- The team tries to save a mathematics professor, and Akani's attempt to train Darnell causes problems with a rescue. At home, William deals with accusations when Ben finds rig after a party.
- A man teaches class to a lecture hall full of students. He covers the dry erase boards with math equations, claiming that the numbers "haunt" him. "Everything in the universe can be measure by our fingers and our toes," he says.
Back at the garage, William does his own counting (the take from the team's last job) when he gets a call from Melissa. She is back from the grocery store and planning a dinner. Akani watches William talk to his wife ... and doesn't seem to like it. Melissa explains that Quinn is coming for dinner.
"Who's Quinn?" Lula asks.
Melissa says that Quinn was William's friend ... from prison.
"So it was Quinn who got me sober," William tells the group at the garage. "No, scratch that: He saved my life."
Later, Akani approaches William. She just happens to wearing a slinky, sexy, black dress. Akani tells William to "have fun at dinner" and throws him a sultry stare.
Back in the classroom, the teacher continues to work furiously on the marker boards. His students now long gone, the educator scribbles, erases and snorts copious amounts of an unidentified (but probably illegal) substance.
Uh oh. Time to call "The Cleaner." Cue opening credits.
The next morning, Teddy, sporting bags under his eyes, enters a diner owned and operated by his parents. His wife sits at the counter. Teddy kisses Tess and his mom, but gets nothing more than a stony stare from dad. Mom expresses worry for her son.
"He's doing great," Tess says. "Just under a lot of pressure."
Meanwhile, William and Melissa share a tender moment on the porch. It ends in a passionate kiss ... which is promptly interrupted by the kids. Ben asks if he has to come to the party that night. "Yes," Melissa emphatically replies.
Teddy calls his credit card company to ask for a cash advance. We get the feeling that this isn't the first time such a request has been made. Tess, a professor herself, enters. Teddy has missed yet another department meeting the college. On top of that, he looks like death warmed over.
"You have to stop!" she says.
"I will stop once I get through this," Teddy says. "Tess, you understand what this means for us if I get published? Tenure. A house. Kids."
Tess relents. The two tumble into bed.
Later that night, a group of people have arrived at William's house for the party. A woman plays guitar. The others sing along -- including Ben and Lula. William and his friend Quinn toast with plastic cups. The party music continues to play as the scene changes to Teddy unlocking his parents diner .... and emptying the cash register.
The next morning, Tess arrives at the garage looking for William. She explains that a "colleague" began taking speed in order to get through a paper and has since graduated to cocaine. Tess hands William an envelope of money.
Back home, Ben discovers a drug needle in the bathroom. Is it Ben's? Quinn's?
The team meets to discuss the naughty professor job. Akani and Darnell are put in charge of tracking all the dealers in Teddy's part of town. Arnie will pose as a med student and infiltrate Teddy's class.
A short time later, Akani and Darnell scout the park. Darnell wonders how a girl like Akani knows so much about the area's drug dealers. She tells him not to patronize her with a "good girl" speech. Akani then hands Darnell a wad of money and tells him to go make contact. It wasn't William's plan but Akani outranks the new guy.
"Darnell," she says. "I am not a nice girl."
Back in the classroom, Teddy is on the phone begging Tess for more money. She hangs up on him. Teddy throws his cell phone against the wall. Suddenly, Harry enters.
"This is a rather awkward request," starts the professor before spinning a tale of financial woe. Harry, anxious to impress his teacher, proves amenable. He agrees to give Teddy $500.
Darnell spots Teddy walking through the park. He moves to intercept the man before he can score, but Akani pulls the big man back. She warns him that there are "150 yards and 400 rounds of ammunition" between them and Teddy.
"411," Darnell responds, pulling up his sweater to reveal a gun.
Akani calls William as Darnell crosses the park. The big man is about to reach Teddy when William appears out of nowhere. He grabs Darnell. The trio head down to the river bank to talk about the near debacle.
"What the hell are you doing having him make a buy?" William demands of Akani.
