Battle Royale

Season 2, Episode 2: Battle Royale

Episode Guide

In Erica's bedroom, her and Ethan are debating something, while she narrates.

"Fighting. It's like eating, sleeping, breathing. We all do it, just in our own way. Some say that the success of a relationship depends on how we resolve conflict. Like it or not, how we fight matters."

We then see Erica and Ethan wrestling one another on the bed. She manages to get on top of him and pin him down, she then proceeds to lick his eyeball - despite him pleading with her not to.

Ethan then flips her over so that he is now on top of Erica and, despite her begging him not to, gets his own back by tickling her. Erica laughs and they end up making out. She then begins to undo his belt buckle and tells Ethan to get a condom.

Much to her disappointment, he informs her that they used the last one in the morning. Ethan then says that it's nearly midnight and he needs to get up early tomorrow anyway and apologises. He gets off Erica and sits on the edge of the bed.

Erica laments that he always has to get up early, but then suddenly springs off the bed, excited, and heads for her chest of drawers, telling Ethan she has got something for him.

She describes how he always has to rush home to shower and shave after spending the night at hers and, presenting him with a toiletry kit, says he now won't have to. Sitting on his lap, she then recommends that he keeps some clothes in her closet, swearing, despite appearing not, it does have space in it.

Ethan comments that it sounds like he's moving in, and Erica says it doesn't make sense for him to be paying rent next door when he's spending every night at hers. Ethan doesn't look convinced, and admits that it doesn't make sense that he never sleeps at home and suggests he should some time.

Thinking he's joking, Erica laughs at this idea until she realises Ethan is being serious. He tells her it's not that he doesn't enjoy sleeping at hers, but Erica gets off his lap and goes to lie down, upset, and says he doesn't need to explain himself.

She tells him she won't stop him sleeping at his own place and if he wants he should, suggesting he starts tonight. Ethan questions why she's making such a big thing out of it, and Erica apologises, admitting she's tired and being dumb. She insists she's totally fine and Ethan heads for the shower as Erica lies down and thinks.

"Conflict and relationships. They go hand in hand. Too bad then that most of us will do almost anything to avoid confrontation."

The next morning, Erica is awoken by her alarm clock. She glances over to her beside table, seeing Ethan's toiletry kit, which makes her slump back down in her bed.

Walking through the city on her way to work, Erica calls Ethan on her cell phone and asks him where he was in the morning. He tells her he had to go to the bank and is now running late and asks whether he can call her later.

Erica reminds him that it's Sam's birthday party in the evening, and Ethan sighs - having clearly forgotten. She checks whether he's made other plans, and he admits he had arranged to go for drinks with his friend Michael, but will cancel them.

He asks her what time she wants to meet him at her mom's. Erica is surprised at this question, thinking they would be going together, but tells him 7pm. Ethan says he'll see her then and hangs up, leaving Erica puzzled that he didn't even have time to say goodbye.

Erica then heads into Goblins where the young barista she thinks she saw going in for time-travelling therapy is working. She makes herself known and orders a latte. She says they haven't officially met yet, and introduces herself.

He shakes her hand and tells her his name is Kai, which she comments is a cool name. Erica then suggests that he doesn't remember her, describing herself as the "vanilla syrup girl," and reminding him of how he'd gone to the supply closet to get some for her seeing as they were out.

Kai doesn't answer, and Erica continues, telling him she was wondering what he had been doing in there, before admitting that she thinks she knows what he was doing because she does it too. Again, Kai doesn't respond, but simply hands Erica her latte.

Erica persists and asks him if he's ever been in therapy. He stares at her but doesn't reply, instead serving another customer and Erica decides to leave, with a freaked out Kai watching her as she does.

At River Rock, Erica and Meeri are working together as Brent walks past and exchanges an awkward hello. Erica feels sorry for him and Meeri comments that he is in a serious funk. She jokes that she will have a wager with Erica that he either quits or will be fired.

Erica is unhappy to hear this and suggests he just needs a little time because he really wanted to edit "the sex book." As this goes on, Brent, in the coffee lounge, is invited by Julianne to talk in her office.

