At the country club, Inez ran into Clint while searching for Nate. When Inez explained Nate's job at the club and mentioned her work at the police station, Clint cracked that she was "the prettiest cop I've ever met." He was surprised when Inez corrected him and said she was Bo's new assistant, and promptly introduced himself as the elder Buchanan brother.

Inez sang Bo's praises, relating to Clint how the commissioner had saved her and Nate from life on the streets. She told Clint that she was heading to the office -- she needed the overtime, and wanted to be there to help bust the man who'd assaulted her oldest son. Clint was intrigued to learn she was Ford's mother. Just then, Inez received a text message from Nate telling her he was already at the Buenos Dias, at his other job. On her way out, she told "Mr. Buchanan" that it was nice to meet him, and left an admiring Clint in her wake.

At the police station, Nora met Cole in the reception area. Cole was anxious for news on Hannah and assumed she'd be released from St. Anne's, but Nora told him it wasn't that simple; due to her involvement with Elijah's scheme, Hannah faced obstruction charges that held a maximum penalty of prison time. Cole insisted that Hannah was Eli's victim, who'd almost died protecting others. Nora reminded him that Hannah had lied to him and Marty, and almost gotten Cole sent back to prison after he'd jumped bail. "What is your interest here?" she asked.

Cole said he knew what Hannah had done, but felt she'd suffered enough. Nora agreed that Hannah needed psychological help and treatment, and promised to keep him posted on her case.

In Bo's office, Matthew explained that Clint had offered him an internship at Buchanan Enterprises in order to learn about the family business, just as Asa had always wanted. He noticed that his father didn't seem happy about the offer. "I'm not," Bo replied, and told Matthew he needed to be focusing on his studies during his junior year of high school. Matthew complained that he always got good grades, but Bo told the boy he'd have plenty of time to work at B.E. in the future and suggested he explore all his other options. "Like you did with Inez?" Matthew replied sarcastically, and asked his dad if the best choice for his assistant had really been the mother of the boy who'd taken Danielle from him.

Bo gently told Matthew that no man could steal a woman who didn't want to be stolen. "Like you stole Mom from Clint?" Matthew shot back. Bo warned Matthew that he didn't appreciate his son's attitude, but Matthew remained heated at the insinuation that losing Dani was his own fault. Bo insisted that wasn't what he'd meant, and told Matthew that perhaps it hadn't been the right time for him and Dani, or "the right fit" -- he couldn't force love. He stopped Matthew from walking out on him and asked if they could start the conversation over. He began by asking for the reasons Matthew really wanted the job at B.E.

Matthew wanted one good reason why he shouldn't take the internship, and wondered if Bo and Nora felt weird about him working with "Uncle Clint" after everything that had happened between them. Bo said he didn't have a problem with Clint, nor did Nora, and said they'd gotten past their differences. Nora entered the office mid-conversation, and Bo and Matthew filled her in on their disagreement. Bo reiterated that he was concerned about Matthew's schooling, but Matthew told his parents that he needed to know if a career in business was what he wanted. The Buchanan family mantle was what Asa had wanted for him, and he wanted to honor his grandfather's wishes and give Buchanan Enterprises a fair chance.

Nora agreed with Matthew's assessment, and told Bo it seemed as though Clint was extending them an olive branch of peace. Bo remained concerned, but finally relented when Matthew said he could handle his schoolwork. As Matthew stalked out of the office without a show of gratitude, Nora was astounded by her son's attitude. Bo explained that Matthew was sore that Bo had hired Inez Salinger. "Oh, yes, well, I was waiting for that to land," Nora mused, and asked Bo the same question as Matthew -- if there no one else he could have hired to be his assistant.

As Bo and Nora discussed Ms. Salinger, Inez approached her desk and overheard their conversation behind the closed doors. Bo defended Inez to Nora, and told his wife that Matthew needed to learn responsibility and get over Dani instead of being coddled in his misery. He didn't want Matthew nursing a grudge, but Nora suggested that Matthew could think that Bo was supporting Nate and Inez over him. "What, you think I should fire her?" Bo asked incredulously. "Of course not," Nora replied, but as a mother, it was hard for her to see Matthew hurting.

