emily. Diego told Lucinda they had only had a few dates. Lucinda announced that Emily had no taste.
Lily made a comment about eating all the appetizers and sent Diego to the kitchen to get more from Rosa. Lily wondered what was up with all the questions. Lucinda said she just wanted to know him better. She trusted Lily to make her own decisions, but she was just trying to make a bond with Diego for her. As Diego started to tell another story, the doorbell rang. Mike suddenly appeared in the room.
Barbara sat down with Martin and Lisa as they were having lunch at the Lakeview. Lisa asked Barbara if anything was wrong because Barbara seemed to be acting weird. Barbara told her yes. Lisa wanted to know if it was because she had cancelled their lunch. Barbara said that wasn't the reason; it was more important things. Lisa asked her what was wrong again. Barbara threw a lot of aeronautical terms into the conversation, making Martin uncomfortable and making Lisa confused.
Lisa's cell phone rang, and she got up to take the call. Martin told Barbara to spit it out . Barbara couldn't figure out what he was up to and told him that she knew about his pilot's license . Barbara wanted to know who Mai-Ling was, since Barbara had seen the two of them together so much recently . Martin told her it was an old acquaintance of his. Barbara told him she'd heard their conversation. Martin told her he wasn't up to anything, and he was not a gold-digger.
Barbara showed Martin copies of the papers she had received by fax from the Aviation Authority, including his pilot's license picture. She asked why he had lied to Lisa. He claimed to have a good reason. He admitted he had taken advantage of the situation on the plane but insisted that he hadn't done anything wrong. In fact, he claimed to have restored Lisa's faith in men. He questioned if Barbara wanted Lisa to be happy. Martin asked Barbara who had been hurt that he hadn't told the truth about the airplane incident. He said if Barbara and John thought it wouldn't hurt Lisa to tell her the truth, then they should go right ahead and show her the papers.
Lisa returned, telling them it had been Carly on the phone. Lisa suggested they go to Mona Lisa to finish talking, but Barbara said she didn't have time and left. Lisa wanted to know what Barbara's issue had been about, but Martin claimed to have no idea. Lisa said Barbara had seemed distracted. Martin mentioned the Get Real national chain idea again, but Lisa shot it down, telling him if Barbara felt like talking, then they would talk about it.
Barbara went to see John. He thought that Lisa deserved better, but John wouldn't be getting in the way anymore. If Lisa was happy with Martin, then John would let it be. John insisted he was done meddling. Barbara told him that she wanted him to keep checking, because she thought he was right about Martin.
Dani testified that she didn't agree with Richard on what had really happened that day in the locker room at the Yacht Club. She told the court that Richard was going to show her his parents' cabana but had then taken her to the locker room and told her that his parents were back and that they couldn't go there. She said Richard had been all over her, kissing her. She had told him to stop. He had told her to just relax and had pinned her against the lockers. She had tried to get away, but she had been trapped.
Dani continued by saying Richard had been trying to take her top off when Ryder walked in and pulled Richard off her. Dani had a look in her eye like she was reliving some kind of story and then began to tell the court that Richard had tried to take a swing at Ryder, but Ryder had ducked. Then five guys who were friends of Richard's had walked in as Richard picked up a stool to hit Ryder with.
Ryder turned to Nikki during that part of the testimony and asked her what Dani was talking about. Jessica summarized for Dani. She asked if Ryder had only been protecting her when Richard wouldn't lay off. Dani answered yes. With Jessica done, Assistant D.A. Bailey started his cross-examination.
Bailey described Ryder as a warrior . Bailey asked about the five guys who had supposedly walked in. Dani couldn't remember any details about them since it had happened so fast. Bailey asked her where the stool had been, since the stools in the locker room were bolted to the floor. Dani couldn't remember. Bailey asked her if she was living in a fairy tale. Bailey accused her of having a fantasy relationship with Ryder. Dani told him she wasn't fantasizing.
Bailey played a tape from WOAK of the dedication Dani had made to her "mystery phantom" rescuing her when she couldn't find Ryder after the incident. Bailey further accused her of being in love with Ryder. Dani said she wasn't in love with him. Bailey asked why she was living at the Hughes house. She told him that Kim had invited her to stay there because she was always alone at Susan's. Bailey wanted to know how it felt to finally get to live with Ryder. Bailey said he had nothing further. Jessica, on redirect, asked Dani if the dedication had thanked Ryder for rescuing her. Dani said yes, it had. Jessica had nothing further.
With testimony done, they waited in the courtroom for the judgment. Nikki told Hal that Dani had exaggerated. Jessica was furious with Dani for not telling her about the dedication. Dani apologized, saying she had only been trying to show how brave Ryder was. Jessica told her that the judge would probably discount her testimony, and that it made Ryder look guiltier, which would make the judge think that Ryder had asked Dani to go to court and lie for him.
