The day after learning that Ellen has returned to Port Charles, Matt goes to her mother's apartment, where she is staying. When he asks her why she has returned, she tells him that her mother, Alice, had another heart attack while staying with her in San Diego, and that she is back to take care of some business for her mother. Matt asks her if she is planning to stay in Port Charles, and he tells her that he would rather that she return to San Diego. Misinterpreting his reasons for wanting her to leave, Ellen begins to deny that she had any expectations from the relationship that they experienced before she left. Matt silences her and tells her that he is simply concerned for her safety, since it seems that the serial killer is focusing on the doctors and nurses at General Hospital. He wants Ellen to be safe. They discuss their feelings for one another and tenderly caress and kiss each other.

The following morning, Matt is at Alice's apartment with Ellen, helping her get it in order for Alice's return. Ellen receives a phone call from Dr. May, the doctor who replaced her when she left. Dr. May is calling to offer Ellen her old job as Chief Resident in charge of the intern program. Ellen is reluctant to consider the job, even though she has decided to stay in Port Charles. She knows that there will be difficulties considering her renewed relationship with Matt. She tells Matt that when she left, Matt was the leading contender for the Quartermaine Residency, and she did not want to jeopardize his chances of winning it.

Matt transfers to the sofa and draws Ellen down beside him. He tells her that it's only three weeks until he's no longer an intern, and that they can manage their relationship during that period so that no one finds out. He feels that she should not turn the job down. Ellen misses General Hospital and her old job, which she loved. Matt, however, manages to convince her to accept the job offer. She tells him that she will accept, but that she will no longer be satisfied just seeing Matt occasionally at the Nurse's station. She wants more, and Matt says that he does, too. They play around and kiss in some delightful scenes, and are almost seen by Karen, when she comes to the apartment to welcome Ellen home. They realize how close they came to being discovered, and decide to keep their relationship secret until Matt completes his internship.

At the beginning of the following week, Ellen returns to General Hospital. Ellen and Matt are euphoric over their renewed relationship and they find it hard to contain themselves. Ellen pretends to come down hard on Matt over not being current on a patient's record, and she tells him to complete it right away. When he hands her the completed record, she opens it to find a note from him saying "I want to make love to you right now." They banter back and forth and later meet in the On Call Room, where they kiss. Ellen again cautions Matt to be more discreet. Matt promises to on condition that she goes to his apartment after work.

The following day, Ellen tells Matt that the hospital board has just voted on the Quartermaine Residency and that Matt won unanimously. Matt is elated, and he feels a sense of overwhelming pride that his hard work, his dedication, and his tenaciousness have paid off.

After work, Matt arrives at Ellen's apartment with a bottle of champagne to celebrate his winning the Quartermaine Residency. Ellen is dressed only in her robe. "Dressed for success?" Matt teases. Apologetically, Ellen explains that she has to go pick up her mother from the airport in one and a half hours. Matt tells her that he knows a short cut to the airport and that he can get her there in twenty minutes. He won't take "No" for an answer. Deliberately, he moves closer to Ellen and unties her robe. Matt looks intently at her with love and passion, as he caresses her throat and breasts.

When we next see them, Matt and Ellen are lying on the sofa. In one of the most sensual scenes to date, Matt reaches over and takes a strawberry from a bowl of berries on the table next to the sofa. He takes a bite of the berry and then places it in Ellen's mouth as he leans over to kiss her. They share the strawberry with their kiss.

As they continue their lovemaking, something tells Ellen that she should get up and draw the curtains shut. As she closes the curtains, we see Chris Ramsey huddled outside on the fire escape, a camera in his hand. He was hoping to take compromising pictures of Matt and Ellen making love. Later, as they prepare to leave for the airport, Matt opens the curtains. The phone rings, and it is Ellen's mother, calling to say that her plane was delayed for two hours in Chicago. Matt reaches out to Ellen and draws her closer and begins to kiss her arms. He unbuttons her blouse, as she caresses him.

Chris Ramsey, looking through the window, is elated. He takes pictures of Matt and Ellen kissing. The next day, Chris posts the pictures on the bulletin boards of each floor of General Hospital. He feels certain that he had dealt Matt a death blow to his winning the Quartermaine Residency. Ellen is informed at home about the pictures and the fact that Alan Quartermaine, the director of the hospital, wants to see her. Ellen and Matt rush to the hospital, to find that word about their liaison has spread like wildfire. Ellen is informed that she will have to face the hospital board on charges of having an affair with one of her subordinates, and also showing favoritism in recommending Matt for the Quartermaine Residency.

Ellen is subsequently raked over the coals for her indiscretions. She is stripped of her position as director of the intern program. Ellen very graciously takes the blame for what happened and asks the board to consider Matt's accomplishments and not allow this to keep him from competing for the residency. She is assured that the board will take this under consideration.

Matt tells Ellen that he is not sorry that they began a relationship. He feels badly that she has lost her position with the intern program, but he is happy that Ellen is no longer his supervisor, and they can be together openly. He asks Ellen to accompany him to the Nurse's Ball. The Quartermaine Residency will be announced at the ball and Matt wants Ellen with him if he gets it. She tells him no, that she feels that it will be politically incorrect for her to go to the ball with him.

The evening of the ball, Matt, all dressed up in his tuxedo, finally convinces Ellen to accompany him. Ellen dresses in her evening clothes that she has brought to work with her, and they go to the ball together. The Quartermaine Residency is announced - and everyone is shocked that it is given to Chris Ramsey instead of Matt. A gloating Chris offers a champagne toast, while Matt vows to get even with him.

During the course of the Nurse's Ball, we learn that Chris has stolen Jake Marshak's research notes on a new drug that he has been working on, and sold the research to a pharmaceutical company with a promise of big bucks in payment. Jake suspects Chris, and he threatens to report Chris to the hospital board. Towards the end of the ball, Jake's body is found hanging from the rafters backstage. After everyone is questioned, Jake's apartment is searched, and a suicide note is found on his computer. In the note, Jake confesses to having killed Dr. Devlin and Grace.