"I don't think you should be here, Shane." Rachel murmurs, rising from her chair.

"And not join you for family dinner? That would be extremely rude of me." Shane scoffs, a smirk on his lips.

"What are you doing here?" Flynn interrupts, getting in between the former couple.

"I heard my son was getting married. Can't I be there for him?"

"We don't want you here." 

"Speak for yourself. Hunter wants me here, he said so himself."

"Can't we do this another time? You can't just barge in like this." Rachel looked intimidated, frightened of the man towering over her.

"I think I can do whatever the hell I want. I practically own Lakeside. I'm the richest man to ever step foot here."

"You haven't been here in twelve years, why come back now?" she asks, her voice barely above a whisper.

"Like I said, Hunter's getting married. He wants his old man to be there for him."

"I don't think so. Hunter doesn't even like you." Ingrid grimaces, pushing her chair back, standing. She wasn't going to let her mother be treated like dirt, especially not on her watch.

"Ingrid, come give your dad a hug. You've grown so much." 

"You're not my dad. You'll never be my dad, you murderer." she spat, crossing her arms.

"Murderer's a bit strong there, don't you think?"

"I know what you did. You're not a saint, Shane. As soon as I can find physical evidence, you're going down."

"I'm innocent, my sweet, sweet Ingrid. Everyone knows that."

"Then why did you leave Mom for your secretary?"

"I didn't love your mother anymore." he shrugs, wiping dust from his suit jacket.

"And why did you flee the country?" his daughter asks, her tone even more aggravated. 

"I wanted a new beginning."

"Funny this all happened right after Lisa King's body was found."

"What a shame. I had nothing to do with some woman."

"How did you even find us here?"

"I have sources." the man retorts, rolling his eyes.

"Nobody wants you here, Shane. Please leave before this escalates out of control." Amy speaks up, gesturing for Rosemary to usher the younger children out of the room.

"Amy." 

Now, it was known that Shane had competed with Brian for Amy's affection back in high school before she had gotten pregnant with Everett. Of course, Amy had wanted nothing to do with him, even then. Still, Shane persisted, by then having married Rachel.

Shane moves closer to her, attempting to kiss her. Brian slides himself in between them.

"If it isn't Brian Newfield. How's that football career going for you?" Shane gibes, smirking boastfully.

"You need to leave. You're not welcome here." Brian states, finally putting his foot down.

"Whatever. I'm going to the bar."

Shane casually strolls out of the room, Brian following close behind just in case he had other ideas in mind.

"Can you believe the nerve?" an outraged Rachel fumes, frowning with disapproval.

"I'm going to get him arrested for that woman's murder. I know he did it, and I think he does too." her daughter scowls, even more outraged than her mother.

"Ingrid, you're seventeen. I don't think trying to solve a twelve year old cold case is something normal teenagers do."

"I'm not a normal teenager."

"Ingrid, you may have had it a little rougher than your classmates, but you're definitely a normal teen. Stop trying to convince yourself you're not."

Ingrid falls silent before she stalks out of the room, followed by the house altogether. Flynn follows in pursuit, close on her heels.

"Ingrid, stop. She didn't mean that."

"Leave me alone."

"I can't do that." Flynn simply replies, grabbing her by the arm to turn her to face him. 

"Just go. Everyone else leaves, and you're going to leave too after summer school ends."

"I don't plan to leave, not now, and especially not ever. You've been hurt in the past by people you allowed yourself to get close to, and you blame, and most likely hate, yourself for letting them walk out on you every single time. You're vulnerable, fragile, even, and that's okay. You can't let yourself be afraid to trust, Ingrid."

"What makes you think I'm afraid to trust?"

"I see it in your eyes. I hear it in your voice. Do I need to say any more?"

"You're just saying stuff to get me riled up." Ingrid snorts in disbelief.

"No, I think Shane was." Flynn murmurs, just so that he and Ingrid could hear.

"Say that again."

"I think Shane was?"

"Flynn Newfield, you're a genius!"

"I am?"

"It all makes sense now. I've done it. I've solved the whole case!" she yells, jumping up and down with joy.

"You have?"

"Stop asking questions, we've got to go to the police now! Wait, no, I want to go to Shane first. Take me to O'Reilly's Junction."

"Ingrid, O'Reilly's Junction is in a shady part of town. I don't want to take you there."

"If you won't, then I will."

"It's on the other side of town, are you just going to walk there?"

"Well, duh. I'm not crazy enough to steal your truck." the blonde laughs, playfully shoving him back.

"I'm not going to let you walk there."

"Well, then, drive me there."

"You know I can't do that."

"Please?"

"Nobody got to eat any dinner. Let's go back inside and eat. You can't kick butt on an empty stomach." Flynn interjects, grinning widely.

"You know, I'd probably still be fighting you on this if it wasn't for you mentioning food."

"I know you so well."

Flynn turns to go back inside, but this time, it's Ingrid that pulls him back. "Do you think Hunter actually wants to see Shane? He's been pretty distant lately, and I'm worried about him. Could Hunter be the reason Shane's back in town?"

"Could be. Maybe you could check on Hunter to see if anything's wrong?"

"Do you think it would help?"

"Do you?"

"I don't know."

"Let's just go in and eat. We can talk about this on the way to the bar."

"You're going to bring me?"

"Only if I get down with you."

"Okay."

"Dinner wasn't ruined, was it?" Ingrid asks upon re-entering the Newfield household.

"It was just delayed, that's all." a surprisingly calm Amy replies, placing Henry in his high chair.