This reminds Meeri that Julianne wants Erica to meet with some high profile authors for drinks in the evening, and suggests that night. Erica tells her she can't, explaining she and Ethan are going to her sister's 30th birthday celebration.

Meeri declares Ethan going as her date as "righteous" and Erica agrees, adding it's the first real family thing he will be attending as her boyfriend.

In Julianne's office, Brent sits down to talk with her and she asks him what the "dealio" is. He pretends not to understand what she's talking about, but she says they're adults and should be able to have a frank discussion before accusing him of being upset over "the sex book."

Brent insists he's fine, and Julianne assures him he's a good editor but says his last book was late and lacklustre. She advises him to step up his game and get back on top and Brent, eventually, replies that he will do his best to and apologises for disappointing her before leaving.

That evening, Sam's party is well underway as Erica waits by the front door waiting for Ethan to arrive. She looks at her watch and then checks her cell phone for any missed calls or messages from him.

She greets her dad, and Gary asks where Ethan is. Erica replies that she doesn't know and that he was supposed to be there. Just then Ethan arrives and Erica asks what took him so long. He apologises, explaining that traffic was terrible. She takes him by the hand to meet people.

Sitting down on the couch, Erica and Ethan are with Aunt Roberta, who is telling them how perfect she thought it was when she heard about the two of them from Barbara. Hearing her name, Erica's mom then comes over and tells Roberta she better not be talking about marriage.

The idea planted in her head, Roberta then informs Erica that she is planning on taking a cruise to Alaska in the summer and says she doesn't want to miss anything. Erica jokes that she will be sure to give her plenty of notice - a comment which makes Ethan perturbed.

Elsewhere, Josh is helping himself to some food when some kids running around bump into him, causing him to spill some egg onto his shoe, and he shouts at them. Sam tells him to get used to it, saying in a couple of years time it will be their little ones running around.

Josh suggests if they act like that they'll be kept on a leash, and Sam begins to talk about how they will look and her intention to take a couple of years off work, how her mom will be able to babysit whenever they need to, and how they need to buy a bigger house with a nice back yard - none of which seems to be enthusing Josh.

They turn their attentions to Erica and Ethan sitting on the couch, where Erica wipes something off Ethan's face, prompting Josh to make a "whipped" sound, which Sam tells him to stop.

Roberta is telling Erica about a couple she knows who are now getting divorced because they disagree about having kids. Ethan listens, overwhelmed, and when Roberta advises Erica to discuss such a thing before getting married, he begins to choke on his food.

He tells Erica something went down the wrong way and excuses himself. They watch him go, with Roberta and Barbara commenting on how darling and handsome Ethan is, and Erica concurs.

Instead of heading to the bathroom though, Ethan goes outside to his car, where he gets inside and turns on some music - looking to chill out.

A while later, Erica knocks on the bathroom door, checking whether Ethan is in there, but finds it empty. She walks down the stairs and finds Ethan, and asks him where he has been as he had gone to the bathroom half an hour ago.

Ethan tells her he needed some air and Barbara then comes up to them, ushering them to where they are going to take a picture of the family and she shouts for everyone to gather.

Erica, confused by Ethan's behaviour, questions why he left without telling her and he replies that he didn't think he had to tell her every time he left the room. She is shocked by his flippant attitude, but she doesn't have time to respond as Barbara begins arranging people for the photo.

She goes over to the camera and Ethan suggests that she should be in the photo and he will take it instead. Barbara tells him it's on a timer, but Erica says Ethan should take it if he doesn't want to be in the picture, and wonders whether he just needs some air.

Ethan tells her he didn't realise it was on a timer and was just trying to help out. Noticing this, Josh then jokes that if Ethan thinks dating a Strange is tough, he should try marrying one, which displeases Sam and Erica appears stony faced.

Barbara sets the camera and the picture is taken and directly afterwards Erica asks to speak with Ethan. Once alone, she rages at him - asking what his problem is. Ethan denies he has one and asks why Erica has to make a big deal out of everything.

She can't believe him, pointing to him sulking through every conversation, going missing for half an hour, and then bailing on a simple picture. Erica wonders whether being her boyfriend is a burden on him, but he tells her she's being ridiculous.

