Asleep at the boardinghouse, Buzz murmured that he hadn't had a choice in locking up Coop. He was startled to see Coop's deceased mother, Jenna Bradshaw, kneeling beside him. A flabbergasted Buzz knew that he had to be dreaming. After he passionately kissed Jenna, she stated that he was being a horse's ass. Jenna said that Coop really loved Beth. Buzz replied that Coop only thought he loved Beth, but someone had to help Coop see the situation more clearly. Jenna wondered what had happened to, "Roll the dice, go with your hunch-bet on the ace of hearts?" Buzz said it wasn't fair for Jenna to use his words against him, and he refused allow their son to make a mistake with Beth. Jenna asked if Buzz and she had been a mistake. Buzz kissed her again, uttering, "Love with you? Never." He woke up and whispered Jenna's name.
While trapped in Marina's basement, Coop discovered a gun. He shot the lock off the door and then rushed outside to his car. He quickly discovered that someone had sabotaged the engine. Cursing Alan, Coop took off on foot to stop Beth's wedding. Later, Coop stumbled upon Buzz parked on the side of the road. Coop warned Buzz not to stop him from crashing the wedding. Buzz admitted that he'd already tried by locking Coop in the basement. When Buzz asked if Coop could forgive him, Coop punched Buzz in the face.
Buzz recovered, and he said that Jenna changed his mind about Coop and Beth. Buzz advised Coop to find Beth and take her back to Company. Coop said that Alan could take Company from Buzz. Buzz asserted that Alan could flip burgers for a change, but Coop insisted that it was Buzz's restaurant. Buzz yelled, "And you're my son!" Buzz figured that he could always move to California with Coop and Beth. Coop hugged Buzz, promising to never forget his help. They said that they loved each other, and Coop then raced off in Buzz's car.
At Company, Buzz worked himself into a frenzy, worried that Alan would close the place. Frank questioned whether Coop's needs were worth the cost, and Buzz screamed that he couldn't tell Coop to give up on love or on life. Frank thought Buzz was right, and he decided to go to the church to back up Coop. Buzz stopped him, saying that it was Coop's mission alone; they just had to stand by Coop no matter what happened.
When Bill went to see Lizzie at the office, Cyrus offered to pencil him in for the next week. Cyrus made it clear that he wouldn't make it easy for Bill to communicate with Lizzie professionally or privately. Bill warned Cyrus not to take advantage of Lizzie, but Cyrus countered that he was just what Lizzie needed. When Bill heard a clanging noise, a dismissive Cyrus stated that it had been his dog tags, which were family heirlooms. Bill internally recalled hearing dog tags clink when he had gone to the ransom site. "Son of a bitch," Bill uttered after Cyrus walked away.
Bill met Billy at Company and relayed that he had heard a distinct jingling of metal at the ransom site. When Bill had heard the same sound while talking to Cyrus, Bill realized that Cyrus was the kidnapper. Billy didn't think that Bill could prove that based upon a sound. Even though Cyrus had already conned Alex, Bill doubted that Lizzie would believe his theory without proof. Billy wondered if Bill would just drink himself into a stupor while Cyrus won. Bill suddenly said that his father was a genius. Whipping out Alan's wedding invitation, Bill asked Billy if he wanted to go to a wedding.
Bill decided that the best way to catch Cyrus was to trick Cyrus into thinking that he had gained the upper hand. Bill planned to appear drunk and defeated at the wedding in hopes of throwing Cyrus off guard. Once Cyrus believed that Bill was no longer a threat, Bill would go after him. Billy liked the plan and offered to help. Handing Bill his coat, Billy chuckled that Bill smelled like a cheap date.
In the mansion parlor, Lizzie found a gloomy Beth packing up her law books. Lizzie presented Beth with a wedding invitation and asked if it were a joke. Beth thought Lizzie would be happy that Beth had come to her senses about Coop. Beth claimed that Alan meant more to her than a silly fling or law school. Lizzie guessed that Alan must have uncovered the affair.
At Cedars, Alan asked Rick to be his best man in the wedding. Rick replied that Alan's delusions should have stopped after the surgery. Alan assured him that his wedding wasn't a medical condition, but rather, a cause for celebration. Rick derided Alan because Alan had been the last to know about Beth's affair while the whole town had laughed behind Alan's back. Alan replied that he would laugh last. Rick said that he would rather see Beth with Coop than Alan. "I take that as a no to being my best man," Alan replied. Rick promised to be there because he felt that Beth needed her best friend to talk her out of the wedding.
Alan went home, where Lizzie found him thinking in the parlor. She questioned whether he should go through with the wedding, citing that both he and Beth were hurting. Alan said Beth should have thought about that before engaging herself and the town in her tawdry affair. Lizzie wondered why Alan still wanted to marry Beth instead of allowing Beth to have her own life. Alan said that they had to show the town that the Spauldings were more unified than ever, and that no one would ever laugh at him again.
