All of Washington is abuzz with the big news of the day: Air Force Captain Tyler McCandless, hero of the recent incident in the Persian Gulf, is on his way home! Following his landing at Andrews Air Force Base, a reception, hosted by family friend Senator Mark Denning, will be held in his honor. 
            The next day, TV reporter Sloane Denning confides to her father that she envisions herself as First Lady some day – with either Tyler McCandless or Congressman Trey Clegg as President! Mark is visibly upset at the mention of Trey – the Cleggs defrauded the McCandless family of its wealth and good name! But Sloane decides to meet Trey anyway. Hopefully, she can glean some details about his future political plans. 
            At Potomac University Campus, Wally McCandless is beaten up by two thugs who demand that he pay up the $9000 he owes them – gambling money. Wally manages to escape, and runs into Julie Clegg. He asks her out to dinner, but she refuses. Tyler’s coming home today and she must be at the reception. Wally is upset: once more his ”perfect older brother” is getting all the attention! 
            A little later, Wally is again beaten up and is rushed to University Hospital, where his brother Thomas treats him. Luckily, Wally only has minor injuries, and when Thomas’ back is turned, Wally leaves the hospital – but not before pocketing a gun he has found. 
            After an intimate lunch, Trey and Sloane return to his apartment.  When Sloane suggests an interview, Trey refuses.  ”When I get interviewed,” he informs her, ”it’ll be by the top man and no one else!” In Trey’s eyes, Sloane’s not ”’good enough” for him – especially for a President’s wife! Deeply hurt, Sloane leaves, She now knows Tyler McCandless is the better man. 
             A large crowd is gathered at Andrews as Tyler’s plane arrives. Stepping off the plane, the hero runs to his mother. ”Welcome home, son,” Clarissa says tearfully. As Tyler is warmly embraced by family and friends, Sloane rushes up to him. ”You’d better kiss me, Tyler!” she demands. Seeing Tyler kiss Sloane brings tears to Julie Clegg’s eyes, and she dashes off without welcoming her hero home.
             Meanwhile, Gordon Hull breaks into an office marked ”Authorized Personnel Only,” and heads toward a giant computer. In his hands are the files of several congressional aides, including Julie Clegg. After getting the computer printout, he compares it to the reports in his files. ”Hello there, Julie Clegg,” Gordon smiles to himself. ”I think you’re the one.”
            Trey Clegg becomes furious when he reads about Tyler’s homecoming. ”Call Frank Burgess!” he barks to his secretary. When Burgess walks in, Trey orders him to be at the McCandless reception later that evening, and to find out any damaging information he can on the McCandlesses and their friends. ”By the time I’ve finished with Tyler McCandless, he’ll wish those terrorists had killed him!” Trey shouts.
            At home, Tyler confides to his mother that he wants to run for Trey’s congressional seat. Trey’s a destroyer, a taker, says Tyler. Clarissa begs her son to reconsider: ”Politics ruined your grandfather, and forced twenty years’ hard labor on your family!” But Tyler is adamant; as he sees it, he has no choice. Clarissa sighs, and then tells her son she’ll give him her support.
            Julie stiffens when she sees her mother, Myrna, in her brother Trey’s office. Myrna demands to know where her daughter was that morning. When she realizes Julie was at Andrews AFB to welcome Tyler home, Myrna gets angry. ”I know you don’t care about me,” she says icily, ”but do you also hate your brother?” If Julie helps Tyler McCandless in any way, warns Myrna, she’ll be helping Trey’s worst enemy! Myrna then orders her daughter not to attend the McCandless reception tonight.
            Gordon Hull, using the name Lawrence Barrington, has arrived in Washington and is observing the Cleggs very closely!
            In the Denning mansion, Sloane asks her mother for advice. She’s not sure if she really wants to marry Tyler – Sloane’s only going through the motions to please Mark. ”I’m just a convenient way of making Tyler the son Daddy never had,” Sloane admits. What if she wants Trey? Paula can only tell her daughter to make her own decision; her father may not be around 20 years from now, when either Tyler or Trey makes it to the top.    Sloane then pleads with her mother to come to the reception. ”If you can’t do it for yourself, then do it for me!”  But Paula, who rarely ventures out of the house, just retreats into her shell. Frustrated, Sloane slams the door on her way out.
            Trey asks Julie what she thinks of Sloane. Why is he so interested, his sister wants to know. “Well,” says Trey, “she’s beautiful, well connected, and I can take her away from Tyler McCandless!” Julie’s heart jumps; if Trey marries Sloane, then she can have a chance with Tyler, she thinks to herself. Apparently, she and Tyler were very much in love a few years ago. When Tyler tells his grandfather that Clarissa has decided to support her son’s campaign, Judson is overjoyed. ”You’ll make up for everything I lost.” he says proudly. Filled with love, Judson gives Tyler a gold pocket watch that FDR gave him years ago. Tyler hugs his grandfather tightly, tears in his eyes.
             Worried sick after Wally calls saying he’s in trouble, Thomas and his sister Gillian head for the address he gave them, in the poor section of town. Instead of finding Wally, Gillian and Thomas are almost mugged by a junkie! They become deathly afraid when they spot Wally’s bloodstained jacket in a decrepit building. Wally is nowhere to be found.
            In her bedroom, Julie opens a locket she keeps hidden in her drawer. Inside is a picture of her and Tyler. Tears stream down Julie’s face as she considers her predicament: she has to see Tyler tonight, but how does she tell him her own brother wants to destroy him?
            Tyler walks into the reception hall on the arms of his mother and grandfather. Everyone is stunned to see Judson Tyler. ”He was once a respected advisor to presidents,” announces Sloane, who’s covering the event, “but the witch hunt of the ’50’s ended his political career. He hasn’t been near the Capitol in 30 years!”
             Spotting Gillian and Thomas, Tyler runs over to embrace his brother and sister. It’s been three years since he’d seen his family! A little while later, Julie arrives, against her mother’s wishes. Across the floor, Tyler happens to glance up and spot her and he is mesmerized.