Erica then questions whether he wants to be in their relationship, because he's not acting like it. Shocked at this accusation, Ethan walks out of the door and leaves, and Erica, annoyed, heads for the French Windows to go outside and get some air herself.

However, instead she finds herself walking into Dr. Tom's office where she immediately appeals for his help and asks him to tell her why Ethan is being a "passive aggressive, insensitive, game-playing..."

Before she can finish her description though, he interjects, telling her: "The course of true love never did run smooth." She looks around to where he stands, behind her chair, reading a book, and smiles at him.

This intrigues Dr. Tom, but Erica explains that she's pleased to be back there with him, and he smiles back. He goes to sit down on his chair, and returns to the topic of Ethan. She bemoans that, every time he doesn't like something, he runs away.

Erica begins to suggest it's impossible to communicate with him, but Dr. Tom interjects and wonders whether Erica really was trying to "communicate" with Ethan. She believes it was obvious she was.

Unconvinced, Dr. Tom begins to flip through her list before selecting the one he wants, asking her about, "Malcolm Abrams, Camp Wakini." Erica is surprised to hear his name, commenting that she hasn't seen him in years.

She explains that he was her best friend until she turned into Satan, adding that that sounds familiar. Erica tells Dr. Tom that her and Malcolm met at Camp Wakini as kids and that they would spend hours talking with one another on the docks.

Erica says senior year had started great, when Malcolm smuggled in some weed. She teased him as he was not the type, but they they go into the woods and get high off it and laugh until their stomachs hurt. She says it didn't take long until their relationship became romantic - then it all fell apart.

Dr. Tom asks how, but she admits she doesn't really know. Erica recalls how she thought it was going really well until he dumped her out of the blue with no explanation before hooking up the next day with a 14-year-old, Rachel Zimmerman.

She says Malcolm changed overnight and wouldn't even talk to her so, to get back at him, she called him a cradle robber, painting a flag reading 'Malcolm Jail Bait Abrams.' Dr. Tom suggests this was creative, and Erica admits she was pretty pleased with herself until Malcom framed her.

Erica explains that Malcolm had planted his disc man, boxer shorts, and a lock of his hair in her stuff and then told everyone that he'd been robbed and it must be the work of a stalker. When her cabin had been searched they had found his stuff and Erica had been sent home, labelled a thief, and wasn't asked back as staff.

She says it bothers her today that Malcolm could just turn on her like he did, and how he could go overnight from her best friend to her worst enemy. Dr. Tom asks what will she do this time and she says she'd rather ignore him.

Erica admits she provoked him with her flag and it got her kicked out, and it wasn't worth it. She says if she could re-write her history she would just enjoy the summer, hang out with her friends, and pretend that Malcolm Abrams didn't exist.

Suddenly, Erica finds herself transported back to the camp, where she is sitting with Jenny, painting the flag about Malcolm. Realising what's going on, she suddenly tips over a tin of black paint over the flag, pretending to Jenny that it was an accident.

They head into a cabin where some other girls are practising for their air band routine. Jenny laments that she wasted an hour painting the flag. One of the girls, Sari, asks if they got caught and Jenny, referring to Erica, informs Sari that "split personality girl" chickened out.

Erica insists that isn't the case, and she has just changed her mind. She tells them that getting into a public war with Malcolm isn't a good idea and she would rather just ignore him. Jenny wonders whether Erica knows what he is saying about her, and Sari tells her Malcolm is calling her crazy and a stalker.

She continues, saying Malcolm described how Erica cried when he dumped her and that she had threatened to kill herself. Erica refutes this and Jenny says Malcolm is ruining her reputation and needs a taste of his own medicine.

Sari reminds Erica that she was dumped for Rachel Zimmerman who she describes as a "baby." She then comes up with the idea of stuffing Malcolm's bed with diapers, which Jenny loves.

However, Erica reiterates they will be ignoring Malcolm as he is not worth it and she doesn't care what he says or does. She insists that they don't retaliate and that, as he is her ex, she gets to decide.