In the dining room later, Alan gave Beth a gift. She refused it, but he placed the long chain around her neck anyway. He said that it had been an heirloom belonging to his Great Aunt Louisa, who had worn it on her wedding night. Beth said that his gifts would make people think that she had been bought. Alan wondered when she started caring about what people thought. He then presented her with a prenuptial agreement. Beth was surprised, saying that they had never had one of those before. Alan retorted that they hadn't needed one until then.
Upon reading the agreement, Beth discovered a clause within it stating that Beth's infidelity, filing for divorce, or claiming desertion would cause her to forfeit custody of Peyton. Beth was livid, saying that she had a history of reaching out to others in her disillusionment. Alan shrugged, saying that she could look at it as if he were saving her from herself. He told her to sign it or else it would be a sad day for the Coopers. Beth signed it and fled from the room, crying.
Later, Lizzie was still in the parlor when Cyrus dropped off a package for Beth. Cyrus said that Bill had been at the office. Cyrus wondered if he had overstepped by forcing Bill to go through him to get to Lizzie. Lizzie decided that Cyrus' new assignment could be watching her back, and Cyrus said there was nothing he would rather watch more. Cyrus kissed Lizzie, but she pulled away. Cyrus uttered that she had looked like she had needed the kiss, but he wondered if it would get him fired. "Not yet," Lizzie uttered.
Cyrus escorted Lizzie to the church, where they saw Bill milling around in the lobby. Lizzie smelled alcohol on him, and he admitted to drinking a little. Cyrus wanted to kick Bill out, but Lizzie asked Cyrus to give them a moment alone. After Cyrus left, Bill uttered that it could have been their wedding. Lizzie said that was a bunch of crap, considering that they needed trust to have a marriage. Bill said that it was killing him to see her with Cyrus. Lizzie asserted that she could at least trust Cyrus. "Can you?" Bill countered. Lizzie seemed skeptical, but she didn't answer. He dismissed the question and walked away. Later, Bill instructed a waiter to pour ginger ale into a champagne glass for him.
As Beth dressed for the wedding, she daydreamed that Coop had come to save her. Alan stirred her from the daydream to say that she never looked more beautiful. He said that he had made her happy once, and he could do it again. Beth sobbed, "Do you really want to make me happy, Alan? Please...Please..." Ignoring her pleas, Alan said that after the reception, they would go to Venice.
Later, Alan called Coop to taunt him. When a recklessly driving Coop said that he was on the way to stop the wedding, Alan pretended that the wedding had already transpired. Alan said that he was watching Beth get out of her wedding dress at that moment. Alan vowed that Coop would never see or touch Beth again. After the call, an eavesdropping Beth yelled, "How could you!" Alan said that he had done it as easily as Beth and Coop had cheated.
Beth called off the wedding, realizing that Alan's Spaulding pride would punish Coop even after the wedding. She said she hated the Spaulding name, and Alan claimed that she was a Spaulding. Beth renounced the notion, saying that her last name was Raines. Alan said that Beth had had many husbands and many names, but she would always be a Spaulding. Beth cried that she wanted no part of his cruelty. Alan claimed that the real cruelty was that all of Springfield had laughed at him behind his back, and that Coop had made Alan a joke in his novel. Alan claimed that if Beth humiliated him again, then she would find out what cruelty truly was.
Meanwhile, Coop screamed and pounded on his steering wheel. His veering car fishtailed and crashed. Coop blacked out, but he awakened a short time later to find himself inside a blazing car. He touched his bloody face, and his head fell back on the seat. Someone wearing a hooded red sweatshirt trotted over a hill and then rushed to the burning car. It was Phillip Spaulding, who stared into the wreckage and saw an unconscious Coop behind the wheel.
As a detached and morose Beth donned her wedding veil at the church, Phillip pried open Coop's car door and dragged Coop from the flaming wreckage. The car exploded, tossing them both back on the pavement. Sometime later, Phillip hauled Coop into the emergency room. He placed Coop on a gurney, and yelled for Rick Bauer. Phillip rushed out of the hospital. On his cell phone, he tried to locate a number for Company. Coop lay unattended on the stretcher in the emergency waiting room for quite some time, barely conscious and bleeding on the floor from a massive head wound. He was finally taken to an exam room, where he called out for Beth.
At Company, Frank wondered how long it could possibly take to break up a wedding. Buzz said that Coop's actions would change everything for the Coopers, but he wasn't sure how. Daisy entered, and Buzz told her that her uncle Henry was bringing home a new bride. Frank said Coop wasn't exactly getting married, but Daisy didn't care as long as there was a happy ending. Daisy mentioned that she and Grady were happy. Frank grimaced, but Buzz said he'd take happiness where he could get it.
Frank and Buzz explained Coop and Beth's saga to Daisy, adding that Coop had based his novel on it. Proclaiming that Coop and Beth's arrival would be a fairytale moment, Daisy began preparing a romantic setting for them. Daisy imagined that Coop was a knight in shining armor returning to his castle after victoriously rescuing his maiden. Buzz thought that after firing shots at Alan Spaulding, they ought to be digging a moat instead of cooking a romantic dinner. As they set up the scene, Frank thought he had heard Company's phone ring. Daisy said she'd missed the call, but she was sure whoever it was would call back.