At about that time, Richard went up to Nikki and told her that he would keep her company while Ryder was in jail. Ryder heard it and went after Richard as the judge returned. Hal and Bob broke them up, and the judge called the room back to order. He announced that he had made a decision and asked for Ryder to please rise.
Mark told Jones he was hungry after packing his things to take over to Jones's cottage. The doorbell rang. Mark answered it and Connor was standing there. Mark asked her to enter. He told her he had gotten her message. Mark said he had something to tell her, but she wanted to go first. She told him that she was in anguish because Cal wouldn't have the surgery and she had done something she wasn't proud of. She was afraid she wasn't making any sense. Mark tried to get her to calm down so she could explain.
Jones returned from the kitchen and asked who was at the door. Jones found Connor talking to Mark. Connor turned, looked at Jones , and noticed a ring on her ring finger. Connor then turned back to Mark and saw a ring on his finger too. Connor asked them if they had gotten married. They told her they had. Connor was in shock.
Mark and Jones hadn't told anyone about the marriage yet. Mark had been trying to tell Connor they had gotten married when she first walked in. Connor offered her congratulations and said she would show herself out. Jones apologized to Mark about Connor finding out that way. Mark said it was okay. Jones wanted to know why Connor had shown up. Mark told her he didn't know and that he wouldn't worry about it.
Connor went to the tree house that Mark had built for them. She remembered back to when she first met him, the New Year's party when they had first kissed, the night they had gotten stuck in a sink hole in the foreman's office of a prospective client for Kasnoff Construction and thought they were going to die, the day he had shown her the tree house he had built, and the night they had made love in it. She then flashed back to seeing the rings on Mark and Jones's fingers. She knew that she had lost him for good.
The judge in Ryder's assault case asked Ryder to stand so the verdict could be read. He declared Ryder guilty of assaulting Richard Warren, deeming the testimony of Ryder and Dani not credible, and sentenced him to three months probation to be served under house arrest. Because it was Ryder's first offense, he would be allowed to go to work in the morning, but he needed to return home by 7:00 p.m. every evening. There were to be no social engagements outside the home or work.
The judge called Jessica and Assistant D.A. Bailey over for a sidebar. Bob told Ryder it could have been much worse. Nikki told Hal that he hadn't done it. Hal agreed that it was a bum rap , but that nothing could be done about it. Richard looked at Nikki with a big smile on his face. Jessica and Bailey returned from the sidebar. The judge went on to say to Ryder that any violation during the probation period would result in immediate incarceration. The judge added that he hoped that he didn't see Ryder again.
The Warren family thanked Bailey for his work. Richard told his mom that he was sorry she had to hear all those "lies." Hal told Ryder that Richard was only trying to provoke him to make it worse. Nancy told Ryder that the family was behind him. Bob and Kim talked to each other, trying to figure out what had gotten into Dani for her to not tell the truth. Ryder said that house arrest would feel like being grounded. Bob reminded him that he could at least get out of the house and keep busy. Nikki told him it would go fast.
Dani apologized to Ryder. She felt like everyone hated her, but she had only been trying to help. Everyone was staring at Dani, giving her the evil eye . Dani admitted that she had been scared, trying to remember everything; with Richard watching her, it had been any easier. She'd thought the judge had looked like he was on Richard's side, and she'd feared that if she didn't make Ryder look good, he would go to jail. Ryder told Dani he knew she had only been trying to help. Dani said Bailey had twisted her words. Jessica scolded Dani for not testifying the way they had discussed. Dani said she'd tried her best.
Kim stopped Dani as they got ready to leave for the Hughes home and told her. Kim wanted to know what had happened on the stand. Dani said she had been scared. Kim understood being scared but not why Dani had made up stories when she had only needed to tell the truth. Dani said she had been scared because everyone had told her how important her testimony was. Kim told her that shifting blame to them wasn't going to help her. Kim didn't believe any part of Dani's story and wanted to know what was going on with her. Since Dani would be living in the same house with Ryder for the three months of the probation, Kim would not tolerate any trouble from her.
Once back at the house, Jessica said she would file an appeal. Hal said it might be easier to serve the sentence, since it could take longer than three months to get the case heard again. It would be really easy time, especially since Nikki would stop over every day. Nikki and Hal left to go to Jennifer's birthday party. Ryder was upset that he couldn't take Nikki out after 7:00 p.m. Dani smiled and watched as Nikki and Ryder said goodnight. Ryder told Nikki that if he had another chance to rescue someone, he might just pass it up. Nikki told him he had done the right thing saving Dani from Richard.