Later, by the lake, Erica, Jenny, and Sari are lying on the sand, relaxing, as Malcolm hangs out nearby with some of his friends. Rachel then makes her way towards them, with Erica surprised by just how young she looks, as well as appearing scared.

Jenny suggests that Erica goes over and makes her cry, but Erica instead gets up and says she wants to tell Rachel she has no hard feelings. Erica approaches Rachel and begins to talk but, seeing this, Malcolm comes running over.

He demands to know what Erica has been saying, and Jenny comes over and enquires as to what his "damage" is. Malcolm's friend, Gibby, says he is acting psycho but Malcolm suggests Erica is trying to "talk shit" about him. Jenny claims that is what he's doing.

Keen to avoid any confrontation though, Erica leads Jenny and Sari away, asking them to consider what the Buddha would do. Jenny doesn't find this amusing, but Erica says she's just trying to avoid war.

They are interrupted by the camp supervisor coming over and telling them that air band will be beginning in 15 minutes. Malcolm and Rachel share a kiss, before Gibby asks Malcolm what he is doing. Malcolm replies that Erica is obsessed with him and is crazy. Gibby makes light of these suggestions, and they get into an argument.

Erica's air band is getting ready to perform in front of the watching audience. Clearly rusty, she struggles to keep up with everyone else, having to improvise and wing her way through it. However, the audience clap them off at the end.

As they come off stage, with Erica apologising for her performance and admitting she deserves to just be on tape duty, she discovers Malcolm waiting to talk to her backstage. He says that the summer is too short to be fighting with her and suggest a truce, which Erica accepts.

He then heads on stage to take part in the boy's air band routine, and checks Erica will be sticking around to watch. She tells him she will but, suspicious of his behaviour, informs Jenny she has to leave and check on something.

Erica heads back to her cabin and finds that Malcolm has once again hidden his stuff under her belongings. She can't believe this and, having placed them in a bag, she heads off fuming. However, her walk through the woods is interrupted as Dr. Tom, pruning trees, calls out to her.

He suggests it's a beautiful day for air band before noticing Erica doesn't look happy. She exclaims that Malcolm once again hid his stuff - describing how he called a truce only to stab her in the back. Dr. Tom suggests this is strange and wonders why Malcolm did it.

Erica follows him around as he continues to prune trees and suggests Malcolm is crazy. She says that Jenny and Sari were right and that she has been doing things wrong. She compares Malcolm to an animal who has sensed her weakness and then gone for the jugular.

She concludes that she needs to fight back and Dr. Tom responds that, "Returning violence with violence only multiplies violence." Erica disagrees, saying there is a flaw in that theory.

He asks her to enlighten him, and she tells him that the cycle of violence continues only until someone wins. Erica says she didn't get kicked out last time because she fought back, but because she didn't go far enough. She declares that she lost, but this time she will win when she stays and Malcolm goes.

Dr. Tom infers that winning is Erica's solution, and she argues that it is because she's done everything else and asks him to tell her if there's another option, as she doesn't see it. Erica says that Malcolm will not stop until she is kicked out, which Dr. Tom chuckles at.

She begins to walk away from him, telling Dr. Tom he can throw all the riddles he wants at her, but she is getting to the point where she doesn't care. Erica says one of her and Malcolm has to go and this time it's not going to be her. She walks away, proclaiming that Malcolm is going down.

Later on, Erica is down by the lake, watching on as Malcolm jokes about with some other girls. Gibby then comes up to Erica, checking who she is sharing a tent with and informing her he'll be sharing with Malcolm.

He tells Erica that ever since Malcolm broke up with her he's been weird, and that he has added being mean to his usual paranoid self. He wonders what happened to Malcolm. Just then, Malcolm shouts over to Gibby, asking him if he's going to get going or if he will be spending all his time drooling over Erica.

Then, the camp supervisor comes over, instructing the girls around Malcolm to get their canoes ready before asking to speak to Malcolm for a second. Seeing this, Erica smiles, knowingly, to herself.

The supervisor tells Malcolm she has received an anonymous note informing her that he has drugs in his cabin. Malcolm is shocked to hear this, and tells her it's not true. She warns him that, if they find anything, he will be on the first bus home. Malcolm turns around and sees Erica smiling at him.