Marina and Mallet returned early from their trip after the adoption agency called an impromptu meeting with them. At the meeting, their counselor announced that the agency had approved them to go on an adoption waiting list. An excited Marina exited to call her family, but Mallet lingered with the counselor. He predicted that he and Marina would never move up on the adoption list. The counselor admitted that Marina's past involvement with Danny Santos troubled the agency, but she repeated that they were on the list. Mallet quipped that they were only on the list because excluding them due to the Santos family might cause the agency a lawsuit. The woman repeated that they were on the list and walked away. Mallet vowed that it wasn't over.
When Mallet joined Marina in the lobby, she was on the phone learning about a car accident. They rushed to attend to it. When they arrived at the crash site, officials said that the burning car had been empty. "Oh my God," Marina uttered. "That's Grandpa's car!" Marina immediately called Company and was relieved when Buzz answered. Buzz dropped the phone when Marina said that his car had gone up in flames. Frank grabbed the phone just as Marina was demanding to know who had been in the car. "Coop!" Frank replied. Marina wailed, and Mallet took the phone from her. By then, Buzz had snatched the phone back from Frank, and Mallet told Buzz that Coop had probably just walked away from the crash. Frank took the phone from Buzz again. Mallet gravely said that the car was a mess, and none of it looked good.
Marina hysterically cried about her uncle. She found Coop's cell phone on the ground. Upon scrolling through it, Marina discovered that the last call Coop had made was to Beth, and the last call that he had received was from Alan. Marina and Mallet rushed to Company, where Daisy told them that Coop had been planning to bust up Beth's wedding. Daisy said that Buzz and Frank had gone to the hospital. Mallet and Marina hurried across the street to Cedars.
At the hospital, Frank and Buzz were stunned when they stumbled upon a room in which an unattended Coop struggled to survive. Buzz dragged a doctor into the hospital room and demanded that he work on Coop. The doctor apologized, saying that Coop had been brought in without identification. Buzz screamed that Coop was his son. As Buzz raged that the hospital had just left Coop there to die, Frank hustled Buzz out of the room. Mallet and Marina arrived, and Marina hugged Buzz. Though Mallet didn't know what had happened to the wrecked car, he told Frank that the crash had occurred at about the same time as Alan's call to Coop.
At the church, Lillian tried to enlist Lizzie's help in reasoning with Beth. A fed up Lizzie told Lillian to just pretend she was watching someone else's wedding. Lillian said that Beth's marriage to Alan wasn't about love. Lizzie thanked God that it wasn't, claiming that love wasn't a sure thing. Alan, on the other hand, was as certain as death and taxes. Lizzie said that marrying for love had gotten Beth locked in a tower by Edmund, lied to about Peyton by Rick, and estranged from the love of her life and first husband, Phillip. Since Lizzie felt that life wasn't about getting what one wanted, Lizzie couldn't blame Beth for making the best of what she had.
After talking to Lillian, Lizzie glowered at Bill, who continued tossing back drinks. Unbeknownst to her, he was guzzling ginger ale, not champagne. Bill caused a short scene as the wedding march began. He slurred that he was leaving because weddings made him sick. Outside, Bill called Billy to let him know that things were going according to plan; however, he thought the plan might be working too well on Lizzie. Lizzie emerged from the church, saying that she didn't want Bill driving drunk. He kissed her, but she shoved him away, admonishing herself for ever thinking highly of him. Lizzie called a cab for Bill and then instructed him to communicate with her through Cyrus from then on. Bill pretended to fall asleep as he waited for the cab. Lizzie hit him in the head with her purse to awaken him, and then she helped him to the cab.
Meanwhile, Lillian tried to persuade Rick to help Beth, but Rick said that he needed to find his place to walk Beth down the aisle. Lillian thought that everyone had gone crazy, especially Rick for being Alan's best man. Rick claimed to be keeping his best friend, Beth, close, and his enemy, Alan, closer. Alan approached to ask if Rick had the rings, and Lillian said she couldn't believe what Alan was doing to Beth. Alan replied, "I'm saving her, Lillian."
Lillian made a final plea to Beth, but Beth insisted upon marrying Alan for Coop's sake. As Rick walked Beth down the aisle, he pleaded with her to stop the madness. Beth demanded that Rick resume walking her down the aisle or she would do it herself. When Rick complained again, she jerked her arm away and continued down the aisle toward Alan alone. Rick caught up to her and escorted her the last few feet.
As the ceremony began, Alan interrupted the minister to recite his own vows. Alan promised to be there through Beth's disappointments, failures, rumors, and gossip. He said that during their family's testing, he had seen the kind of woman Beth truly was, but he still loved her and forgave her. Alan vowed to be her constant for the rest of her life. He said he'd be there for her, always watching. The minister asked if Beth wanted to say anything to Alan. "I do?" she impatiently murmured. The minister said he would get to the "I do's" momentarily. When the minister asked if anyone objected to the wedding, Phillip burst through the church doors.