Bo told Nora that Matthew would have to get over his hiring of Inez, and that Inez was only caring for her son as well. He was sure Matthew would recover from his heartache. "Did you ever get over your first love?" Nora asked, then pecked Bo on the cheek and told him she was late for court. As Nora exited Bo's office, she found Inez at her desk. The women shared awkward greetings as Nora left the station.

At the country club, Matthew hurried back to the pool area, where he found Clint and informed him that he'd be taking the internship at B.E. Clint was pleased, and told Matthew, "You'll be a real asset."

Across town, Rex and Kelly arrived at Rex's loft, fretting over John's hard-nosed approach to their assistance in the Elijah case. Kelly didn't understand why John was giving her grief over "bending the rules" to get the truth, and said that as a reporter and a Cramer, she'd done what she'd had to do to both get the story and help Blair; in her view, John should've expected nothing less. Rex assured her that it was because of her that Elijah was in custody and Blair was safe, but Kelly reminded Rex that he'd put his life in danger in Chicago, and said that he'd found her mother's killer and she owed him one. She pulled him into a sudden hug, which Gigi walked in on. "Am I interrupting?" she asked.

Pulling away from Rex, Kelly told Gigi she was thanking her favorite private investigator for all his help, and told Rex to call her if he needed a recommendation. As Kelly dashed out of the loft, Gigi played off her irritation at Rex and Kelly's rapport. She told Rex she'd understand if he wanted to see someone else while they were "taking things slow." "You're the only woman for me, Morasco," Rex promised. "You know that." He teased Gigi and told her it wasn't his fault he was "irresistible," and Gigi responded by playfully smacking him in the chest.

Gigi admitted that she was unsure of where their rehabilitated relationship was at, and Rex told her he hoped they were at least "going steady." "Gee, big step, Balsom," Gigi quipped, and agreed that they were definitely "going steady." Suddenly, she remembered that she needed to head to Llanview University to register for fall classes, and asked Rex if she was stupid to attempt to go back to school at her age. After all, everyone would be much younger than her, and the expenses were piling up; Gigi didn't yet know what she wanted to do with her life, or what she was good at. Rex told her she was a great person, a wonderful friend, "and not a bad kisser," then drew her into a kiss.

Rex told Gigi she was doing the right thing pursuing her education, and promised to help with the bills and Shane's college fund in the meantime. He offered to drive her to the campus, but Gigi told him she'd go alone, and informed Rex that after his long hours on the job, he needed a shower. "Yeah, Kelly dragged me out of the steam room," Rex said. Seeing Gigi's stunned expression, he mumbled that it was a long story, and told her to go to school and register; he was proud of her.

After Gigi left, Rex began to undress for his shower. As soon as he stripped down to his boxers, Kelly burst back into the loft, calling out to him that she'd forgotten to give him his paycheck. Averting her eyes at the sight of the half-naked P.I., she blindly handed him the check. As Rex dressed again, he marveled at the monetary amount Kelly had written down, and told her it was far more than they'd initially agreed to. Kelly explained that Rex had done far more than she'd hired him for, and told him to consider it hazard pay for risking his life and finding Melinda's killer.

Rex was loath to take Kelly's exorbitant reward, but his resolve crumbled in the face of her playful nagging. Kelly asked him how he and Gigi were doing, and Rex told her they were taking things one step at a time; when he asked Kelly about her own romantic prospects, she said he loved her job but hadn't yet had a chance to think past their investigation. Rex told her she deserved to be happy, and Kelly replied that she at least had peace of mind, thanks to him. "You'd make a good P.I.," Rex admitted. "We make a good team," Kelly added.

At St. Anne's, Marty entered Hannah's room. Hannah was pleased to see her, and said she'd written her a letter explaining herself. As Marty took the letter and silently began to read it, Hannah told Marty how sorry she was for her cruel lies -- because of her, Marty and John had gotten no closure over the death of their baby. Considering her words carefully, Marty explained that John had told her that Hannah had been willing to die to save Cole from Elijah. "I am so sorry you were in that position," Marty told Hannah, "and I am truly grateful that you saved my son's life."