Later, Erica, Jenny, and Sari are in a canoe paddling on the lake. They pass Malcolm, sitting by the lakeside, who asks to talk with Erica alone, and he tells her to bring her pack with her.

Walking through the woods together, Malcolm suggests it was a nice try on Erica's behalf but wonders whether she really thought he'd be stupid enough to keep drugs in his cabin. Erica asks if the whole point of their conversation was so he can rub it in her face.

Malcolm says he think they should stay away from one another, but Erica reminds him that he was the one who called a truce and broke it. She tells him to forget it, as she doesn't trust anything he says.

Erica states he has driven her to the point that she is acting like him. Malcolm can't believe she is claiming to be totally innocent though. However, in their argument, they miss the turning for their destination, Smoke Lake.

Still walking, Erica asks what she did to him and Malcolm sarcastically replies nothing, suggesting Erica is perfect. She says she can't believe she was ever friends with him and he says that that is something they can agree on.

They arrive at the lake, but are surprised to see nobody else there. Malcolm then notices the sign reads Little Joe Lake. Erica comments they are supposed to be at Smoke Lake and Malcolm is angry they have come to the wrong lake.

Erica says they'll just double back and find the right path and they head off. However, after more walking around, they then find themselves at Big Joe Lake. Erica can't believe it, and takes off her pack, as does Malcolm - who sits down on his.

She suggests that if they just wait it out then the others will realise they're lost and send out a tripper to find them. She takes a bag of food from her pack and begins to eat, offering Malcolm some. He doesn't respond though.

Erica then begins to construct the tent, telling him it's getting dark and they may have to spend the night if they're not found. Malcolm says she is building the tent wrong and takes over, suggesting she goes to look for firewood instead. However, he then changes his mind and says she shouldn't go by herself.

They hunt for wood, and Erica wonders if he is worried she is going to whack herself in the face with a branch. Malcolm explains that there are bears in the woods and Erica jokes that he would be able to fight one off her if it attacked. He replies he would if he had too.

Erica suggests this is noble considering he's spent the last week trying to get rid of her. Malcolm concurs, adding though that he doesn't want her killed.

They continue walking, when Erica suddenly stops and asks Malcolm whether he heard a sound. He thinks she is joking, but she tells him to be quiet. He suggests it was just a raccoon but they then hear a bigger noise and Erica rules out it being a raccoon.

Stopping to look around, Erica freaks that it's a bear, but Malcolm isn't convinced. They then hear the animal make a grunting noise and begin to run away quickly. They stop again, holding one another for protection and comfort as they try to spot the animal.

They're relieved to see it is only a deer and relax. Erica says she is an idiot and Malcolm comments that she always reacts like this, reminding her of the bat which Erica remembers breaking the cabin door because of.

The deer eats something from Erica's pack and then leaves. Malcolm also recalls the tree frog which scared Erica and says he would have protected her. She replies that she knows he would, and tells him he always took her seriously, even when she got all crazy.

They return to their spot by the lake and sit down. Erica says she doesn't get how they went from spending every day together to hating each other. They agree that it sucks, and she tells him she's looking at him and thinking that he is the guy who used to be her best friend.

Erica says she really misses that guy and wants to know why it all fell apart. Malcolm bows his head as he listens to this, and she suggests they should talk about it. He jokes that he's so thirsty he can barely form sentences and Erica goes to the lake to fill her flask with water.

Malcolm takes the opportunity to walk back into the woods and, when Erica returns, she finds him anxiously pacing around. As she approaches him, he suddenly pulls her towards him and kisses her. Erica pulls away, shocked, and asks him what he's doing.

He tells her not to talk and suggests they just start over. Malcolm says he wasn't ready but now he is. Erica reminds him about Rachel, but he insists he wants Erica and not her. She is confused, but Malcolm goes to try and kiss her again.

Erica resists and he says he thought it was what she wanted. Erica restates her desire to talk. Malcolm tells her to forget talking and kisses her. She breaks it again and notices that his hands are shaking.

