Updated 2008-01-11 19:22:55
After arriving in his hospital room to a shower of compliments, Annie delivers the good news that Joe is allowing Ryan to go home. He is more than thrilled with it, and can't wait to get back to life as they once knew it. He then asks her when she was planning on telling him that Richie might live. She apologizes for not being forthcoming, but Ryan tells her that with his new lease on life, he isn't going to let anything get him or his family down. He asks if she plans to be a donor, and she admits that she hasn't decided. Fine with that revelation, Ryan drops the subject and packs to go home. Joe shows up shortly thereafter with Ryan's medication and to confirm that his patient understands the conditions under which he is being released. Ryan reiterates that he will only rest at home, and that he will return to the hospital in a week's time for a checkup. Satisfied with the response, Joe calls for a wheelchair. Ryan tries to reject it, but Joe reminds him that it is hospital policy. Joe finishes the call and takes his leave. In typical Ryan style, he impulsively decides to throw rules to the wind, picks up his wife and makes a beeline for the door.
On the other side of the hospital, Richie places a phone call to the prison to check and see if a message had been delivered. Once he does that, he goes into a room and meets with some of the staff psychologists to see about being released. He answers all of their questions honestly about being angry with his sister for testifying against him and sending him to prison, and about being consumed with wanting revenge once he got out, considering he had nothing to lose. Then, he affects a softer tone, and says that when he found out that he had a second chance at living out his life, he changed his tune. He tells them about meeting Babe, and about his hopes that perhaps things will happen between the two of them once he is released. They wrap up the session, and Richie tells them that if they need any other proof that he is mentally stable enough to be on his own, they could check with Dr. Chambers. The psychologists look at each other, and then decide that they need to let Richie know that Dr. Chambers was killed earlier in the day. Richie reacts as a normal person would, shocked and upset that a good man, a man who believed in him and gave him the chance to live out his days outside of a prison, is now dead. With tears streaming down his face, he sputters that he wishes he could find the monsters that did this so that they could be brought to justice. A short time later, having been released, he walks down the hall in his regular clothes, carrying a bag with his belongings. He makes a call from his cell phone, and thanks the person on the other end for "taking care of" Chambers. He relates how he played out the perfect reaction to finding out the doctor had been killed, and gloats at how he once again was able to pull the wool over the eyes of the people in charge.
In the park, Babe snaps her head away at the last second, managing to stop JR from kissing her. She reminds him again that they have already tried being together and they know that it doesn't work. JR tells Babe plainly that he still loves her, and says that the fact that she can still look at him as a good person despite the fact that he is an alcoholic with no job and no place to live gives him hope that they could make the third time a charm. Babe denies him, saying that they can't try to fix their mistakes by having sex. JR acquiesces, and says that more than anything, he wants them to be friends, and good parents. He tells her that he would like it if they could try for that, but keep an open mind about possibly something more in the future. Babe agrees to the first part fully, and tells him that she will keep the second part in mind. He gives her a kiss on the cheek, and then they gather their son and head back to the condo. When they arrive, JR asks if he might take a shower before he has to leave. Little A pipes up and asks if his daddy really has to go. Melting a little, Babe tells him that his daddy can stay for a little while if he wants. Pleased, JR places a kiss on his son's head, caresses her cheek and goes to shower. The living room empties, and after a short time, JR calls out to Babe for a different shampoo than what is in the shower. When he doesn't get a response, he emerges from the bathroom with only a towel wrapped around his waist and continues to call for her. Before he gets a response, the doorbell rings and he goes to answer it. He opens it and finds Richie on the other side just as Babe walks up behind him. She asks Richie why he came to visit, but Richie is more concerned about JR. He asks the young man if he came at a bad time and true to form, JR shoots out a response to make things seem like something other than what they actually are.
At the falls, Hannah thinks that Zach is trying to play her instead of taking her seriously. Zach tries to assure her that playing her is the last thing on his mind, especially since he thinks that she is too smart to fall for any games. He acknowledges his anger at her for trying to kill Kendall and says that she needs to let go of the fantasy that they will ever be together. He goes on to justify her feelings he knows that he abandoned her at the worst possible time, and he is aware of how much pain that has caused her over the years. She tells him that he has no idea, and proceeds to tell him about how alone she felt while she was pregnant with his child and waiting for him to come home. Slowly, she then tells him of the horrors that she suffered at the hands of his father, who took what he wanted, as he often did, and then kicked her out and called her a whore when he was done with her. Pain flashes across Zach's face as he realizes just how horrible Hannah's life had been. She tells him that she managed to get herself together enough to find a good home for Ethan, and then molded herself into the successful businesswoman everyone has come to know.
