Sydney plans to leave town to avoid her problems with Chris, but Jake convinces her to stay and give their relationship a chance. Alison claims to have accepted Billy's relationship with Susan, but begins hitting the bottle. She gets into a catfight with Susan at a client party, prompting Susan to move in with Billy. Michael asks Amanda to manipulate Peter into rehiring him. Amanda agrees, provided that Michael surrender his share in the design firm. Jane promises to give Amanda 25 percent of the business if she can arrange this. Once Michael has returned to work, he backs out of the deal and tries to blackmail Amanda. Peter encourages Amanda to seek control of D&D. Matt learns that Jeffrey, an ex-lover, is back in town. He is stunned when Jeffrey reveals that he has left the Navy and is HIV positive. Jo prepares for the custody trial.

Amanda gets into a scuffle with Jack as she struggles to escape. Jack trips over Amanda while pursuing her, and tumbles over the top of the staircase. Amanda calls Peter for help, as she fears the police would not believe her story. Peter claims that he stopped by the house and found that Jack had suffered an accident. Michael realizes that Peter's diagnosis is incorrect, but backs off after Amanda shares her history with Jack. Kimberly discovers that Mark Paul is a real person, and bullies him into admitting he was hired to scare her. Michael and Kimberly take their feud to national radio. Kimberly is furious when Peter neglects her in favor of Amanda. Alison agrees to move in with Hayley. Jake and Jo try to overcome their jealousy and stubbornness.

Teri threatens to expose Michael's actions to Kimberly unless he lets Peter take the fall for sleeping with Brandi. Amanda apologizes for doubting Peter. He refuses to meet Teri's settlement demands. Kimberly begs Peter for help with her illness. Before he can treat her, he is arrested for statutory rape. Amanda learns that Michael was the one who slept with Brandi. Kimberly argues with ""Betsy,"" who conks Michael on the head with a hammer. Matt asks one of his medical school professors, pediatrician Dr. Dominick O'Malley, to look at Tyler. He finds no evidence of abuse. Laurie tells Jo to mind her own business. Billy's string of success with ad campaigns comes to an end. He decides that he must put his obsession with Brooke behind him and move on. Richard rapes Jane during a business trip to New York. She pushes Jake away and doesn't tell anyone what has happened. Sydney inadvertently becomes a porno producer when she invests money with an old acquaintance of Bobby's.

Kyle rejects Sydney and vows to make his marriage work. Jane also pushes Syd away as she searches for her birth mother. She learns that her mother is a former actress named Sherry (Larson) Doucette. Alison seeks Billy's advice about her problems with Jake. She decides to serve as Jake's apprentice for a year before she considers whether to become a partner. Kimberly serves Michael with divorce papers. Arthur tries to legally contest the transfer of Craig's stock. Craig impresses Sam by renting her a studio to pursue her painting. Peter develops a fear of surgery. Dan is confronted by a former patient and lover during a dinner date with Matt. The man warns that Dan is a control freak.

While having lunch with Megan, Jennifer hears Kyle's voice. She slaps him. Kyle visits her at the beach house, and apologizes for the way he broke off their Boston affair. Michael throws Jennifer out after learning about the affair, and that she has dropped out of school. Amanda and Kyle find the space for their jazz club, but Amanda isn't sure she should get involved with him after hearing of his flings with Syd and Jennifer. Sam's father refuses to leave town, and extorts more money from her. Denise convinces Chelsea to keep a diary as evidence against Matt. She takes notes when a male friend who has just lost his lover to AIDS spends the night on Matt's couch. Craig and Sydney draw closer. He chases away a private investigator hired by Amanda to spy on Syd. Billy is alarmed to learn that Alison is drinking, but Jake isn't concerned. Alison gets fired after drinking and causing D&D to lose a client. She and Jake decide to adopt. Michael pledges to help Taylor after learning of Peter'

Taylor visits Nick in Dallas. Even after they sleep together, he is unwilling to tell her anything about Christine. She convinces him to help her break up Kyle and Amanda by telling him about the jazz club (which Nick had always dreamed of opening with Kyle), and how pathetic Kyle has become. Nick says that Christine didn't immediately die of her injuries, but convinced him to tell Kyle she was dead so that he would move on. Michael is ousted from the practice after Amber gets drunk and embarrasses him at a company function. Megan breaks up with Brett, who had provided Amber with the liquor. Michael throws Amber out, and she responds by cleaning out his house. Lexi's father continues to put down Peter and compare him to Brett. He gives Lexi a job managing one of his companies. Billy and Samantha try to convince a hot baseball prospect named Jeff Baylor to become a spokesman for one of their clients. Jennifer learns that Craig has instituted potentially deadly cost-cutting moves at the

Samantha takes back Jeff after learning that his knee injury has ended his career. Amanda catches Billy and Jennifer making out at the jazz club, and drops hints about Sam's affair. Billy shows up at a little league game where Jeff is coaching, and sees Sam kiss him. He punches Jeff, and Sam is knocked unconscious during the scuffle. She lets Billy take her home from the hospital, but he refuses to talk to her. Taylor tells Kyle that he is the father of her baby. Amanda learns about the pregnancy, and Michael claims that Kyle is the father. Amanda goads Kyle into signing divorce papers, as she plans to get a quickie divorce in the Dominican Republic. Rory asks Amanda to marry him. Megan and Brett get engaged. Dr. Larner attacks Megan, but Brett comes to the rescue. Larner's wife tells Megan that her husband is influential, and that Brett is being asked to choose between the job and Megan. Megan tries to leave Philadelphia, but Brett stops her and says he rejected the job. Lexi becomes