Angela's hands-on approach to Emma's forthcoming wedding may prove futile when the bride and groom call the festivities off. After Emma breaks the news to Angela that the wedding is off, her prospective bridegroom, R.D. Young, apologizes for his behavior and announces that the wedding is on schedule again. During the wedding rehearsals, Young's nervousness escalates and he convinces Emma to elope. After Pilar accepts Lance's apology about Cookie Nash, their romance resumes. Nick fails to persuade Ben to curtail his relations with the Cellini family, despite his warning that the family is dangerous. An unannounced visitor adds turmoil to Tuscany Valley.

In the continuing battle to keep Angela off balance, Pilar placates her about the consortium, while continuing to plot with Richard. Despite the stir created by her return from Italy, Anna Cellini is delighted to be reunited with Ben, but afraid that her father will ruin everything by insisting that his only surviving grandchild and heir be brought to Italy. When Richard tells Maggie he is in New York, he is really in Chicago with Pilar for meetings with financier Malcolm Sinclair. Cookie reveals to Lance that she is pregnant with his child.

As Angela continues to press for information on the consortium, Pilar divulges surprising news to Lance. After Angela follows the paper trail leading from the consortium to Richard's company, she confronts Richard. Making peace, Nick and Anna reach an accord about Ben. In conclusion, Pilar drops a bombshell piece of news on Lance: he is Lisa's father.

Despite pressure from Angela, Lance refuses to marry Cookie, but he offers her full financial support. Angela inadvertently uncovers Richard's duplicity in the Troilus affair. As Anna and Nick rekindle their love, happiness seems assured for the reunited family. However, Anna continues to hide the facts of her fatal illness and Ben receives a card from Frank telling him that the emerald mine is coming through. Pilar makes it very clear to both Sinclair and Richard that she will side with whomever makes it most worth her while. Sinclair's marriage proposal comes three years too late for Pilar, who turns it down. However, she gladly accepts Lance's proposal to become his wife.

Despite Angela's obvious opposition, Lance and Pilar decide to marry. Maggie, appalled at Richard's plans for the valley, leaves him. Hoping to prevent Lance and Pilar's marriage, Angela, who has made a deal with Sinclair, tells Lance that Pilar was well aware of Richard's business dealings; however, Pilar convinces him otherwise, and the wedding is definitely on. After Nick learns the seriousness of Anna's condition, he convinces her to allow him and Ben to care for her, provided that Ben not be told of her illness. After Raoul and his gang run Ben and Gabriel off the road, the gang leaves them unconscious on the roadside.

Maggie's rebuff of Richard's attempts at reconciliation cause unexpected results. Upon hearing news of the car accident, Lance and Pilar immediately return home. With Ben and Gabriel in serious condition, Anna feels guilty over having given Ben the car. While the hospital staff quibbles about accepting Gabriel, he goes into convulsions, requiring immediate surgery. Angela, though not approving of the marriage, invites the newlyweds to make their home at Falcon Crest. In response to Maggie's rebuff, Richard pressures a judge for a court order that transfers custody of the boys to him. Accompanied by the Sheriff, Richard removes the children from Falcon Crest.

Michael, despondent at his mother's continued absence, runs away. Richard moves to block Angela's latest power play, while Frank Agretti returns to the Tuscany Valley. While Angela is prepared to help Maggie wrest custody of the children from Richard, Richard prepares to clip Angela's wings decisively in the matter of Glenbraddoch. Meanwhile, Michael's disappearance causes concern. Learning of Ben's accident, Frank Agretti returns to the valley, while Pilar and Lance agree to try to make their home at Falcon Crest.

As Anna grows increasingly weaker, she desperately tries to convince Frank and Nick to help end her pain. After Maggie dissolves in tears after a phone conversation with Michael, Tommy consoles her, revealing his true feelings for her. On a business trip to Chicago, Richard encounters a glamorous woman who is a dead ringer for Melissa. Pretending that it will help his ill mother, Richard convinces his new conquest, Samantha Ross, to return to San Francisco and impersonate Melissa. After Richard agrees to Samantha's hefty price, the deal is cemented.