Malcolm then pushes her up against a tree, forcing himself on her as he kisses her. Erica angrily pushes him off, screaming for him to get off. Malcolm is shocked at his own behaviour and Erica can't believe what he is doing.

He tries to explain his actions, and Erica wants to know why one minute he is her friend and the next becoming a monster. Malcolm intimiates that he knows, and she suggests it's like he can't decide whether he likes her or whether she repulses him.

Malcolm is pacing around, and she asks if he has any idea what it's like to feel like you're disgusting. He stops at this comment, as Erica explains that's why she tried to pretend he didn't exist and why she tried to destroy him - because she was so hurt.

Getting emotional, he says there's nothing wrong with her, and that it's him, and he tells her that he's gay. Erica is surprised, and he asks her not to tell anybody. Erica says she would never and Malcolm suggests she must think he is a freak.

Erica replies not at all, telling him she wishes he had told her before, and asking why he didn't. Malcolm can't believe she thinks he would have told her the one thing she could have used to wreck his whole life and Erica concedes the stupidity of her question.

He holds his head in his hands as Erica comments that it all finally makes sense. She says that she can only imagine how hard it was for him to tell her, but assures him that she's the last person who will betray or judge him - pointing out that her Uncle Ruby is gay.

Erica then admits that she kissed a girl once, adding that it was good. She then tells Malcolm that Brandon from his cabin is also gay. He rejects this idea, but she adds that he should give him ten years.

Malcolm states that he can't believe he's talking to Erica about this, but she tells him it's better than not talking about it. She then suggests that he should go for Brandon, as he is "totally hot," before accepting that it may be too much for Malcolm at that moment.

He then spots Gibby in a canoe on the lake and Erica runs to the lake and shouts out to them. Gibby tells them the whole camp is looking for them and Erica apologises. She then holds Malcolm's hand and says they got a little distracted.

When asked if they're back together, she tells them they could say that, and smiles at Malcolm, who smiles back at Erica and says that they're all good. Erica then begins to head to get into the canoe but trips over.

However, she then finds herself tripping over in her backyard back in the present day. She looks up to see Dr. Tom standing over her, and asks him if the trip was really necessary. She gets up off the ground and he comments that it's a beautiful night for a walk.

Erica says she needs to go and talk to Ethan, which Dr. Tom suggests is a novel idea. She exclaims that it's unbelievable that her friendship with Malcolm ended because they never talked about what was going on.

She tells him that the thing that killed her was it's simplicity, and she wonders why she just didn't ask Malcolm what was going on. Dr. Tom replies that it's because talking as a means of resolving conflict goes against every biological instinct that we have.

He explains that when we feel threatened we fight or, if we don't have the stomach for that, we run. Erica suggests this is what Ethan did, and Dr. Tom agrees, stating Ethan ran and that Malcolm attacked.

Erica suggests that Malcolm was different as he had a secret, but Dr. Tom questions whether she thinks he is the only one. She wonders what he means, and Dr. Tom tells her sometimes we fight because we're simply unable to tell the other person how we really feel.

She realises he is referring to her, but insists that she has always been honest with Ethan. Dr. Tom asks her if she's sure about that and that, as long as she's sure, it's good. He then wishes her goodnight, leaving Erica contemplating.

Meanwhile, Sam and Josh are in the car, also making their way home from her party. He tells her he's exhausted and she replies that she isn't tired at all, suggesting that it could be because she's ovulating. Josh smirks, and wonders if this is supposed to turn him on.

Sam replies that she's wondering whether he wants to, but Josh replies that what he wants to do is give Sam her birthday present. He then hands her some plane tickets, which she opens to discover they are for going to London.

She exclaims in excitement and Josh tells her he has some big news. He informs her that his company want to make him Senior VP of the UK office, and Sam is surprised that he wants to move there.

He says it is a great opportunity and that he thought she'd be happy. Sam insists she is, but says that London is really far, and then asks about their house and her job. Josh replies that they'd sell their house and dismissively suggests that she can get a staff job at some London hospital.

Clearly concerned, she checks with him that it is a big promotion, and he describes it as "gigantic." He then leans over and kisses her on the cheek, as an overwhelmed Sam comes to terms with his news.

