Bailey's friend, Cooper, offers him a key to his apartment, just in case Bailey needs a place to crash or get away. At the bookstore, Cooper runs into Julia and she offers him a ride back to campus. He seems taken with her.
When the plumbing goes stone cold at the Salinger's house, the task of finding a new plumber seems to have fallen on the shoulders of Claudia. The plumber she calls in looks at the system and tells her the whole plumbing system has to be replaced.
Later that afternoon, Bailey drops in at Cooper's apartment and makes himself at home by having a shower. Shortly after, Cooper and Julia arrive there. As he give her the "grand tour" the two begin kissing. Bailey walks out of the shower to find Cooper with a girl and his mouth falls open when Cooper moves aside and Julia shyly waves at her brother.
At the restaurant, Kirsten attempts to be the happy hostess that Charlie wants, but she can't handle it and runs out back and breaks down in tears.
Back at home, Bailey stalks Julia around her room, bagging on her for choosing Cooper as a potential beau. He yells at her, "I got him first!" And, he just doesn't want Julia hanging around - he's had enough of her growing up and in high school. Claudia interrupts the argument to try and get advice on how to handle the repairs on the water heater, but both Bay and Julia ignore her and continue their fight.
The next morning, Charlie checks on Kirsten, who tells him she had a good night's sleep. Not knowing what else to say to her, he prattles on about how great it is to get a good night's sleep. She tells him she is going to go see her shrink today. He kisses her and leaves.
Bay and Sarah show up at an apartment to check it out as a potential residence for him. A uncleansed, hungover guy, Ray, shows them around. As they are looking around, an angry woman, Callie, busts in, takes off her pants and continues her rant. Bailey's mouth drops open and Sarah is shocked. Callie turns to see the pair, not shy over her appearance, and tells them it's her apartment and he's welcome to move in with her and Ray. Bailey tells them it's a little more than he'd like to pay and they leave.
Julia and Cooper meet up at a coffee shop, where Cooper is half an hour late. He begins to tell her that they really don't have anything in common: music, his manners, etc. Julia quickly figures out that Bailey told him to back off.
Charlie comes home that afternoon, and is met by Claudia, who is eager to get the plumbing fixed. She ties explaining everything to him, but he brushes her off, telling her to "get bids" and then rushes upstairs to find Kirsten. Charlie find Kirsten sitting in the window seat of the bedroom, rocking back and forth and crying - still dressed in her nightshirt. He brings her a blanket and tells her he wants to help. Through tears, she explains to him that she can't sleep....she feels she can't even breath at times. There's something inside that is lost; her thoughts just won't stick. Charlie suggests calling her parents, but she quickly halts that idea. Although she missed her meeting with her shrink today, she knows she has to go see him.
Bailey walks into Cooper's room to find Julia sitting on the bed with him, laughing and looking at pictures. Bay and Julia start arguing all over again, her accusing him of telling Cooper to leave her alone. Cooper interrupts, telling Bay he thinks he needs to leave and find another place where he can crash because he wants to see Julia and this is the only logical solution.
Claudia receives the bad news from one of the plumbers giving her a bid, saying it will be $1,800. A second plumber arrives to do an estimate and ends up in a fight with the first plumber, who's arguing this is already his job. When a third plumber arrives, Claudia rolls her eyes and sighs.
Bay tells Sarah that he's decided to take the apartment with Ray and Callie afterall. Sarah is concerned over the fact that Callie has no shame and walks around half naked. Bailey tells her he loves only her and wouldn't even notice if Michelle Pfeiffer plopped down in his lap naked, he only has eyes for Sarah.
Julia and Cooper go to dinner at a Mexican restaurant and seem to be struggling through the conversation. Again, they are finding they don't have a lot in common. Julia decides she's with him for the wrong reasons and tells him she's only going out with him because Bailey didn't want her to go out with him. He understands.
Bailey and Sarah sets up his stuff at his new apartment and are making out when Callie bursts in - crying and upset, calling Ray a total jerk! He dumped her to move in with another woman - Callie's old roommate, nonetheless. Callie pulls at her shirt to wipe away her tears, revealing her bra - to which Bailey takes notice and Sarah takes notice of Bailey taking notice.
Charlie goes to see Dr. Leto, Kirsten's psychiatrist, and asks him about putting Kirsten back on medication. When the doctor informs him it could take six months for Kirsten to get back to her "old" self, Charlie shows great frustration, saying he doesn't know how long he can be with this Kirsten, that he wants her back. The doctor raises his eyebrow and starts questioning Charlie as to why he feels this way?
Julia and Cooper walk together, sharing first love stories. He tells her about his first love and how it happened. It's very touching and Julia is moved. He looks at Julia, takes her hand and tells he wants to keep seeing her.
Kirsten wakes up to find Charlie standing in the doorway looking at her. He tells her he's confused as to how to talk to her these days and begins spouting off what the doctor said to him - saying he is being selfish. Charlie tells her he was going to ask her if she wanted some pasta, but that's him wanting her to eat and get up and he can't force her and so, he was standing in the door trying to decide what to say - not wanting to be selfish. Kirsten sits up and tells him he's not selfish....he's great...and she's awful. He won't hear it. He says to her that he's going to fix dinner and it's up to her whether or not she wants to come downstairs. He crawls towards her, kisses her and tells her that he does love her.