Inside, the phone rang, and Dani answered it. It was Allen Brooks, a law clerk from the courthouse, who Dani had spoken to earlier in the day about the case she said she was covering for her school newspaper. Allen told her he had forgotten to tell her something. The judge usually sentenced offenders under 21 to probation, but there was a loophole. Dani told him that she had already turned in her story. She thanked him for his help and hung up. Ryder, standing outside, looked at his "prison" for the next three months and went into the kitchen. Dani walked in, looking pleased with Ryder .
Susan, at the Riverfront Park, was practicing talking to Cal about her feelings for him. He was late, she mused to herself, thinking she had been stood up. She flashed back to all the great times she'd had with him. Cal walked up and told her she was just the woman he was looking for. He apologized for being late and explained that he had crossed his signals on the meeting location. He told her he had been thinking about her. He began by telling her he thought that there had been a change in their relationship; he thought that they could talk about anything, but he felt Susan had been holding back.
Cal got flustered and couldn't figure out why he couldn't just come out and talk about it. Cal saw a hot dog vendor getting ready to close and asked Susan if she wanted one. Cal went over and got them a few hot dogs. While he was gone, Susan wondered what he wanted to tell her because he was so nervous. Susan looked around and saw a couple kissing on some steps. Cal returned. They got ready to talk again, but Cal seemed to be avoiding the subject. He thanked her for helping him through his toughest times lately.
Cal didn't want to jeopardize his relationship with Susan. Susan offered to talk first. She told him she was thinking about their relationship and how much he'd meant to her the last year, helping her get over Larry. She felt bad about herself. Cal told her he thought Larry was a fool to have let her go. Susan told him she'd thought her life was over, other than her kids and work. Cal made her feel beautiful, smart, capable, and fun to be with. Cal told her he hadn't understood the change until recently.
Cal felt that he was cramping Susan's style. She didn't feel that way. The last thing he wanted to do was to take advantage of her or stand in her way. She told him he was not a burden to her. Cal didn't understand. She told him their friendship was very important and that he was not standing in her way.
Cal wanted to know about their future. Cal told Susan he was envious of her being able to get over Larry. He wasn't over Connor yet, and all his chances were gone. He told her to go out and find someone who would appreciate her.
Cal then changed the subject about how chilly it was getting and how he loved that time of year. Susan couldn't wait to take Alison trick-or-treating, Alison was going as a bunny rabbit. Cal told her to take pictures because he wanted to see her. Susan told him she had to get back to the hospital. Cal offered to walk her to her car, but she refused, telling him they needed to stop leaning on each other.
Mike showed up at Lucinda's and said it was important that he talk to Diego privately; however, he found they were just getting ready to eat dinner. Lucinda and Lily asked him to join them, but he refused. Diego wanted to know if there was a problem, but Mike only wanted to talk to him privately. Lily wanted to know what was so important that he couldn't talk about it in front of everyone. Diego told Lily that it would be okay; there would be no secrets between them. As Mike and Diego walked out, Lily hoped it was not what she thought it was about.
Diego told Mike that he had upset Lucinda, and Lily wanted to know what it was all about. Mike showed Diego brush from the lime pit, like the brush Mike had found caught in Diego's belt. Mike wanted to know where Diego had been the previous night. Diego said he had been at the Snyder farm with Lily, and before that, he'd been at the pond. Mike told Diego he'd checked the brush around the pond and hadn't been able to find anything that matched. He went on to tell Diego that he had talked to a park ranger and found that the brush only grew around limestone. Mike told Diego he thought Diego had been there and was lying about it.
Lucinda and Lily talked privately. Lucinda told Lily that Rosa was holding dinner. Lily thought Mike and Diego were talking about Umberto . Lucinda wondered why Mike wouldn't leave it alone, since the police and the FBI had closed the case. Lucinda told Lily that if he had anything relevant, he wouldn't tell Diego instead of Lily.
In the other room, Diego wanted to know what Mike was accusing him of. Mike wanted to know why Diego wouldn't give him a straight answer and wondered if Diego had something to hide.
Lucinda thought the evening had been going well until Mike showed up. Lily agreed. Lucinda told Lily she didn't know about the hardships Diego had to overcome. Lily wanted to know what Lucinda thought of him. Lucinda didn't have any comments except that he was committed to his work. Lily offered that he wasn't after her money. Lucinda had been on her best behavior and wanted Lily to be happy that she hadn't scared him away yet. Lucinda was happy to see a luster in Lily's eyes again.
Mike wanted to know why Diego had lied to him. Diego said he didn't want to worry Lily because he had gone out and checked the trampled brush after Mike first told Lily about a possible second person. Diego said that Mike might have been right. Mike wanted to know when Diego had been there. Diego said he had been there the previous night.