"Good, because I'm starving." 

"Rachel's been in the bathroom for a while, I think you should go check on her." 

"But I'm hungry!"

"Just go, Ingrid. The food can wait." 

"Fine. Where's the bathroom?"

"Down the hall to the right." 

Ingrid follows Amy's instructions, quickly finding the bathroom. "Mom?" she calls out, knocking on the door. No response. "Mother, I would like to go and eat, can you please open up?" Still no response. "If you don't say anything, I'm coming in." Nothing. "Fine, just know that you did this to yourself!"

Swiftly pulling the door open, Ingrid is left stunned by the sight of her mother, in tears on the bathroom floor. Rachel had always been a strong woman -- this was unlike anything Ingrid had ever seen before. Wiping her eyes, the woman glances up at her daughter.

"Did I fail you?" were the first words out of Rachel's mouth as she stares at Ingrid through tear-filled eyes.

"What?"

"As a mother, did I fail you?"

"Mom, I-"

"You know, I tried to raise you and your brother as best I could after your father left. I didn't think I could do it at the time. Now I know I can, even if I screwed you up in the process. I know I haven't always been there for you growing up, but I'm trying my best. I look at Amy and Brian, and they have everything. Eight beautiful children, the perfect home, a perfect marriage, a perfect life; they have everything I could have had, but I failed. I made the worst mistake of my life by dropping out of college to become a housewife to an abusive monster." 

"You didn't fail us, Mom. Look at us -- Hunter's going to get married soon, and I'm almost a senior. Sure, we've struggled, but that doesn't mean we're failures, and it definitely doesn't mean that you're a failure. You did alright with what you had. You didn't know that Shane was going to hightail it when he did, but you still managed to keep us afloat anyway. You could have just gave up when everything went to you-know-what, but you didn't. I know I don't say it a lot, but I love you, Mom, and I'm grateful for everything you've done for us."

Rachel begins to cry harder after these words, Ingrid hugging her mother in response. "Shane's gone, Mom. I won't let him hurt you anymore. If he lays a finger on you, I'm gonna lay a whole lot of fingers on him."

Laughing at her daughter's comment, she stands up, glancing over at her reflection in the mirror behind her.

"Wipe those tears, Mom, we've got some eating to do." Ingrid grins, turning to exit the room.

"Do you think they'll still want us after...all of this?"

"Listen, Mom. I know Flynn, and he'd want us to stay, so I'm pretty sure his mom and dad would too."

"Before we leave, I want to ask you something."

"Oh Lord, what is it?" the teenager groans, facing her mother again.

"What's up with you and Flynn?" Rachel inquires, a teasing grin brightening her expression.

"Not this again. I don't like him, okay? Sure, we're friends and all, but I absolutely do not like him!"

"No need to be so defensive, I was just asking a question. I love you, but you need to let your defenses down every once in a while. You can't go through life like that, Ingrid."

"Again with a speech. I'm going eat, join me whenever you want."

"There's my Ingrid."

One semi-awkward dinner later, Ingrid and Flynn leave the Newfield residence to find Shane at O'Reilly's Junction, heading out in Flynn's rusted shell of a truck. 

"You really need to fix this thing up, I'm tired of having to crawl into the passenger side." she grumbles as she adjusts herself in the seat, buckling her seat belt shut.

"I told you it was a work in progress." he simply retorts, checking the rear view mirror before backing out of his driveway.

"I never see you working on the so-called progress."

"I never have the time anymore because I'm always with you."

"Fair enough. I'm a difficult girl."

"Difficult's an understatement."

"Oh, shut up."

"I'm just making pleasant conversation."

"You suck, Flynn." the blonde groans, resting her head on the headrest behind her.

"Thanks, I really appreciate it." he teases, a grin spreading out across his face.

"Hey, I'm supposed to be the sarcastic one here!"

"There's a new sheriff in town, pardner, and his name's Flynn Newfield."

"Flynn, I swear to God, I'll shove my foot so far up your behind, you'll be able to taste it."

"Maybe I might like that." Flynn smirks, glancing over at the blushing Ingrid, who was at a loss for words.

"Oh my God, you can't just say stuff like that! That's disgusting." Ingrid exclaims, hitting him on his shoulder.

"Alright, alright, I'm sorry. I just think it's funny when you get all riled up."

"One of these days, I'm going to get you riled up, and there's nothing you can do about it."

"I'd love to see you try."

"There's got to be something to set you off, and I'm going to find out exactly what that is. And when I do, you'll be sorry you ever messed with me."

"I never messed with you to begin with."

"You're doing it right now!"

"No, I don't think I am. I think I would know if I was." he teases, clearly getting under her skin.

"If we weren't about to go confront my father, I'd make you pull this truck over so I can beat you up." she fires back, staring out of the window.

"Ooh, I'm so scared. What's little old Ingrid Armstrong going to do to me?"

"I'm going to wipe that smug look off your face, that's what I'm gonna do!"

"That's a mighty big threat there. Are you sure you don't just want to call it even and give up before I accidentally hurt your feelings?"

"You, hurt my feelings? There's nothing you can say that would ever hurt my feelings."

"We'll see about that." Flynn chuckles, pulling into the bar's parking lot before unbuckling his seat belt. "But for now, we've got a conversation we need to have with your father."

"I think I'm regretting this, but let's do this."

"That's the spirit."

Ingrid was terrified as she stood before the door, a little hesitant to approach her father. It was now or never. Shane Armstrong was going down, and she was going to make sure of it.