Rick and Alan glared at Phillip in shock. Beth dropped her bouquet. Phillip stared incredulously at the wedding unfolding before him. Beth and Phillip seemed to float down the aisle and met each other in the middle. Beth reached out for Phillip. When she touched his face, she fainted. Lillian, Rick, and Alan hovered around Beth and Phillip. Alan welcomed Phillip home, and Rick went to get his medical bag. Once Beth revived, she stared at Phillip, mesmerized. Lillian shrieked upon seeing Coop's blood smeared on Beth's wedding dress. "There's been an accident," Phillip muttered, showing them Coop's blood on his hands.
Phillip explained that he had been at the mansion and the housekeeper had said that the wedding was taking place that day. On his way to the wedding, Phillip stumbled across Coop in the burning car. Beth gasped, asking him to repeat himself. When Phillip said Coop's name again, Beth sobbed, begging to know how Coop was. She broke away from Lillian, who had been holding her, and she almost tripped over her gown as she fled the church, screaming, "Alan! What did you do to him?" Outside the church, Phillip advised everyone to help Beth while he talked to Alan. "Let's take a walk," Phillip said to Alan with a smile.
At Company, Daisy stood vigil beside a candle. When Bill entered, Daisy revealed that Buzz's car had been totaled, but no one could locate Coop. Bill tried to assure her that Coop would be fine. Bill poured himself a cup of coffee and decided to stay with Daisy. Meanwhile, Beth, Lillian, and Rick hurried into the emergency room. As Lillian and Rick immediately tended to Coop, Beth trembled in a corner. Back at the church, Lizzie discovered Beth's bouquet discarded in the aisle. She looked around, wondering what could have happened.
Phillip and Alan strolled to Phillip's grave. When Phillip knelt by his grave, the gun that Coop had found in Marina's basement became visible in Phillip's waistband. Phillip said that he never thought he'd see Beth betrothed to Alan. Alan replied that many things had changed since Phillip had left. Phillip agreed, saying, "It doesn't hurt anymore." Alan asked what didn't hurt, and Phillip replied, "Where you shot me."
Dinah found Shayne in a strange mood at his hotel room. He gripped Lara's engagement ring, which he'd bought at an overseas flea market. He contemplated letting Edmund have it, but Dinah said Edmund had no right to it. Shayne started to say that he knew Edmund wasn't a great man, but Dinah interrupted to remind him that Edmund had left her in a fire. Dinah claimed to know what it was like to be on the receiving end of Edmund's charm and his wrath. Shayne ordered Dinah to leave before Edmund arrived. When she opened the door, Edmund stood on the other side. Dinah walked wordlessly past him. "Some people never change," Edmund said with a shrug.
At Cedars, Reva and Josh met each other after concluding their respective appointments. A distraught Frank informed them that Coop's accident had resulted from icy roads. After consoling Buzz, Reva and Josh went to Company, where Dinah warned them that Shayne was in trouble. Dinah stated that it was Lara's birthday that day, and Shayne had thrown Dinah out of his room the moment Edmund had arrived. Reva bolted out of her seat to take care of it. Dinah told Josh that they could get rid of Edmund, but they had to stop playing nice.
At Towers, Shayne and Edmund toasted to Lara. Edmund thought Lara was with them in spirit. Reva called Shayne to say that Coop had been in an accident. After seeing Buzz so upset about Coop, Reva claimed that she needed to see her own son. Shayne said that he was on his way. Edmund frowned miserably when Shayne abruptly departed. When Shayne arrived at Company, he quickly saw through Reva and Josh's family togetherness ploy. He guessed that Dinah had told them that it was Lara's birthday. Josh asked if Shayne wanted to talk about the ring. Shayne turned to leave, but Reva lured him back with the promise of chocolate cake.
At the Towers bar, Edmund wondered if Dinah still refused to speak to him. Dinah rolled her eyes impatiently. Dinah acknowledged Edmund's grief, and then she stiffened, noting that a man across the room was watching Edmund. "Following me is more like it," a humored Edmund corrected, adding, "Roc Hoover." Edmund invited Roc to join them, and Roc admitted to tailing Edmund at Jeffrey's instruction. Dinah thought it made quite a statement that Jeffrey, the sole person giving Edmund the benefit of the doubt, was having Edmund followed.
After Roc returned to his table, Dinah said she understood Edmund's dilemma with Shayne. She had befriended Shayne and had even thought that they might have something special between them, until she had realized that his family would never accept her. Dinah said that the Lewis family members had long memories; they would never let people like Dinah and Edmund into their circle. Edmund wanted to believe that Shayne was his own man, but Dinah sensed that Edmund's mistrust of the Lewises had led him to hide Lara's pregnancy from Shayne long before Dinah told him to keep it a secret.
After Dinah left, Edmund called Shayne to enlist his help making appointments with possible investors for Lara's memorial. Shayne said that it was a great idea, but he lied that he was at a doctor's appointment at that moment. Later, Shayne regaled his parents with a story about how he had surprised Lara for her birthday. Edmund watched them through Company's front window. Dinah watched Edmund watching them.