William then dresses down the big man for a). acting impulsively and b). "carrying" when the rest of the team wasn't aware of it. Akani is about to defend herself when William's phone rings. It's Melissa. Ben has been caught smoking.
"William, you better get home or you may be down one child," seethes mom.
William harshly dismisses Akani and Darnell and heads home. He finds a defiant Ben sitting in the living room next to an half-empty pack of smokes.
"You know, you're making some great decisions with your life," William says.
"I guess that makes me the apple, then," Ben says. "Huh, tree?"
The next morning, Ben sits in his room examining the needle. Lula enters and Ben quickly hides the syringe. The two leave for school.
William and Melissa are back on the porch continuing to thaw out their marital cold war. They make out. They drop trou. They hit the couch. Suddenly, Melissa stops.
"I'm sorry, baby," she says. "I thought I was ready."
She exits, leaving William in need of a cold shower.
Tess confronts her husband, who claims to be "almost done" with his work. Tess says that she read the paper and that it "doesn't make any sense." Teddy accuses her of simply being stupid. Crying, she runs from the room. Teddy calls after her ... and then returns to scribbling equations.
Arnie, posing as a med student, enters the college reception area. He pulls the fire alarm, clearing the floor. He then hacks into a campus computer and calls William. The last eight checks for Teddy and Tess were advanced. Neither has been paid in months.
"Get back in the classroom and get eyes on Teddy," William says.
William enters his son's room. He demands to know why the teen has started smoking. Ben counters by producing the needle.
"Where did you get this?" William asks.
"In the bathroom," Ben says. "Is it yours?"
Furious at the accusation, William exits. He shows the needle to Melissa.
"Is it yours?" she asks.
Once again, William is angry.
"No," he says. "It's not mine."
Melissa says that whoever owns the needle is no longer welcome in her house. William looks like he may have a suspect in mind.
Back in the classroom, Teddy notices that someone has worked on his marker board. Harry raises his hand, saying that he saw an "amazing opportunity" to help. Teddy loses it. He screams at Harry and then throws the student against a wall. Teddy's nose begins to bleed. His students look on in horror. Teddy flees.
William and Quinn meet in the garage. The former confronts the later about the needle.
"I swear on the heads of Lula and Ben that was not my rig," Quinn says. "I wouldn't do something like to you in your own home."
Some time later, Tess enters looking for William. The two sit out back and have a heart to heart talk.
"You were paying for his drugs and you hired me," William says.
Tess apologizes, explaining that she wanted to help her husband. William explains that Teddy has lost much but he hasn't quite bottomed out. Its time to bring him in for good.
The next morning, Lula makes tea for William in the kitchen.
"A boy tried to kiss me," she says. "Actually, I tried to kiss him. Charlie didn't want to kiss me."
William reassures his daughter, telling her that in the "very distant future" another boy is going to think that she is the most beautiful person in the world ... and that he is still going to want to kick that future boy's future butt. It's a virtuoso parental performance ... one that Melissa secretly witness from behind a corner.
Later, William gets a call from an informant. Teddy is back at the park.
"I'm on my way," William says.
The doorbell rings. It's Quinn. He reassures Melissa that he has no idea who left the syringe in her home. She thanks him when Lula appears.
"I wanted to thank you for saving my dad's life," the girl says.
Quinn appears racked with guilt.
Back in the park, Teddy approaches William, who is posing as a dealer. William gives the signal and Akani quickly closes in. She sticks a needle in Teddy's arm and the man goes limp. Darnell catches Teddy and drags him away. The not-so-good professor is off to rehab.
Now it's confession time for Quinn. "I just couldn't ... I just couldn't keep clean," he tells William. "Leaving the rig in your bathroom ... I'm sorry."
William says he is going to help Quinn get straight, but that the man is no longer welcome in his home -- "ever again."
"We're even," William says.
He returns home to find his family waiting for him at the dinner table. They smile at their husband/ father. Things might finally be starting to look up.
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