Mike wanted to know why Diego hadn't told him. Diego said he was trying to protect Lily. It was better for Lily if she thought he was dead. Mike wanted to know what Diego would have done if he had found evidence of a second person. He asked if Diego would have turned the evidence over. Diego said he didn't know. He wanted Lily to make a fresh start and for Mike to promise to keep it between them.
Diego and Mike returned to Lily and Lucinda. Diego hoped they hadn't held dinner up, but Lucinda told him they had. Lily asked Mike why he had shown up and if he had found something out about Umberto. She wanted to know what it was. Mike told her it was between Diego and him.
Lily didn't want Mike and Diego protecting her and asked if there was something they were not telling her. Diego told her he didn't want to tell her, but it was going to be a surprise. Diego had Mike working on something for the new house. Lily was excited about it, and Diego wasn't going to tell her what it was.
Paul was having problems without Sarah, who was late, handling the phones. There was a knock at the door. Paul yelled that it was about time as he opened the door. He found Emily standing there instead of Sarah, who he expected. Paul asked Emily why she was there.
Emily told Paul she had a meeting downstairs and thought she would stop by and see if he was free. She found a picture of them together and didn't remember when or where it had been taken. Paul, looked at the picture and looked surprised. Emily asked him if he remembered it. Paul mused that he couldn't forget, which made Emily smile.
Paul told her that Andy had taken the picture on the Oakdale University campus before one of his photography classes. It was the day they had made love for the first time. Emily asked Paul if he regretted that Emily was his first. Paul told her no, he didn't. Emily confessed that no man had ever given her the feelings she'd felt when she was with him. They kissed, but Paul soon stopped and told her that he couldn't go down that road again.
Sarah and Zoe entered. Zoe was in a hurry to get the clothes she needed for her photo shoot for EAS, and Sarah asked Paul to grab the garment bag that was in his room. Paul left to retrieve it. Emily got ready to leave, saying she had kept Paul away from his work long enough. Paul returned and handed Zoe the bag.
Emily told Paul they would continue where they'd left off and gave him a peck on the cheek. Sarah gave Emily a dirty look as Zoe watched Sarah's jealousy take over. Later, while Paul and Sarah were working alone, Sarah found the picture Emily had taken there for Paul to see. She told him they looked like they were in love. Paul admitted that Emily was once important to him. Sarah then hoped that Mark and Jones would be as happy. It suddenly gave Sarah an idea for EAS: offer wedding packages. Paul liked the idea, especially if it would make EAS money.
Mark and Jones called for a meeting at the Kasnoff house. Ben, Zoe, Sarah, and Mike were there waiting for them, wondering what it was all about. Sarah offered that maybe they were engaged. Mark and Jones finally showed up, carrying a wrapped box with them. They announced that they were married. Everyone was in such a state of shock, that nobody said anything. Mark and Jones waited for the shock to wear off.
Sarah, the first to speak out, told Mark that he had cheated her out of planning a big wedding for them. Ben told Mark that he was a brave man. Mark and Jones opened the box. In it was a bottle of champagne, glasses, a bouquet of flowers, and a small cake. Ben made a toast, wishing the happy couple well. Zoe told Ben she had taken the plunge once and would never take it again.
Jones got ready to throw the bouquet and told everyone but Mark to gather around. She threw it,and Sarah caught it. The phone rang, and Mike answered it. It was about EAS construction. Mike and Mark left to take care of it. Sarah and Zoe left for EAS.
When Mike and Mark got back to the construction office, Mark cornered Mike. He wanted to know why Mike looked so "ticked" off. Mike pointed out that the marriage was out of the blue. Mark claimed that it wasn't, and he wouldn't have done it if he wasn't ready and it wasn't the right choice. They hugged each other, but Mark noticed a picture of Connor that Mike had tacked to a bulletin board. Mike said he'd found the picture in the desk while looking for an invoice; he removed it from the board. Mark said he had been over Connor for a long time.
Mike wondered if Connor knew about the wedding. Mark told her she was the first to know and was at the house when they had gotten back. She'd supposedly had something important to tell him, but he didn't know what it was. Mike wanted to know how she had taken it. Mark said she'd looked surprised, but she should have know he would move on when she told him that she had never loved him. Mark mused that when Connor and Jones had been in the same room together, he'd felt free.
Back at Casa Kasnoff, Zoe returned from EAS and found Ben finishing his packing. Ben asked her what she thought of the elopement of Mark and Jones. She told him she was surprised, but that it wouldn't work, since he hadn't worked for her and Cory. Ben told her that every man was not like Cory.
Zoe asked Ben if he believed in dreams . He told her he did. She wanted to know what they were. He wanted to make a difference with the free clinic and being a good doctor. Ben asked about her dreams. She said she didn't have an y that would affect anyone's life. Ben pointed out that she helped many charities.
