"Dixie and Tad finally come face to face and David, incensed, tries to convince Tad that his eyes are deceiving him. He goes so far as to say that he had been experimenting with a mind‑altering drug, and that when Tad walked into the cabin, the hallucinations started. Tad and Dixie are oblivious however, as memories of all of the times that they shared together – first meeting, kisses, laughter, love, joy, marriage – come rushing back. As tears slide down Dixie’s face, Tad stares at her in utter disbelief. He reaches out to touch her, to see if she is real – or if, for once, David is telling the truth. A look of amazement washes over his face as he realizes that the vision before him is actually a corporeal being. David continues to try to disrupt their connection, but Tad ignores him and grabs Dixie’s hand in an attempt to take her away so that they can talk in peace. David is enraged at his loss of control, at the revelation occurring before he was ready, and he physically tries to stop Tad from leaving with his beloved. He is rewarded with a roundhouse punch from Tad, and is still reeling when the former couple makes their grand exit.
They resurface in the woods, near a spot that they frequented years before, and Tad lets details of his anguished years spill out. He feels like he should have a million questions after four years but here, in the moment, he can’t think of one. He notes that the past doesn’t matter anymore and opts instead to tell her a story about seeing a picture of a woman in the paper who was the runner up in a chili contest in Ohio. Though the picture wasn’t the best quality, the woman looked enough like Dixie for him to pretend that she was still alive. He admits that he carried that picture around until it fell apart – and that incidents like that were indicative of how he held on to hope in the oddest ways, just for brief moments of peace. Dixie asks if he ever contacted the woman, but Tad denies ever doing so – because he knew in mere moments, his dream could be destroyed. He lets her in on the pain he felt because he couldn’t share any of these thoughts and feelings, and how even though it hurt, it’s what kept him going. He then recalls the most recent episode, and realizing that the here and now is much like when he first met Di, anger flares briefly. He immediately demands to know what she wants from him. This confuses Dixie, and Tad is quick to reveal that he believes that she is his dead wife – rather than a creature of the mad Dr. Hayward. Pained at the implications, Dixie wonders aloud if Tad wants her to be fake. Further, she questions whether he would ever be able to forgive her if she told him that she was indeed an imposter. She asks what he needs from her and he tells her simply that he needs the truth. If she is Dixie, he wants her story and more details than the one subject that David could have easily procured. He wants evidence that only the two of them would know. Dixie thinks for a moment, and then mentions Ozzie and Harriet. The statement has him enthralled and then remembers a time when he told Dixie that they were going to be one of the great love stories – and his comparison was Ozzie and Harriet. He is amazed that she managed to pick the one thing he couldn’t dispute. He then asks if she was at the Mardi Gras ball, and when she confirms it, he notes that Janet wasn’t hallucinating when she saw her. He surmises that she was there, watching her entire family all night, and heard them calling out after the explosion, when everyone tried to find their loved ones. He is amazed that she managed to stay hidden and not call back. His only guess is that she didn’t want her family back. As they sit and talk a bit longer, Tad offers his coat to Dixie, and as she wraps it around herself, and feels something hidden in an inside pocket. She pulls out a strand of keys, and finds a keychain that JR made years ago still attached. He laughs that even when other people have the sense to throw things away – he still hangs on…or at the very least, he tries to. Torn apart inside at his latest admission, Dixie can do naught but hug him, cry, and apologize for all the pain she caused.
Back at the cabin, David blows out the candles at his romantic table setting before starting to trash the room as he recovers from the blow.
Di is called to the boardroom at Chandler Enterprises and finds Jamie and JR there. They tell her that they need to test her and see if she is really up to the task of being a part of the family. Their first test is spite and malice. They soon reveal that this is just learning, she easily defeats them at their own game. She wants to play again, insisting that she just had a streak of beginner’s luck. The boys aren’t so willing – opting instead to move on to something more difficult. They throw additional and more difficult card games her way, and somehow she continues to beat them. Tad and Jamie finally decide that they have taken the wrong tack. They tell her that she needs to impress them somehow – without leaving the room – in a way that will convince them that she is worthy to be the next Mrs. Thaddeus Martin. She considers this for a moment, and then effortlessly builds a house of cards. Amazed that she was able to do that kind of slight of hand or magic glue, the boys are won over. They revel in good feelings until a battered David enters the room. He immediately notes that he has to have a little talk with her, given what he knows. None of the original three are interested in hearing what David has to say, but as is par for this course, Di pays little attention. He tells her that she has both good and bad news to deliver, and that it’s all rolled into one. Di tries to get him to leave before he can drop his bomb, but David will not be deterred. After a short moment, he reveals that Dixie is alive.
