TWO HOURS EARLIER (according to the screen): Isabel opens the door to a darkened Crashdown. Whispering can be heard as Isabel comes further into the room. Suddenly, the lights go on, and everyone yells, "SURPRISE!" It is Isabel’s birthday, and her family and friends have thrown a party for her. Isabel is clearly surprised…and she insists that she can’t believe they did this with all that’s been happening. She asks where Alex is, and Maria replies that he’s still getting dressed. Mrs. Evans asks Isabel why she’s wearing the dress she has on – a red, strapless gown. Isabel stammers that she had other plans, when suddenly, Grant Sorenson enters through the front door, apologizing for being late and handing a bouquet of sterling roses to Isabel. Sorenson says he didn’t know there was a party, to which Isabel replies that she didn’t know either. There is total awkwardness, which Isabel tries to break when she notices a cut on Sorenson’s neck. He says he must have gotten it that day at the dig, but when Isabel dabs at the blood with a napkin, she is suddenly hit with a strange vision of red everywhere. She is shaken, but tries to cover it up. Sorenson apologizes again and says it obviously isn’t a good time for a date, so maybe he should go, to which Michael quickly agrees. As Sorenson leaves, Mrs. Evans promises Isabel they’re going to have a talk. On the other side of her, Max murmurs, "Ditto." Isabel gets another flash, this time of Tess in an accident, and drops her glass. Courtney rushes to clean it up.

Meanwhile, in Congresswoman Whitaker’s office, Liz discovers a CD with her name on it. While Whitaker is in the ladies’ room, Liz listens to it and is shocked to find it is a recording of a conversation between her and Maria.

Back at the Crashdown, Max is listening in on the end of Isabel’s phone call to Grant Sorenson. She tells Max that she was thanking him for the flowers, and that she’s annoyed with him for not making Grant feel welcome. Max snaps back that Sorenson wasn’t invited; Isabel says she invited him, to which Max replies, "Don’t do it again." Isabel is not only incredulous at his answer, but she’s annoyed as well, and asks if Max is forbidding her. Max reminds her that it’s dangerous to let anyone in right now, and Isabel counters with, "Like it was too dangerous to let Liz Parker in?" Max argues that that was different, but Isabel is relentless: "I can date someone and keep my mouth shut at the same time. You couldn't." Going further, she tells him she will never consider Max her king in this lifetime, and suddenly experiences another red flash. Max asks her what’s wrong, and Isabel claims to have a headache. Before Max can question her further, Maria appears and tells Isabel that a policeman is here to see her. Concerned, Isabel follows, only to find Alex dressed in a policeman’s uniform, performing a striptease! Isabel giggles in embarrassed delight, while her mother looks on in disapproval.

Kyle is telling his friends that Tess has completely moved in on his life, when Isabel comes up to him and asks him where Tess is. Kyle replies that she went to get Isabel’s present. Michael confronts Isabel, reiterating that she is to stay away from Sorenson, since Max ordered her to. Isabel is furious, but as she stands up to storm away, she experiences a flash more powerful than any of the others, and as the assembled crowd sings "Happy Birthday" to Isabel, she hallucinates that Tess is running in the front door, bleeding and crying for Isabel to help her. When Isabel tells Max and Michael about her vision, Michael claims it must be Nasedo’s killer who is now after Tess. Max says they should start investigating Sorenson, but Isabel insists Grant had nothing to do with it. Just then Liz comes in; they inform her that Tess is missing. Liz has brought along Congresswoman Whitaker, who then introduces herself to Isabel.