Little Chuckie Shea's biological parents are now finally married, but the marriage of Lisa and Michael Shea is not a happy one. According to Robert LaGuardia's book Soap World (1983), "Lisa and Michael Shea's marriage was a farce, with Lisa prancing before him in sexy nightgowns and then locking her door just to torment him." Michael, perhaps in retaliation, starts staging scenarios to make Lisa look like an unfit mother so he could divorce her and get custody of little Chuck. In one incident, Lisa leaves Chuck alone in a car while running an errand. Chuck accidentally steps on the accelerator, sending the car forward a few feet before suddenly stopping. Chuck is unhurt, but Michael Shea uses this incident to prove Lisa is an unfit mother.
One day, Lisa flees Oakdale with little Chuck. Soon afterward, Lisa's other son, Tom, again tries to rob Dr. Shea's office for drugs to feed his habit. The night Tom tries to again rob Shea's office is the day Dr. Shea is found dead. Tom immediately becomes the prime suspect, and he won't help his own defense because he is afraid Lisa killed Michael. In the ensuing trial, Lisa rushes back to Oakdale from Mexico, but she is helpless to prevent Tom from being found guilty of murder. Lisa faints in the courtroom and later contracts amnesia. During this amnesia period, Lisa believes she is still married to Tom's father, Bob Hughes.
Meanwhile, Bob Hughes gets a patient who would actually help him get Tom cleared of murder. Her name is Miss Thompson, and on her deathbed she confesses to killing Dr. Michael Shea. Miss Thompson was the woman from Shea's past whose daughter committed suicide. Soon after Miss Thompson dies, Bob discusses her story with Judge Lowell and Claire. Not only does Miss Thompson's name ring a bell with Judge Lowell, but he and Claire also remember the Rob Roy Michael liked to drink. (Rob Roy is the drink Miss Thompson remembered Dr. Shea making for her on the night she killed him.) Tom Hughes is soon released from prison.
As mentioned in the 1969 storyline section, Liz Talbot and Susan Stewart become pregnant with Dan's children at about the same time. Dan was about to leave Susan and marry Liz to give her baby a name, but Ellen's interference would force Dan to stay with Susan. Ellen advises Susan to try to be a more traditional wife to Dan. Susan then seduces Dan; she even agrees to move with him into the old Victorian house he talks about. Soon after Susan becomes pregnant Dan knows he can't leave her for Liz now, and he's not happy about it. So Dan quarrels with Ellen and says, "You're not my mother."
Not too long after Paul marries Liz to give the baby a name, Liz gives birth. The baby is named Elizabeth, or Betsy. Susan's baby by Dan, however, would not survive. After violently quarreling with Dan, Susan falls down the stairs and loses the baby. She also injures her back and is temporarily paralyzed. Susan uses her misfortune to try to hold onto Dan.
Also during the 1969/70 period, David and Ellen Stewart have a second daughter, Dawn.