Marty said that she wanted to help Hannah, and would speak to her parents about getting her continuing psychiatric treatment. Hannah expressed skepticism that her "chilly," distant family would be interested -- they were great with a checkbook, but had yet to visit her. Sitting down beside the girl, Marty asked Hannah if she wanted her to contact her family instead. "I'm an embarrassment," Hannah muttered. "They don't want anything to do with me."

Marty promised Hannah that she could still have a wonderful life with the right kind of help. "Why are you being so nice to me?" Hannah asked. "Because I understand that what you did didn't happen in a vacuum," Marty replied, and said that deep down, Hannah's actions had probably had very little to do with Cole. Hannah agreed; she said that Cole was a great guy, but he could've been anybody -- "just somebody to love me." She said she'd worked hard to win his love, "but nobody can break up Starr and Cole."

In the Llanview University commons, Starr and Langston were shocked to learn that Ford was teaching their new class. They immediately refused to sign up, while James suggested they take it and said he'd withdraw, as he didn't want to make Starr uncomfortable. Ford refused to allow his little brother to step aside, and warned that James needed to be enrolled in the course when he passed his GED exam in order to convince the admissions department to take him on as a full-time student. As Ford counseled James, Starr reminded Langston that Ford's class was a prerequisite for all her future writing courses.

Relenting, Langston said she'd take the course but move to another section, only to be stymied when Ford informed her that the course only had a single section -- his. Langston told "Bobby" she'd already learned everything she'd wanted to from him. Ford informed Langston that she needed to put her high school grudges aside, and that his course was mandatory for her career track; "You need to take classes with me, or change your major."

The girls stepped into an alcove, and Langston realized she was stuck; she had to take Ford's class. She asked Starr to join her in the course, and admitted it would be easier to handle her ex with her best friend by her side. Langston insisted she wanted nothing to do with Ford, and wondered if taking his class as a student would make it easier to deal with him; after all, as her teacher, he'd be forbidden to make advances on her. "That didn't stop Hannah," Starr noted, but Langston huffily reminded Starr that Hannah hadn't been one of Ford's students, and she didn't want him anymore, so it was a dead issue.

As the girls rejoined the Ford brothers, James again offered to drop the class. He told Starr he knew he'd been "coming on pretty strong," but he promised to never call her "Twinkle" again, and he knew she was "taken" by Cole. Starr told James it was okay, and he was welcome in the class; she knew what his education meant to him, and promised the situation wouldn't be weird. James asked if that meant he could say hi to her in the halls, and Starr smiled and said he sure could. Noticing Cole across the commons, she told James she had to go and hurried to her boyfriend's side.

As James watched Starr walk away, Langston walked up to him and told him they couldn't see each other anymore. When James asked her why, Langston glanced at Starr and Cole together. "It wouldn't be a good idea," she said simply.

Across the commons, Starr and Cole exchanged greetings, but their cozy moment was extinguished when Cole noticed Ford and rushed over to confront him about Hannah. He blamed Ford for allowing Eli to frame Hannah for all his crimes and leaving her to rot in St. Anne's. Starr and Langston were stunned to hear the truth about Eli, and Starr remarked that he was her mother's fiancé. "Yeah, he's a pretty swell guy when he's not killing people!" Ford snapped. He told the girls that Eli had done everything that Hannah had confessed to, and said he'd had no choice but to go along with the sinister attorney's scheme -- if they didn't believe him, all they needed to do was call the Llanview police.

Starr was horrified to realize that Cole had learned the truth about Eli and failed to inform her before Eli and Blair had left the country and eloped. She wanted to call Blair, but Cole took her aside and assured her that John had the situation well in hand. She asked Cole why he hadn't told her earlier, and he said he hadn't wanted to panic the family; after all, it was over, and the Tahitian authorities had arrested Eli.