Zoe thought her marriage had failed because she didn't add anything to Cory's life. Ben said that it took two people for a marriage to work. Ben told her that she needed a new dream and thought she should only have good thoughts. He advised her not to underestimate herself. Zoe started to put herself down, but Ben told her to stop it. Ben told her that she was a good person and that she just needed to relax. He told her that he could see in her eyes that she would find her dream.
Kirk stopped by Connor's house. He was glad to see her and guessed that maybe the reason she wouldn't answer the phone was because she had found Mark and things were going well. Connor told Kirk that no, things weren't good and that Mark and Jones were married. She guessed the lingerie had worked. She had been getting ready to tell Mark when she saw the gold wedding bands on Jones and Mark, and it was an image that had been burned into her mind. She said that at least she had managed to pull herself together long enough to congratulate them.
Kirk blamed himself for pushing her, but she was already kicking herself about why she'd thought he wouldn't move on after everything she had put him through. She felt she'd totally misread the signals Jones was putting out. Connor admitted she'd waited too long to fix the relationship. Kirk told her to let it go, but she told him she couldn't and ran out of the room.
Connor returned later. Kirk asked her if she felt better. Connor apologized for her behavior. She didn't know how to stop the "what-if's." She was afraid to choose between Cal and Mark. Kirk hugged Connor for support. Kirk told her he still missed Sam and knew it was his fault. He knew they needed to take responsibility for their actions, but he said that Mark would have never married Jones if Connor hadn't told him that she didn't love him.
Mark, was telling himself that he was in control of his life. What Connor said or didn't say wasn't his problem. He was committed to Jones. His marriage was his future, and Connor was his history.
Martin was on the phone, talking with Mai-Ling. He was telling her that he would handle Lisa but that he needed more time. Mai-Ling told him to watch his back because she didn't know how much longer she could hold the cartel off. He hung up, noticeably upset. Lisa thought it was about her decision not to let Get Real go national. He told her that she might be missing out on a great opportunity.
Martin daydreamed about Mai-Ling's warning. Lisa could tell he was a million miles away. He told her that he was thinking about his children, how far away they were from him. Lisa thought about playing "hooky" from work and staying with Martin. He told her that it wasn't necessary, that he had errands to do and would be preparing a Mandarin dinner to pamper her. She wanted to know what she had done to deserve him.
Lisa got ready to leave for work. As she opened the door, Barbara was right there, frightening them both. Lisa wanted to know why Barbara wasn't at Fashions. Barbara told her to pack her bags because Barbara would be abducting her for a few days . Martin appeared nervous.
Lisa wanted to know what the trip was for. Barbara said she wanted to get to New Orleans early for the buying trip they were going to take later in the week. Lisa was hesitant, but Barbara wanted to leave in the morning. Martin told her that wasn't possible. Barbara looked at Lisa, who just shrugged her shoulders.
Mark entered Al's diner, looking for Jones. He asked Loretta, the waitress, if she had seen Jones. She said that she hadn't. Mark thought that Jones had probably left, since he was running late. However, as he got ready to leave, a woman called out to him.
Jones was hard to recognize with her "hillbilly married lady" costume on. She was wearing old raggedy clothes, had rollers in her hair, and was talking with a drawled-out accent. Mark was amused. Mike showed up about that time and sat down with them. He placed a to-go order with Loretta. Mike was amused with Jones's costume, as well.
Cal walked through the door and sat down at a table. Jones asked Mark what was wrong, as she had her back to the door. He told her that Cal had just walked in. Loretta told Mike his order was ready, and Mike got up to leave, stopping by Cal's table to say hello and that he would be taking pictures of Luke later that day. Loretta took Cal's order, but he was distracted, looking constantly over to the table where Mark and Jones were seated.
Jones told Mark to stop punishing himself about Cal, but he said he couldn't because what he had done to Cal and his marriage to Connor killed him. Cal kept looking over to Mark and Jones. Loretta told him they had just gotten married. Cal was in complete shock. Jones mused that they'd missed out by eloping. They could have cleaned up in the "gift" department. Mark wasn't listening; he couldn't stop thinking about Cal.
Mark wished Cal would forgive Connor so they could get back together. Jones told Mark she thought that Connor wanted him; that was why she and Cal were not back together. Mark told Jones that he only cared about Jones. They got up to leave. Mark wanted to get her out of her dress. Jones pointed out that Mike needed help on the EAS project. Mark told her that he was still on his honeymoon and carried her out, while the diners cheered them on.
Looking at herself in a mirror, Connor finally decided that the chapter with her and Mark was over and she would get by one day at a time. She had lost everything that ever mattered to her -- Cal, Mark, and her career. There was a knock at the door. Kirk entered, dressed up as Connor's "fairy godmother." Connor asked him if he was going to a costume party, but he assured her it was just for her.