At Phillip's gravesite, Phillip told Alan that he was sorry that his brother, Gus, had passed away. Phillip shared that he had felt dead to the world for most of his absence. At times, Phillip had wished that he hadn't survived the gunshot wound, because the pain of what had happened to him had been as unbearable as his uncertain future. Whipping out the gun, Phillip said that he could never forget his life in Springfield, his kids, and all the unfinished business. "Why don't you put the gun down, son," Alan said. Alan felt that they had a lot to catch up on, if Phillip would just give him the chance.
Alan said that he regretted shooting Phillip, but he claimed that Phillip had given him no choice. He explained that he'd tried to take care of Beth and Phillip's children in Phillip's absence. Phillip wondered if Beth loved Alan, and Alan replied that she didn't love him as she had loved Phillip. "If you had stayed-" Alan started to say. Phillip shoved the gun in his face, correcting, "If you hadn't shot me! I'll never know why you did it." Phillip admitted that Alan had been right; Phillip had been on the road to hell when Alan had shot him. Phillip agreed that Alan just might have saved him from himself. Alan seemed relieved, figuring that Phillip hadn't returned to kill him. Putting away the gun, Phillip said that he had other things to do.
Rick raced to stabilize Coop. Buzz pleaded with Rick to tell him if Coop would make it, but Rick could only say that they were doing all they could. Leaning over Coop, Buzz urged him to fight. Beth frantically covered her bloody dress with a hospital coat and then joined Buzz at Coop's side. Coop struggled to speak, asking Beth if she had married Alan. When she shook her head, Coop said, "We did it. She didn't marry Alan." Buzz said Coop needed to rest, but Coop insisted upon speaking with Beth alone. Sobbing and smiling by Coop's side, Beth called him crazy for intending to run down the aisle and punch Alan. Coop uttered that he couldn't let Beth go. She replied that he didn't have to let her go; he just had to get well. Rick pulled Beth away so that Coop could rest. Upon exiting, Beth promised not to leave him again.
In the corridor, Buzz told Frank that Coop needed surgery, but no one would tell Buzz why. Buzz demanded to know the findings at the crash site. Frank said that Coop had just skidded on the ice. Buzz guessed that Frank didn't want to tell him the rest. Frank admitted that they had learned that Alan had phoned Coop before the accident. Buzz questioned Alan's motives for calling Coop before his own wedding.
Buzz and Frank approached Coop as the orderlies wheeled him toward surgery. Coop confirmed that Alan had called him about Beth. Coop wheezed as he said that he needed to thank the guy in the red sweatshirt for saving his life. Coop wanted Buzz to give his love to the family, but Buzz said Coop could do it himself later. After they wheeled Coop into surgery, Buzz said that he was going for a walk. Frank looked troubled.
Beth sat outside, crying. When Alan approached, Beth seethed that she had told him to stay away. Alan inquired about Coop, and Beth said he was critical. Alan said that their minister in the car was praying for Coop. Alan had brought the minister, figuring that they could finish the wedding ceremony in the hospital chapel. "We are finished!" Beth raged, pounding Alan's chest. He grabbed her wrists, but she continued twisting against him. "You did this! It's always you!" Beth hysterically screamed. She wrenched herself away and ran.
Alan caught up to a hyperventilating Beth to defend himself. He said that neither he nor Beth were to blame for Coop's choice to get into the car to break up their wedding. Beth had made an error by involving herself with Coop, but Alan felt that she had absolved herself by breaking it off and agreeing to wed Alan. Alan claimed that Coop had clearly been a reckless young man. Beth ordered him not to speak of Coop in the past tense. Beth desperately sobbed that no matter what Alan tried to do to her, she would never let him touch her or go near her again. Alan said he would give her time to rethink that, and he walked away.
Outside Cedars, Rick advised Phillip that Coop was in grave condition. Rick wondered which Phillip had returned to Springfield, his best friend or Jude's kidnapper. "And why?" Phillip added, and then grinned without an answer. Rick agreed, conjecturing whether Phillip had returned because of Beth and Alan or because Bill had gone to find him. Phillip asked if Beth were in love with Alan, and Rick said Beth was in love with Coop. Phillip concluded that there were a lot of things that he didn't know, that Rick had left out.
They sat on the steps and Phillip asked about Rick's failed marriage to Beth. Rick said that Phillip had known that Rick had always loved Beth, but Rick had come to realize that it had been just a high school fantasy. Phillip said he had known that he'd be walking into all kinds of drama when he returned to Springfield, but he had never imagined what he was hearing. Rick wondered what Phillip's plan was. Phillip intended to see his children, but Rick doubted that the families would let Phillip near them. He advised Phillip to leave before anyone saw him, but when Phillip chuckled, Rick realized that Phillip wasn't going anywhere.
Phillip strolled across the Cedars parking lot and locked eyes with a distraught Beth. When Phillip sat beside her, she wordlessly retreated into the hospital. Phillip sullenly returned to his grave and placed his hand on the cold granite.