Babe visits Janet in the psych ward, and they revisit some of the incidents at the cabin, and the feelings they have because of it. All that aside, Janet admits to being happy with the way things turned out for Babe. Remaining cordial, Babe notes that she understands, and why Janet chose to do what she did. She then brings up the fact that Babe still might still be angry with people that interfered with her plans. Janet tells her that she will never be angry with her almost‑daughter, saying that the two of them could settle their differences with mutual forgiveness. Janet then points out the pink elephant in the room by announcing that Babe was successful in her bid to marry JR again. She then reveals that she believes Babe’s plot from the cabin is in motion – and asks how long Babe will keep up the charade before cutting all ties and taking off with Little Adam. Babe tries to convince her that the plan was bogus – it was just something that she used to get JR’s guard down, and then hit him where it hurts the most. Babe valiantly attempts to correct Janet’s line of thinking, saying that now what she wants most from her relationship with JR is to be able to trust him. She then admits that in order to gain that trust, she needs Janet’s help. Still believing that the end result will be JR out of the picture, Janet says that she can see Babe making her exit out of her romantic fantasy quite easily. Babe makes an effort to explain why JR is the way that he is: the fact that his mother left without saying goodbye and never came back, as well as the many trials and tribulations she herself put him through caused him an enormous amount of pain that he still hasn’t been able to heal from. The result of his past cause him to be bitter and jaded and explains succinctly why JR acts out the way that he does. Babe doesn’t question his actions any longer, because they all make sense. She then reminds Janet of her own reaction when she was threatened with losing Amanda. She begs Janet to stop interfering because she loves JR. Janet considers this but believes that asking when love has ever made anyone happy. Frustrated that Janet isn’t responding positively to her efforts, Babe insists that she will not allow her husband to be treated so poorly, and storms out.
In his hospital room, Erica urges Greg to tell Josh and Kendall the truth about their history and connection. Their children chomping at their respective bits, Greg appears amused at the fact that Erica seems to be pushing the issue. He nonchalantly asks if she feels that now is the time to reveal everything. Greg’s phrasing makes it sound as though he and Erica had an illicit affair, but Kendall quashes that theory before it can come to fruition: she tells Josh about the abortion that Erica had years ago, and how Greg was the one that performed the procedure. She also makes mention that having that same doctor that inseminated her daughter as well as the provider of subsequent care makes the current situation more than a little weird. Josh realizes that perhaps, because of the negativity that must have surrounded the incident, it’s not surprising that Erica still harbors some ill will towards his father. Erica claims to have dealt with any of the fallout from the abortion and says that she has been fine for years. However, she goes on to say, there is more to her connection with Greg that both Josh and Kendall don’t know and couldn’t imagine in their wildest dreams. Erica mentions the fact that she never pressed charges against Josh for the poisoning and asks her daughter if she can fathom why that could have happened. Kendall thinks that it could have been lack of evidence, but Erica drops that in lieu of mentioning the fact that of all places for a world renowned fertility expert to set up his practice – why would Greg choose Pine Valley? Josh thinks that Erica is suffering from some delusions based on her narcissistic belief that Greg is obsessed with her, and suggests that she might benefit from therapy. Erica smiles at this suggestion and asks Greg if he thought that perhaps they could all find family therapy helpful, seeing as how they are such a nice family unit. The duo continues to shoot more cryptic language back and forth, further frustrating their children. At Greg’s silence, Erica tells Josh that if he wants more information, he could ask Tad Martin. She notes that Tad is an amazing detective, and Greg manages to utter a sound of surprise as he realizes that Tad was the one who cracked the mystery and revealed the truth. Erica continues to test Greg’s limits by talking about the photo of Erica as a little girl that Tad found in Greg’s locked files. Greg’s monitors start to beep wildly, indicating the onset of another attack. Immediately frantic, Josh orders both Erica and Kendall out of the room. Once outside, Kendall demand that her mother tell her what happened between her and Dr. Madden before she and Josh arrived. Once again her cool, calm and collected self, Erica states that Greg had been spouting off his delusions that he and Erica shared some sort of cosmic destiny. She tries to use this detail to convince her daughter that she needs to find another doctor. Exasperated once again, Kendall vehemently insists that she knows what is best for her and her baby, and storms off.
Back inside the room, Josh is adamant that his father avoid Erica and anyone associated with her, for his health’s sake. Greg says that he will try but that answer isn’t good enough for Josh – he wants complete compliance. After checking his vitals again, he turns to leave the room. Moments later, Erica reenters and warns him not to take his reputation as a miracle worker too seriously. She tells Greg not to ever challenge her again or push her too far, or she will make him regret it – because he is no match for her."
- Soap Central