Connor hoped that Kirk hadn't been walking around Oakdale dressed like that, but he wanted to know what he would lose if he did, and suggested he'd lose his reputation. They laughed. Connor admitted she had once liked Halloween because she could be anybody she wanted. Kirk reminded her that she could still be anybody, and not just on Halloween either. He told her to put the pain and disappointment behind her and get on with her life. Connor told him the greatest costume she had ever worn was Annie Oakley. She got an idea in her head, grabbed her purse, and left.
After a few minutes, Kirk figured out where she was headed and followed. Connor showed up at Cal's stables. Kirk showed up as she was getting ready to gallop away, bareback. Kirk grabbed a horse and followed her. He surprised Connor by catching up to her. He was definitely in pain, and had been screaming at her for 30 minutes, but she hadn't heard him. She told him she felt alive when riding a horse. The real Connor Walsh was back, she proclaimed.
After Connor helped Kirk with his back, he asked her what she was going to do. She wasn't sure, but she had been great on her own before, even before she had heard of Cal or Mark. She decided to go into business with Kirk, since they had made a good team, past and present. She had some ideas, but wanted to do a little research first. She proclaimed her social life would be better too.
Connor got back on the horse to get to the ridge to watch the sunset as Kirk returned to meet her at the stables. As Connor was brushing her horse down, Kirk showed up, looking rather dirty. Kirk's horse had finally thrown him. Kirk told her he was going to go rest in the car. As he left, he brushed past a sleigh bell strap, and it suddenly reminded her of the night she and Mark had made love.
At the hospital in the children's ward, Kim wrapped up taping for WOAK from a Halloween party, and she stopped to talk to Bob. He had to assist in a comedy routine in the geriatrics ward, and wanted to know if Kim cared to tag along. She told him she had to return to the studio because the producer needed her; she walked away for a second. Bob watched Susan enter the solarium. Kim told Bob she had to leave to cover a haunted house contest and would see him later. She left.
Bob went over to sit with Susan and asked her if something was bothering her. She told him it was someone instead of something -- it was Cal. She told him that Emily had convinced her that she needed to tell him how she felt, but she had found out that he only thought of her as a friend. She was more embarrassed than hurt. Bob wished there was something more he could do to help. Susan said that just by listening, he had helped.
Cal walked into the solarium. Bob asked Susan if she wanted to duck out, but she said she had to face Cal sometime. Bob left after getting paged. Cal told Susan he had an appointment with Ben, but he wanted to stop and talk to her. He hoped that she understood what had happened in the park. Susan told him that she would be going it alone for a while herself.
Cal said it was important that Susan was happy. He told her that he had run into Mark and Jones and had found out that they were married. He admitted that it had taken him by surprise. Cal wondered how Connor was handling the news, but Susan didn't want to talk about it. Susan got paged and left.
Cal waited around for Susan after his appointment with Ben. It felt as if she had left abruptly, like he needed to talk about Connor and Mark. Susan told him that they couldn't do that anymore. She told him that she had a patient to attend to and left him again.
Susan ran into Bob again. Bob offered to treat her to dinner in the cafeteria. She hesitated at first, but then agreed. Bob got paged, and Susan went to get a table. Bob took a call from Kim. She told him that she had finished earlier than expected and asked if he would like to get an early dinner. He told her that he had made plans with someone else, not telling her it was with Susan, and that he would see her later.
Lily, at the Snyder farm, was getting Luke ready for Halloween. Lily was dressed as Sleeping Beauty. Diego knocked at the door, and entered with a cape over his face. He offered her the "poisonous" apple, but she refused, saying that she needed a handsome prince to reverse the effects of the apple. Diego dropped the cape to reveal himself as the prince.
Diego wanted to know why Lily had chosen the theme. She made him promise not to laugh. Diego said that Lily was so tough that he couldn't see how she would let a wicked stepmother run her out of her home with an apple. Lily told him that she had let a wicked mother-in-law poison her with envelopes -- her run-in with Orlena, Damian's mother. Those thoughts had turned her back to Umberto. Diego's phone rang, and Lily made an excuse to finish getting Luke ready as he answered it.
As Diego questioned a woman he didn't identify, Mike stood outside the kitchen window, and he was eavesdropping. Diego asked the caller why she was calling after he told her that he would be in touch. She told him that she was in Oakdale, and she wanted to know what she was doing there. Diego told her that yes, he loved her. She chose a place to meet, but he felt it was too public. Diego gave her directions to the lime pit and said he would be there as soon as he could.
Diego hung up. Mike knocked and entered. Lily wanted to know why Mike had stopped by. He was there to take pictures for posterity. Diego told Lily he couldn't go right then; he explained he had an emergency at the hospital, and he left. Lily asked Mike to tag along, but he couldn't go either. He had work to do on the EAS project, and Paul had him on a tight deadline; he also left. Mike actually followed Diego to the lime pit to find out who he was meeting. A woman showed up and hugged Diego as Mike watched from the brush.