At Cedars, Frank told Beth that Coop had been in good spirits before undergoing surgery. Beth seemed to reassure herself more than Frank when she said that Coop would be fine. As Beth paced the hospital corridor, Rick suggested that she go home to change clothes. She asked him about Coop's progress. Rick said that there was much damage, and the surgery would take some time. She told Rick that she had seen Phillip again, and Rick wondered if Phillip had said anything about them. Beth said that Phillip hadn't said anything because she had fled, unprepared to face him.
Buzz shocked Alan by somehow slipping past the mansion's security. Outside the house, a wrathful Buzz grabbed a sharp rock and said that Alan had taunted Coop. Alan backed away, claiming that Coop had merely been in a car accident. Buzz charged Alan, brandishing the rock. Phillip swooped between them. Propelling Buzz back, Phillip yelled, "Leave my father alone!" Buzz's face blanched as he realized that it was Phillip.
On Bill's hotel room desk set several large bottles of liquor. Billy entered to apprise Bill of Coop's status. Bill scoffed when he learned about Beth and Coop's affair, realizing that it was just more trouble for a disillusioned Lizzie. Billy thought Lizzie needed Bill more than ever. Billy noticed the plethora of alcohol, but Bill assured him that it was just for show in case Lizzie or Cyrus paid him a visit. Billy worried about Bill's plan to convince people that he was a drunkard. Billy stated that he still hadn't overcome the stigma of himself as a drunk, but Bill persisted that his plan was the only way to nail Cyrus.
At Company, Lizzie approached Daisy, complaining that she had lost the entire wedding party while dealing with a drunken Bill. A subdued Daisy explained that the wedding had never occurred. She said that Coop was hospitalized and undergoing surgery after wrecking Buzz's car on his way to halt Beth's wedding.
Lizzie traveled to Cyrus' house, where she caught Bill tumbling out of a side window. Lizzie claimed she would never believe whatever false evidence Bill had planted in the house. When he said he hadn't planted any, Lizzie searched his pockets, certain that he must have stolen something. She found the photo strip of her and Phillip, and demanded to know how he'd obtained it. Bill revealed that he had found it while unsuccessfully searching for Phillip. He said that he had wanted to find her father to help her. "You know my father tried to kidnap me once? Maybe that's why you can relate to him," Lizzie quipped. Lizzie gave him the pictures, saying that she didn't need her so-called father. She told Bill to get drunk and stay out of her life while doing it.
Back at Company, Ashlee entered and hugged Daisy. Ashlee suggested that they close the restaurant and visit Coop. Ashlee wondered how to cope with meeting Coop's new girlfriend for the first time at Cedars, but it amazed Ashlee to learn that Beth was the girlfriend in question. When Ashlee asked where Grady was, Daisy said she hadn't called him about the accident. Daisy figured that because Grady had orchestrated a car accident for Alan in the past, having him around might be hurtful for her family.
As Ashlee and Daisy ran Company, Ashlee confided that she had felt estranged from Coop since their breakup. Ashlee thought of what might have been with Coop, and Daisy urged Ashlee to visit him at Cedars. Daisy didn't know whether Beth was the right woman for Coop, but Daisy was adamant that there would be time for second chances once Coop recovered.
At Cedars, Beth tried to scrub Coop's blood out of her wedding dress, but she feared she was making it worse. Rick implored her to go home, but she intended to remain for every moment of Coop's surgery. Rick said Coop would have died had it not been for Phillip. Beth wondered why Phillip was in town and if he had returned to normal. Though Rick couldn't answer either question, he attested that Phillip was definitely different. Beth worried about how Lizzie and James would respond to seeing their kidnapping father again. Rick said that despite Phillip's problems, Phillip was their beloved friend. Beth walked away agitated.
As Buzz tussled with Phillip, he accused Phillip of conspiring with Alan to run Coop off the road. Buzz then noticed Phillip's red sweatshirt and realized that Phillip had rescued Coop from the car. Alan claimed that the accident had been Coop's own fault, and he wished Phillip had just left Coop to die. Phillip grimaced at Alan's statement. Stepping aside, Phillip allowed Buzz a clear path to Alan. Buzz lunged forward and punched Alan down to the ground. After Phillip let Buzz get his swing in, he restrained Buzz again and urged Alan to go into the house. Alan reluctantly retreated, saying that he wouldn't bother to call the cops because they were all Coopers anyway.
At Buzz's car, Phillip claimed not to be the person that everyone remembered him to be. Buzz wondered who the hell he could be, then. Phillip promised that Harley had nothing to fear by allowing him to see Zach. Buzz said that Harley had taken Zach half way around the world, and Buzz was glad that Zach wouldn't be a part of any reunion. Buzz left, warning Phillip that Alan couldn't hide in the mansion forever.
Later, a despondent Buzz strode into Company, anticipating feeding the Coop supporters who had gathered at Cedars. Daisy said that no one expected Buzz to deliver food. Buzz stared at the food and uttered that it was his fault. "I gave him my keys!" Buzz bellowed. Buzz said that he had encouraged Coop to reach out for love. Daisy thought the advice was wonderful, but Buzz said, "Look where it got my son." Daisy wondered if Buzz really felt he had been mistaken to encourage Coop to go after love. Buzz said that Coop had been so excited and alive when he had set out to stop the wedding. "But now..." Buzz said, shaking his head.