Outside the Slater house, Aidan tells Jack as much as he dares about what he knows regarding Zach and Hannah's location. He warns Jack that when he goes back into the house, he needs to be able to convince the ladies that there is nothing untoward happening. He takes off to provide backup to Zach, but when Jack goes back inside, his attempts to smooth ragged nerves fails. They call him out on being a horrible liar, so he breaks down and tells them that Aidan has a lead on where Zach is and went to check it out. Kendall and Greenlee freak out, knowing that Hannah is out there, wielding a gun, and could kill both the men they love. Jack tries to calm them down, saying that both men know what they are doing and that they will be fine. Kendall and Greenlee don't feel like they can just sit around and do nothing, but they soon talk themselves down, instead commiserating over being in love with a man who always thinks he is right, who always feels that he knows best. The doorbell rings then, and Jack feels as though he is spared a certain death at the hands of his daughters. He opens the door to find his wayward nephew, and takes but a split second before announcing that they need to step outside and talk. Once they do, Jack wants to hear the whole story. Sean tells him that he and Hannah literally ran into each other in the park the previous night, and ended up hooking up. Jack wants to know what that means, and Erica joins them outside just as Sean admits that he went to the Pine Cone with Hannah and they had sex. Erica is shocked at what she is hearing, but Jack doesn't allow her to dwell on it for more than a few seconds, hoping that by continuing to make Sean talk, they might be able to figure out where Zach and Aidan went. Sean tells them that he didn't discuss much with his one-time paramour, save Hannah's questions about a place where teenagers might go to make out, someplace romantic but not overly crowded. He goes on to tell them that the place he suggested were the falls right outside of town. Jack instructs Sean to go to the police station immediately and tell Derek the information so that they can get police out there to help. Sean does as he asks, and Jack and Erica head back inside. They tell Kendall and Greenlee what they found out and Greenlee notes that those are the same falls where Leo died. They immediately bounce back to wanting to go and save their men. Then, Kendall appears to have another change of heart, saying that Greenlee is far too sick to be running around after Aidan, and that she would more than likely just get in the way, much to Jack and Erica's relief. Kendall gives Jack her coat to hang up, but when she and Greenlee maneuver their parents in front of the closet door, they push them both inside and lock the door. The two young women then grab a nearby seat and wedge it under the door handle to keep Jack and Erica inside. They then run out the door and head directly for the falls. Inside, Jack and Erica bang on the door, quickly realizing that it is a futile effort. Erica tries to blame their situation on Jack but he refuses to shoulder all of the blame. Erica then lets it slip that she had a feeling that something was going on, and amused, Jack holds her accountable for not doing something to keep their daughters from leaving.
Ryan and Annie return to the penthouse and after he grabs some mistletoe that was left hanging and lays a kiss on his wife, she tells him that Rachel is watching the kids so that they can have a low-key first night back home. She notes that she will call and check in on them, and then put all of his belongings away. She comes back a short time later, but doesn't find Ryan waiting in the living room. She quickly checks in the kitchen but with no sign of her husband, she returns to the main area. She then spies him out on the balcony, in only his underwear, amidst the wind and the snow. She calls out to him, but he seems lost in his own world.
As Aidan arrives and stations himself covertly with a gun trained on Hannah, Zach apologizes for not rescuing her and says that if he had known, he would have. Sobbing, Hannah tells Zach that she is the only woman he ever left to fend for herself. He tells her that she is giving him too much credit, but she follows with proof in the form of a list of names Maria, Dixie, Julia, Erica, Greenlee, and Kendall. She tells him that she wanted Kendall to be punished so that she would finally have a shot at what she missed with him. He tells her that he can save her now, and talks to her as if she is the 17 year old girl he left. Finally, after a few moments of coaxing, Hannah lowers her gun and falls into Zach's arms. She cries the tears she had been holding in for so long, and Zach acts as her fortress, as promised. He turns her and tells her that they can leave and that he will take care of her. As he does, she loses her footing and, as Kendall and Greenlee rush on to the scene, they both fall towards the edge.
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