The next day, Claudia presents the bill for the plumbing to Julia and Bay who are shocked to see it's over $2,000!! They freak out, yelling at her, telling her she should have gotten bids. Claudia stands up for herself, screaming that she asked for help, tried to get bids and she's "ONLY 13! Did you know how to get bids when you were 13?!"
Callie, Bay and Sarah are seated together talking and Sarah looks like she wants to be anywhere but there. She isn't pleased that Callie is hanging around with them and Bailey accuses her of being insensitive, telling her she's being over the edge on this. He gets up to go for popcorn and runs into Julia and Cooper hugging and kissing. Bailey invites them to join them.
Later that evening, Julia arrives home to find Charlie sitting in the porch swing, where she joins him. He's doubting his ability to be "supportive" to someone and fills Julia in on the fact that Kirsten just isn't well. Julia tells him to hang in there however long it takes. He's so unsure about the "hanging in" part - says he's never been one to hang in there - saying he only hung in for the kids because he didn't have a choice. Julia tries to comfort him....
Charlie and Kirsten are in bed listening to the racket downstairs. Charlie says he'll have them turn the music done but Kirsten says it's OK. So, the four downstairs are playing Quarters. Julia is trying to figure out a plan (like Vectors) which Coop says is tragic because its supposed to be a drinking game not physics (which tells you how bright he is since its really geometry, but not the point). Kirsten is just laying in bed not able to sleep.
The next morning Charlie gives Bai a hard time about having friends over until 4 a.m. Bai asks Julia about this used bookstore and she gives him the address. When she finds out Coop is going she tries to wrangle an invitation. "Don't even think about it Julia. You're not his type." Charlie explains that the noise concern is not for him, but for Kirsten. He tells them she's kind of depressed but makes it sound like it's no big deal. Kirsten is in the back yard. Charlie asks her what's she has going on today. He asks if she can help out at the restaurant as hostess for a few days. "I know what you're doing Charlie. You don't need my help." He just wants to get her out of the house hoping that she'll get a different perspective. She has an appointment with the shrink tomorrow. She's been in the same sweats for three days.
Coop and Bailey are at the bookstore. Coop's cool with the new house rules, and says they'll just have to hang out on campus more. He tells Bailey he can crash at his dorm room any day and gives him an extra key. Bai pays for his books and leaves. Julia rushes up to the register to ask about "the biography section" and pretends to just notice Coop. He asks her for a ride and she's kind of hesitant. "Oh, the vomit story huh?" he asks. She says, "huh?" So she gives him a ride.
Claudia is with the water heater repair guy. He tells her that she doesn't really want him to fix the heater. It's a 23 year old heater so it should really be replaced. The pipes are corroding. He tells her they should get a whole new deal. No one is there for her to ask so she tells him to do the whole thing, but he doesn't do pipes, just heaters.
Bai arrives at Cooper's dorm, takes off his jacket and smells his armpits. "Oh, that not so fresh feeling." No one appears to be in the room so he goes in to take a shower. About that time Julia and Cooper walk in. She notices a painting and he admits that his sister gave it to him instead of trying to impress her (the underwear on the bed already shot that idea). He kisses her. Bai walks out and says "Woah." Coop moves his head a little and Bai sees Julia and says "Woah!" a little louder.
Kirsten is hostessing at the restaurant being all smiles for Charlie who thinks she's doing great. Then she sneaks out the back door and bursts into tears by the trash dumpster.
Bai is in Julia's room telling her that she and Coop are not each other's type because he eats with his fingers and all kinds of stupid excuses. When that doesn't seem to work he tells her that she's not allowed to date his friends. "And your girlfriend is who?" she asks. Then Bai says he doesn't want her around that much. Claudia comes in trying to talk to them about the hot water heater but they ignore her. (Claudia's life story.)
Charlie is getting dressed in the morning. "You seemed to sleep really hard last night, didn't you?" "Uh huh," she says. He says he'll throw a piece of coffee cake in the oven for her. He leans over to kiss her and says he's glad she's feeling better. She just lays in bed.
Bai and Sarah are looking at an apartment. The guys a little weird but "as long as he doesn't date Julia, I don't care." Bai says. Just as he's about to say that the apartment looks OK this girl walks in and starts chewing out the guy and starts stripping. Then she explains that she lives there to, its actually her lease. She asks Bailey "What did you think?" Sarah is shooting Bia looks so he says "It's more than I wanted to pay."
Julia's in the student area waiting for Coop. He's 30 minutes late. "Are you pissed?" he asks. "Sure, it's 30 minutes." she says. "Oh," he says. "That could be a problem `cuz I'm late a lot." "Well I'll just be late then,too," Julia says. Then he tells her they have a lot not in common--like music, manners--all the same excuses that Bailey gave her that morning. He asks if that wouldn't make her crazy. "Oh my god." she says. She figured out that Bai told him to back off. "I wasn't sure what to expect from you Coop. But a spine would have been nice," she tells him and leaves.