Meanwhile, Phillip strolled into the mansion parlor, where he was flooded with memories. He glanced at the family pictures on the mantle, and then climbed the spiral staircase to the overlook. Beth entered and poured herself a drink. She sensed someone's presence and whipped around to see Phillip on the overlook admiring her. Phillip assured her that she need not fear him. Beth responded that she didn't fear him; she just hadn't been ready to face him.
Phillip joined Beth downstairs, where she said that she had always known she would see him again. "Just not on the day you were getting ready to marry my father," Phillip guessed. Beth said that many things had changed. "I heard," Phillip said. "You and Coop...You and Alan...Peyton...and you and Rick." Beth seethed that Phillip had been gone, and she hated him for it. Beth persisted that she might have made all the wrong choices, but at least she had been there, protecting their children. She dared him to judge her. Phillip reserved judgment because he was certain that Alan had gone after Beth. "And that's so wrong on so many levels," Phillip uttered.
Beth opened up, confessing to hurting Rick and ruining his marriage to Mel. She admitted that she had made many mistakes. She told Phillip that she had sent James to Lincoln Prep School to keep him out of Alan's sphere of influence, but her inability to rein Alan in had caused Lizzie to lose her baby. "Lizzie had a baby?" Phillip incredulously asked. He poured himself a stiff drink, listening as Beth conveyed that Sarah's father was Reva's son, Jonathan, and Jonathan had gone on the run with Sarah to escape Alan. "I didn't do a very good job while you were gone, and I'm sorry," she sobbed. Phillip cradled her in his arms, saying that she owed him no apology after all he had done. Beth cried in his arms.
Phillip led Beth upstairs, where he attempted help her out of the bloody wedding gown. A guarded Beth said that she could take care of herself. Phillip said he knew that she could, but he just wanted to help. They stared at each other in the mirror as Phillip undid the long trail of buttons sloping down her back. Phillip was astonished that James had become a man, and Beth stated that James looked like him. Beth revealed that Lizzie had been kidnapped. Beth said that even though authorities suspected Bill, Beth didn't believe Bill had done it. "I wasn't here to protect her," Phillip uttered. Beth's dress fell to the floor, and she clung to a robe, covering her undergarments. He eased the robe from her fingers and then wrapped it around her. An uncertain Beth asked him if he were staying. Phillip replied that she should get back to the hospital. After he walked out, Beth sank to the floor, sobbing.
When Beth returned to the hospital, Buzz said that there wasn't any news on Coop. He said Marina, Frank, and Mallet were in the cafeteria. Rick appeared and reported that Coop was out of surgery but still in critical condition with severe damage to his liver and extensive internal bleeding. Rick said that they couldn't see him right then. Beth asked when Coop would awaken, but Rick didn't know. Buzz said that he wasn't staying at the hospital and he took off.
Rick couldn't believe Alan's gall when he saw Alan prancing down the hospital corridor. Alan said he had come about Phillip, not Coop. Alan questioned Phillip's mental state, informing Rick that Phillip had drawn a gun on him. Rick quipped that it wasn't the first time someone had tried to shoot Alan on his wedding day. Alan inquired about Phillip's activities during his absence from Springfield. Rick said that after Ross had died, Phillip and he hadn't communicated much, but Phillip had mentioned having work to do before returning home. Rick added that Bill had searched for Phillip. Rick hoped that Phillip had returned to mend fences, citing that stopping Beth's disastrous wedding and saving Coop had been good starts.
Alan saw Bill outside the hospital. Bill wondered if the wedding had been eventful, and Alan was surprised that Bill didn't know how it had turned out. Alan said that he hadn't married Beth yet, but Bill had gotten what he wanted that day. Bill asked what that could be, and Alan replied, "Phillip."
Lizzie went to Coop's crash site and peered into the charred wreckage. Lizzie saw Phillip approaching her and she tensed. "Hello, sweetheart," he said as Lizzie warily stepped away from him.
Mallet, Marina, Daisy, and Ashlee were at the hospital when Frank arrived and asked where Buzz was. No one knew and Ashlee guessed that he had just needed some alone time. Before going off in search of Buzz, Frank gave Daisy a small box that he'd found on the roof of her car. The box was from Grady but Daisy was in no hurry to open it. Ashlee wondered why Grady wouldn't have just delivered it in person and then realized that Daisy told him not to come to the hospital. Daisy told Ashlee that she hated having to shut Grady out, but it would be trouble to have him there. Ashlee said it was Daisy's boyfriend, Daisy's call.
Mallet walked Marina off to the side and gave her a Valentine's Day card. She, in turn, gave him a mug which read "Kiss me, I'm a new dad" that she saw in the gift shop. Marina said that the thought of them getting a baby was the bright spot that kept her going.