Nearby, Ford stopped Langston from pursuing Starr and Cole and asked her if she was in or out of his class. Langston told him she'd take his course because she had to. Ford reminded her that it was a lot of work to stay angry at him forever. "Not when it's you," Langston shot back, and told him how disgusted she was that he'd let Eli frame Hannah for his crimes. Ford told her that he'd only cooperated with Eli because Eli had threatened not just James's life, but hers as well.

In a neighboring corridor, Gigi arrived in the commons and noticed a bulletin board advertising the Roth-Logan "Live & Learn" Grant, which awarded grant money for "life experience" outside the classroom. Gigi was taken with the proposal, as was James, who walked up and immediately took a flier. "What the hell?" Gigi figured, and took one as well.

In the main commons, Starr told Cole that she'd had a right to know about Eli sooner in order to keep Blair safe -- "Look what he did to your mom!" Cole said he'd only done as John had told him to, and Starr accused him of siding with the police over her. She rejected his embrace and told him not to touch her, then rushed out, stalking past James in the corridor.

In Tahiti, in Ross's cottage, Blair aimed Elijah's gun square at her new husband's chest. She told him she knew that the gun was his and not Ross's, and that he had been planning to use it on her. "Let me return the favor," she hissed, narrowing her eyes. Eli asked her to put down the gun, and said she couldn't seriously believe he was a serial killer -- he didn't blame Kelly and John for assuming the worst, but Ross was the man behind all the "Bennett Thompson" madness. Blair laughed off his excuse, and said she knew Ross had been lost in the South Pacific with Todd and Téa during "Bennett's" earliest crimes -- "You did it all."

"You're not gonna shoot me," Eli told Blair, and Blair agreed; first, she wanted him to confess to his crimes in gory detail. She grew emotional as she told Eli she deserved answers to her questions -- why he had made her fall in love with him, why he had married her, and why he had murdered so many people. She wanted his answers, or hers would be from the barrel of his gun. When Eli remained silent, Blair told him goodbye and took careful aim.

"You can't shoot me, Blair," Eli repeated. "You love me, you just said so." "I'll get over it," Blair replied. Eli reminded her that she was his wife, and Blair told him she was only the third, after the other two women he'd killed. "It's different with you," Eli said. "I really, really love you." He admitted that he had been married before, he had been Bennett Thompson and Craig Pattison, and he'd done everything John and Kelly said he had done.

Growing manic, Eli told Blair he'd married her out of love. He was ashamed of what he'd done before, and wanted to become a new person. Then, he'd met her, and she'd been free, loving, and kind -- he'd fallen for her, but then Rodney had recognized the picture of the happy couple that Blair had sent to Melinda, and Eli had been forced to kill them both to keep his dark secret. He blamed Kelly for "sticking her nose into it," and dragging John into her solo investigation.

Blair was shocked to realize that Eli had pushed Marty down the stairs in order to distract John from the case. Eli insisted that Marty's miscarriage had been an accident; he'd only wanted to shake her up enough to pull John away from the investigation. Advancing on his gun-toting bride, Eli told her he'd done everything he'd done for her, and that he still believed in their future together. "This doesn't have to end badly," he reasoned. Eli's first wife had been a drunk who'd fallen to her death, but no one would believe him, so he'd fled, and his second wife had threatened him with the truth about his first, so he'd taken care of her as well; he'd started over many times, but he knew he and Blair could make a real life together in Tahiti, where no one could find them.

Raising the gun, Blair told Eli she'd never leave her family and children behind for a murderer. "You already have," Eli replied. "You chose me because you love me, and you have a thing for dangerous men." Talking over Blair's protests and moving closer, he said the danger was what really turned her on about men like him, Todd, John, and even Ross. Terrified, Blair warned Eli not to make her shoot him. Eli said she'd have shot him already if she really wanted to -- she needed to admit that she still wanted him, "now more than ever."

"Give in to what you want," Eli purred, stepping closer to Blair. "I will pull this trigger," Blair warned him. "And ruin a good thing?" he quipped. Rushing her, Eli began to wrestle with Blair for the gun. As they fell against the wall, still struggling, Eli forced her into a kiss. Just then, the gun went off.