Margo, was waiting for Adam to appear so they could go out for trick-or-treating. There was a knock at the door. Margo answered and found Nikki with Jennifer and Will. Jennifer was dressed as a princess, and Will was dressed as a king. Margo told Jennifer and Will that there was cider in the kitchen and to go have some.
Nikki stopped by to find out if Adam and Casey wanted to go trick-or-treating with them. Adam, who had since joined the conversation, didn't want to go because he thought costumes were for babies . Adam agreed to go if Nikki dressed up too. Nikki agreed, and Adam returned upstairs. Margo thanked Nikki for taking time to spend with them. Margo helped Nikki dress up. After Margo was done, she told Nikki to be careful because the dress showed off Nikki's figure well. In fact, she shouldn't show Hal either.
Margo wanted to know what was going on with Nikki and Ryder. She replied that he was nice. Margo wanted to know how serious it was. Nikki didn't know, but she wished she knew where things were headed. Margo offered to help answer her "female" questions if she felt uncomfortable asking Hal. Nikki appreciated the offer.
Adam returned downstairs and had Casey with him. Casey was dressed as a pirate and Adam was dressed up as a Martian . Margo asked Nikki to hold Casey's hand as much as possible. Nikki said she would. Margo looked happy to have the house all to herself.
Ryder returned home to find the Hughes home dark. Dani sneaked up behind him and turned the light on, revealing a decorated room. Dani explained that she had planned a party for him, since he was stuck in the house during his probation period. He couldn't believe she had planned a party just for him. He wanted to call Nikki and invite her over to join them, but he only got the answering machine. He wondered why she was not home. Dani offered that she could be out partying with friends. Dani offered other explanations, but Ryder was off in his own dream world, wondering where Nikki could be.
Dani told Ryder she had games planned and had a makeup kit, which Ryder reluctantly agreed to. She painted Ryder's face, but he fidgeted, wondering what she was doing. Dani wanted him to paint her face when she was done, but he balked at the idea, asking why they were doing it if it was just the two of them. The doorbell sounded, and Ryder jumped up thinking it might be Nikki, but it was only a couple of trick-or-treaters. They thought Ryder's makeup looked cool. Ryder, not knowing how he looked -- he looked somewhat like Dracula with a scar on his face -- went to see what he looked like.
Dani wanted to take a picture of him, but he wouldn't let her. Ryder chased her to get the camera away, and they got close to kissing, but the phone rang . It was Nikki. Ryder wanted to know if she could stop over, but she couldn't. She was watching Margo's kids. He told her he wanted to see her. She had to hang up because Bob needed the phone to make a call. They hung up.
Ryder got upset that he couldn't leave the house. He said that Dani was really good at applying makeup and wished Nikki could see it. Dani said she was sorry he was stuck and hoped he didn't blame her. Ryder told her it wasn't her fault, because everyone makes mistakes. He said he had to find a way to get out, or he would lose his mind. Dani told him she had just the thing and ran upstairs. She returned a little later, dressed as his "magic genie," and had a game for him. She wanted him to make his wishes, and she would make them all come true.
John was sitting at a bar, waiting for someone . Barbara showed up, apologizing for being so late. John had a drink waiting for her. Barbara was surprised to learn it was a drink that she always ordered. She wanted to know how John had known what to order. John told her that he paid attention and wasn't the egocentric that everyone thought he was.
John asked her if she had gotten Lisa to go with her early to New Orleans. Barbara told him she had, but that it hadn't been easy. They tried to figure out how to get "Hong Kong Charlie" out of the picture. It would be Barbara's job once she and Lisa got to New Orleans to show her what kind of man Martin really was. Barbara knew she had her work cut out for her because she knew Lisa would go straight to Martin for explanations.
Martin had an agenda, and John and Barbara needed to find out what it was. Barbara offered that maybe Martin didn't have an agenda, and he might actually be in love with Lisa. John said "fat chance " -- there wasn't any chemistry between them. Barbara tried to remember what love looked like. John said their instincts were alike, and they both pointed to Martin being up to no good . They thought it was a bit to coincidental that Martin was always rescuing Lisa.
Barbara wanted to know why John cared so much. John didn't want to see Lisa make a fool out of herself. Barbara mused that it was like what he had done to Lisa. John reminded her that he had made a public apology to Lisa and that he really wasn't a bad person. Barbara got up to leave, but John convinced her to stay for dinner. Barbara didn't think they could sit through dinner without killing each other, but they did. Barbara told him to skip dessert, since she knew how to find a spicier one. She knew that Martin and Lisa were over at Tom and Margo's. They got up and left.