Beth told her mother that she couldn't get a hold of Lizzie or James to tell them that their father had returned. She asked about Coop, and Lillian informed her that he was in post-op. Lillian asked Beth if Phillip knew about Coop, but Beth didn't want to talk about Phillip. Suddenly, Frank came looking for his dad and Beth told him that Buzz said he had to take care of something. Later, Frank complained to Marina and Mallet that Buzz always bailed when the going got rough. At that moment, Coop was wheeled through the hall from surgery. Lillian reported that the surgery went as well they could have hoped and Coop was stable. However, he had not woken up yet. Lillian told the group that they could visit Coop in groups of two.
Daisy and Ashlee went in first to see Coop. Both spoke about how Coop was a hero for racing off to try to stop the wedding. Daisy said that Coop flew "under the radar," since he never tried to be anything other than what Daisy needed him to be. Daisy said that what Coop did for love was legendary, and that was why he needed to wake up. After Ashlee told Coop to wake up and write his own happy ending, he did wake up. Daisy and Ashlee went out and told everyone that Coop was awake and then went to find a doctor while Mallet and Marina went in to visit Coop.
While searching for Coop's doctor, Ashlee commented on how Coop woke up at the sound of her voice. Ashlee told Daisy that Coop was the best part of her life, and that she always thought she would find her way back to him. Daisy realized that Ashlee was talking about a future with Coop and asked if she still loved him. Ashlee admitted that she never stopped.
Coop asked Mallet and Marina where his dad was, and Mallet answered that he stepped out. Marina jokingly told Coop that his hefty traffic fine would pay for their vacation to Maui. Marina then said that a family trip to Maui would be a good idea. Marina told Coop that she and Mallet made the adoption list. Coop told the pair that they would be great parents. Coop told Marina to take that trip. A tearful Marina told him that they all would. Before drifting off to sleep, Coop asked for Beth. Coop woke up to find Beth sitting beside him and asked if it was still Valentine's Day. Beth nodded and gently told Coop that he was crazy. He responded that she was worth it. Beth kissed him and then laid her head down on the bed beside him.
While packing for her weekend away with Frank, Natalia suddenly remembered to tell Olivia that she was going away. Later, Olivia helped Emma write Valentine's Day cards. Emma said to leave some for Natalia and Olivia told her that Natalia was getting ready to go on vacation. Emma was surprised that Natalia was going without them. While folding paper hearts, Emma asked her mother if she had to get a new heart every year. Olivia told her no and assured Emma that her heart was strong. Later, as Emma showed Natalia and Olivia a special card that she was giving to a certain boy, Natalia got a call from Frank, who delivered the news about Coop's accident. Later, Frank called back to tell Natalia that he had to leave the hospital to make an arrest. He also gave her a message for Olivia--Phillip was back.
Freaked out, Olivia ranted that she needed to get Emma out of town. Olivia told Natalia that Phillip was ruthless before he got sick and dangerous after. Olivia told Natalia about how dangerous Phillip was before he left, and wondered if Alan brought Phillip back to take Emma away. Olivia stated that she would kill Phillip before she let that happen. An increasingly upset Olivia proclaimed that she needed a gun for protection. Natalia grabbed Olivia's hands and told her not to get worked up. Natalia said that she was not going anywhere and offered to be strong for Olivia. Natalia promised that they would not let anything happen to Emma.
At the crash site, Lizzie told her dad to stay away from her and said that she wished that he were still dead. Lizzie told Phillip that they could never go back to the way things were and that he never should have come back. Phillip told Lizzie that he wanted to be a part of her life, and she asked him why he wanted that right then. Phillip said that he was sick before and needed to get well. He said that he had a rough time of it and wanted to come back a million times, but wanted to make certain that that he could make everything right. Phillip asked Lizzie for another chance. Lizzie asked about the wedding, and Phillip told her that it didn't happen.
Phillip asked her about the kidnapping, but Lizzie refused to discuss it and brought up his attempted kidnapping of her. Phillip promised that he would never let anyone hurt her again. Lizzie responded that everyone who had ever said that had failed her. Lizzie told Phillip to go away. Phillip gave Lizzie a present and then walked away. Later, Lizzie found Phillip at the gazebo. The box that Phillip had given her contained a stuffed animal that was Lizzie's when she was a girl. They talked about Sarah. Phillip was sorry that he could not keep Sarah safe, and thought Lizzie might want to give Sarah the toy someday. After asking how old Sarah was, Phillip asked if she looked like Lizzie. Lizzie answered that she looked like Jonathan. Phillip offered to help Lizzie find Sarah because he knew how hard it was to be separated from one's daughter.
At that point, Frank arrived and yelled for Phillip to put his hands in the air. While handcuffing Phillip, Lizzie brought up Coop, and Frank mentioned that he didn't know how Coop made it to the hospital. When Phillip looked away, Lizzie and Frank both realized that Phillip was the one who saved Coop. Phillip was then arrested for the prior kidnapping of his children. While being led away, Phillip told Lizzie that he knew that she called the police, but understood why she did it. Before being led away, he told a tearful Lizzie that he loved her.
At home, Lizzie held the stuffed panda that Phillip had given her her, and she wept.
Phillip was led to his cell. Alone, he muttered, "Welcome home, Phillip."
