In 1988, Vicky had told Jamie Frame how she and Jake had missed their prom, spending the night sitting on the roof of Jake's car drinking beer. In 1997, Jake surprised Vicky by re-creating their high school prom at the Harbor Club.
In August, Vicky decided to move up the wedding day to the next week in September when she caught Shane and Lila in bed together. But Kirkland was to get hit by a car, and Jake was left standing at the altar in Lassiter. When Kirkland recovered, Jake and Vicky spoke their own vows at his hospital bedside.
While Jake and Vicky set a new wedding date in November, Shane intensified his
pursuit of Vicky to the degree that Vicky was forced to get a restraining order against him.
Marley herself came for the wedding and bestowed her blessing on sister and former
husband.
Jake learned Shane was dying and kept the information from Vicky, fearing she would run to Shane. Even when Shane's illness reversed itself, he and Vicky kept having run-ins, much to Jake's annoyance. In February of 1998, Lila made Jake believe Vicky and Shane were having a romantic get-together at the Love lodge. A suspicious Jake confronted Shane at the lodge, while Vicky hid in another room. Vicky was there for innocent reasons, but fearing Jake's wrath lied that she was in Chicago. Later that night, both Shane and Michael were killed in a head-on collision. Both Jake and Vicky blamed themselves: Vicky, for being the reason both men were driving on that road that night, and Jake for not warning Shane about the icy-road conditions.
Donna threatened Vicky to never reveal to Jake she and Shane had been together at the lodge, lest
Jake leave her and have her father have died in vain. Jake was arrested for causing Shane's death. Vicky
burst in during his arraignment and realized the only way to clear Jake was for her to admit she had been
with Shane at the lodge and had witnessed Jake's attempt to phone and warn Shane of the road condition. Jake
took charge, put his wife on the stand, and grilled her. Jake fell to pieces when he learned of Vicky's
lies, alternately raging and weeping. Refusing to believe Vicky's stay at the cabin had been innocent, Jake
cast her out of his life.
Despite various vows to not forgive Vicky, Jake found himself doing exactly that. Vicky was thrilled, then dumbstruck when Jake became almost vicious in his renewed condemnation of her. She vowed to discover who or what was behind the ruination of her family. Both Jake and she uncovered at the same time that Grant and Lila had worked together to spread lies about Shane and Vicky. Jake and Vicky reconciled.
But in their time apart, Jake had gotten close again to Marley. Marley, suffering a loss of identity after burning her face off, became dependant on Jake. She was furious when he reunited with Vicky. Her dark side urging her to do whatever it took to break them up, Marley used every advantage to undercut Jake and Vicky's relationship.
A desperate Marley finally kidnapped Vicky and tried to take her place. Jake managed to rescue Vicky and Marley was sent to an institution. Jake violently opposed Vicky's decision to fogive Marley and try to help her reform. He moved out when Vicky asked Marley to move in rather than return to the institute. But, deciding his place was with Vicky, he moved back and he and Vicky turned their efforts to filling out their family. Their efforts were rewarded when Vicky learned she was pregnant with twins.