Meanwhile, at River Rock, Brent is working late at his desk. Julianne stops to talk before she leaves, suggesting he is burning the midnight oil. He replies that he is doing whatever it takes to get it done. She tells him that, if he keeps it up at this pace, the next best seller may be his.

Julianne leaves, advising Brent not to stay up too late. When she has gone though, he proceeds to write an email to Galvin wishing to discuss recent unprofessional actions by Julianne. He debates whether or not to send it, before deciding to and then reflecting on his actions.

Erica arrives back in her apartment building and knocks on Ethan's door, calling his name, but receives no answer. She then heads for her own apartment but finds it dark and empty inside.

Later on, she is lying on her bed when she hears a knock at the door and she opens it to find Ethan there. He asks how she is, and she admits bad. They go to sit down on the couch and Erica describes how worried and upset she is, and how she feels like she doesn't know what he's thinking or where his head is at.

Sitting down beside her, Ethan admits he's trying to figure that out himself. Erica says it feels like they keep having the same fight but don't talk about it and she tells him she doesn't know what's going on.

Ethan says he feels trapped, citing the toiletry kit, the talk of him sleeping over, and Erica's family. He says he doesn't want all the pressure and expectations, telling her he's not ready for them.

He admits he feels she is pushing him and that, despite the fact they've only been together a few weeks, Erica is acting like she's ready to get married. She wipes a tear away from her eye and Ethan asks her what she's sad about.

She says that she knows but doesn't want to tell him because it's really hard. She eventually confesses that she feels as if it doesn't work out with him then she really is never going to find anyone.

Ethan tries to reassure her, but Erica says she has been waiting a really long time to meet the right person. She begins to well up and says sometimes she's worried the reason it's taken her so long is because there's something wrong with her.

He tells her there's nothing wrong with her, that he loves her, and wants to be with her. However, he then admits that he doesn't know if he wants to marry her and bows his head as Erica digests this.

Ethan tells her it's too soon, and Erica implores him to continue. He rubs her arms and informs her he needs to take things more slowly and Erica admits that it makes sense. She says that it is irrational and a stupid insecurity of hers.

She admits she gets freaked out and then becomes even more paranoid and acts even crazier when he clams up. Emotional, Erica sighs and tells Ethan she gets why people don't talk to each other, as it is really intense. Ethan strokes her face and they hug.

The next morning, Erica quietly leaves Ethan sleeping as she makes her way out of the bedroom, stopping at the door to watch him sleep. She narrates:

"Conflict. It's everywhere you look. It touches everything we do, every relationship we have. Isn't it funny how, at their core, all fights are the same? Two people yelling, accusing, or running away. Two people doing anything to avoid telling one each other what they really feel.

"Just talk when you want to run. Reveal when you want to attack. It's so simple, so obvious, and, at the same time, so incredibly hard."

Erica makes her way to Goblins, where she finds Kai outside cleaning a table. She stops at the closed gate. She greets him and he turns around. She then opens the gate and goes up to him. She tells Kai she is going to say something to him and she knows it's going to sound crazy.

Moving around, cleaning, Kai stops her and replies that he knows what she is going to tell him, which intrigues Erica. He describes how a guy came up to him on the street one day and told him he could fix his life, all he needed was a comittment.

Erica can't believe what she's hearing and checks whether he sends him back in time too, which Kai confirms. Excited, she wonders what the chances are that she saw him go through that door and knew that what she was seeing could only mean.

However, before she can finish her thought, Kai interrupts her and asks for her to remind him of her name. She tells him, explaining how happy she is to finally meet someone who's going through the same thing, someone to just talk about it all with, who has been there.

Kai stops her and tells Erica not to take it the wrong way, but it's not going to be him. Erica is shocked. However, he informs her that, while happy to chat about vanilla syrup, TV shows, religion, or politics, he doesn't want to talk to her about time travelling or therapy.

Erica can't understand, and Kai tells her he gets that she won't, but explains he wanted to stop her before she got too excited. He tells her he'll see her around before heading back inside the coffee house, assuring Erica it's nothing personal.

She can't believe this and Erica walks away in disbelief.