Charlie gets home and Claudia tries to tell him about the heater. He tells her to call the numbers the water heater guy gave her and ask for bids. Charlie opens the bedroom door. Kirsten is by the window crying. She tells Charlie she's sorry but she couldn't get dressed so she didn't go to the shrink. She tells him she really didn't sleep well last night but she didn't say anything because he "didn't want to hear it." He tells her he loves her and just wants her to get better. She tells him to stop telling her she's OK because she's not. None of her thoughts stick. "I just feel like I've lost something," she tells him. "You have, your job," he says. "No, not that. Something inside." Charlie wants to call her parents but she says no. "Then you have to go see her psychatrist." Charlie says.
Bai walks into the dorm room and Julia's there with Cooper. Bai says, "Hey I thought we talked about this." He and Julia start to get into it when Cooper interrupts and says "Since it's my room I get to be the grownup." Then he tells Bailey he can't crash there any more because it seems like the only logical solution.
Claudia is with one repair guy who's giving her a price bid. As he's leaving a new guy arrives. The two guys are arguing over who's job it is when a third one arrives.
Bai tells Sarah he took the apartment. She's a little upset. He says it's not the Coop and Julia thing, "because that will never work" but because he wants privacy. Sarah doesn't want him to move in with a exhibitionist. "I've seen attractive girls in their underwear before. It's not a big deal," he says. "So you think she's attractive," Sarah asks. Bai says it doesn't matter. "I'm probably more attracted to you than you want to know. If someone dropped Michelle Peiffer naked in my lap all it would do is make me think of is you," he tells her. (And she believes him.) So Sarah says OK.
Coop and Julia are at a restaurant. She can't believe he doesn't like traveling. Then he says he doesn't understand what the big deal is about sunsets. "So what do you like?" she asks. He tells her he likes underrated things like Denny's on his birthday. She tells him that maybe she's there for the wrong reasons. She's starting to think that part of the reason she wanted to date him was because Bailey didn't want her too.
Bai and Sarah are on the futon mattress on the living room floor of the apartment. Then Kali walks in. She's noticeably upset so Bai asks if she's OK. Her boyfriend, Ray dumped her. "He moved out?" Sarah asks. "He moved out," she says to Bailey. Kali wipes her tears on her t-shirt, exposing her bra. Sarah just looks at Bailey, obviously upset about the prospect.
Charlie is talking to Kristen's shrink. He wants the doc to know what's going on with Kirsten. He asks the doctor what Kirsten can do to get better, like medication. The doctor tells him that medication can take 6 weeks to become effective which Charlie says is too long. "She can't go on like this until November...She's got to get better before then...I have to know this isn't going to go on for six more weeks." The doctor asks him why he needs to know that.
Coop and Julia are leaving the restaurant. He tells her he can take the bus but she says her car is right there. Then they get to talking about past loves and she tells him she doesn't believe in having "one love of your life" anymore. He agrees. He tells her about some girl he met in the rain. "It's like someone decides you should feel like this and so you do" he says. "Until they decide you shouldn't and you stop," Julia adds. So they've finally clicked. Instead of getting in the car, they continue walking and he takes her hand.
Charlie is standing in the bedroom door and Kirsten rolls over and asks him why he didn't say he was there. He tells her he doesn't want to put pressure on her and try to get her to do things like watch a movie just to make him feel better. "How are you?" he asks. "You're great Charlie," she tells him. "No I'm not," he says. "You are. This is awful, I'm so awful. You're good," Kirsten replies. "Don't say I'm good." He tells her he's going to get dinner for Claud and Owen and she can come if she wants, or not.
Bai is going through the kitchen cupboards getting stuff for the apartment. Claudia tell Bai she needs him to write a check for the water heater. He and Julia are surprised it's fixed. Then they go through the roof when they see the amount--$3,000. They basically tell Claudia she was duped. So she lays in to them about how she's only 13 and if they're going to lay stuff like that on her then they don't have the right to complain about how she does it.
Kali, Bai and Sarah are talking in the student union area. Kali and Bai are getting along great--Sarah is just staring at them. Kali goes off to talk to some guy. "Wow, she certainly bounces back fast," Sarah says. She tells Bai she doesn't want Kali around and he makes her out to be insensitive. He says he's being nice because she's his roommate and she just broke up with her boyfriend. He's kind pissed at Sarah because she's not happy for him. "If you can't be happy, you should fake it," he tells her. He goes to get more popcorn and sees Coop and Julia kissing. He asks if they want to join him and Sarah. "Sure, thanks," Julia says.
Julia walks in the backyard and Charlie is sitting in the swing and he starts talking about award shows and how the people always thank their wives. "Do you think that's easy (for the wives to be supportive)?" he asks her. He tells her Kirsten isn't doing any better. "So, I guess you just hang in there," she tells him. "For how long?" he asks. "For however long it takes," she replies. He doesn't know if he can do that. "Let's face it. If there's one thing I suck at it's the long haul," he says. She tells him that maybe he's grown more than he's noticed. "I'm just so scared. I don't want to bail on her," Charlie says. Julia tells him she's not scared.