Lisa told Martin, as they were walking in the park, that she couldn't wait to see what Adam and Casey looked like in their costumes. Martin was excited, as well, because he had never experienced Halloween in America before. Lisa commented about how she loved the time of year with the nippy air and how the air smelled of freshly fallen leaves and the faint smell of apples. Martin said that autumn was a great season.
Lisa saw a vendor selling skeletons on a stick and went to buy one each for Adam and Casey. Martin sat down on a bench, waiting for Lisa to return. Two men arrived and sat on either side of him. A third walked up to Martin and said hello. They were apparently working for the cartel. The two men sitting beside him started punching him. When they were done, they left. Lisa returned and saw Martin bleeding and yelled out for help.
Lily went to Lucinda's after being "stood up" by Diego, who had supposedly had an emergency at the hospital. Lucinda asked what had happened to the costume she was supposed to be wearing. Lily said she didn't feel like wearing it, since the other half wasn't there. Lucinda said that she had rented movies and had candy for Luke and popcorn for them. Lily chose a tape and put it in, not looking at the title.
Lucinda wondered what had happened to the credits. Lucinda saw a car crash pending and told Lily to turn it off because she didn't want to watch them crash. Lily watched closely and even rewound it a few times. She pointed out to Lucinda that someone had jumped out just before the crash, and she thought that maybe Mike was right. There might be an accomplice.
Lily wondered who had died and asked if it was Umberto or the accomplice. Lily wanted to know the truth. Lucinda reminded her it was only a movie. Lily told her that it made sense to Mike. Lily decided to check the lime pit out for herself. Lucinda wanted to know what she thought she would find there, but Lily didn't reply.
As Lily drove to the lime pit, she thought about Mike's explanation about why he still wanted to keep looking. Mike just had a feeling that wouldn't go away. Then she thought that Lucinda might be right, that it was crazy to keep thinking about it. She also wondered what might happen if she found something that everyone else had missed.
Mike, hiding in some brush at the lime pit, was watching Diego talk to a mystery woman, who had her back to him. Diego told the woman that he was happy to see her and that he loved her. Diego asked her why she had followed him to Oakdale. She gave a muffled response that was not audible. Diego told her that he didn't want her involved. He told her that he realized that he missed her a lot, but that he had no choice.
Mike snapped a twig. Diego pulled the woman in close and looked around, but didn't see anyone. Mike ducked down further. Diego dismissed the sound as the wind, which had started to pick up. Diego told her that nobody should know about her and that if she still loved him, she would leave. Diego gave her a hug and a kiss, and she left. Mike left to follow her.
Lily pulled up, and Diego went into the brush to hide. Lily looked for clues as Diego watched. Lily heard a sound and called out to whoever might be there. The sound was a tree that was ready to fall over with the strong wind pushing at it. Lily told herself it was just the wind and went back to looking. The tree snapped and fell down on Lily, pinning her on the ground.
The kids were back from trick-or-treating and were showing off their candy booty. Hal stopped by to tell Tom and Margo that he had a street festival to check out and that he would be back later for Will and Jennifer. Adam wanted to go with Hal, and Tom said it was okay. Hal told the other kids they could go too, but they had a game to finish playing upstairs. Nikki took the kids upstairs to play.
Tom and Margo reveled in the peace and quiet. Bob was sitting with them, telling them how bad they were , and on Halloween, no less. The doorbell rang. Tom decided to ignore it. Then there was banging at the door, and Lisa called out. Tom ran and answered the door; he found her holding Martin up.
Lisa explained that Martin had been "mugged" in the park by some kids. She had tried to take him to the hospital, but Martin didn't like hospitals. She had taken him there because she had known Bob would to be there. Nikki called to talk to Ryder. While Bob looked Martin over, Margo asked Martin for descriptions of the kids. Martin told her that it had happened so fast that he didn't remember. He hadn't see faces because they had been wearing costumes.
Tom asked Lisa what she had seen, but Lisa told him that she hadn't been there, and she hadn't seen anything out of the ordinary. Bob went over to Nikki and said that he needed to use the phone to call in a prescription. Margo told Martin that she would file a report herself, based on the information he had given her. Bob told Martin that a prescription was on the way, but he still wanted Martin to go to the hospital. Martin had bumps and bruises that Bob wanted to x-ray for damage.
Martin said that he was afraid of the hospital, since a brother of his had died in one. Bob wanted Martin watched if he wouldn't go to the hospital. Lisa offered her services. Martin told her no, since she was expected to go to New Orleans with Barbara in the morning. Lisa decided not to go and asked for someone to drive them home. Bob offered to drive them.
The doorbell rang. John and Barbara entered and saw Martin all bruised up. They asked what had happened. Lisa told Barbara that she wouldn't be going with her in the morning because Martin was more important. Barbara told Lisa that she would be going.
