1977 (#20) - Karen's reliance on Ron and Nancy and Chris' desperation

Nancy, reluctantly convinced by Ron to give up Karen, asks to see her daughter for the last time. Chris and Snapper gladly grant the visit, not without hiding a certain fear of Ron's possible actions. In the end, the meeting ends with a painful goodbye from Nancy to Karen, who this time is much sorrier, even though she doesn't recognize her mother this time either. This, however, is enough to convince Ron to try the legal way to regain custody of Karen. Nancy, on hearing the news, thanks Ron immensely and is excited to have her daughter back. At the hearing, Chris desperately tries to convince the judge that Karen's parents are unfit to raise a child, but when the judicial psychiatrist declares Ron and Nancy's condition to be perfectly compatible as parents, Chris' worst fears soon become reality. The judge doesn't resolve the custody issue, but decides to give Nancy and Ron some time to live with the little girl for a few months so they can prove they are really fit to raise Karen. After a while, so not only did Nancy and Ron fully pass the test of parenting, but they were able to fill Karen with love, who became more attached to the two than anyone could believe. It is Karen herself who persuaded the judge for custody of Nancy and Ron, saying that she loves her real parents. At these words, Chris burst into a never-ending cry. Devastated by the court's decision, the woman is inconsolable and the repercussions of the situation are so severe that even her marriage to Snapper is in crisis, since she decides to leave the city alone to find herself despite the objections of the man who would have liked to be close to his wife at this delicate moment. In the meantime, two very happy Nancy and Ron decide to leave Genoa City, taking both Marion and Karen with them to start a new family life all together.

1977 (#17) - The reunion with Marion, Nancy's improvements and Ron's company

While Ron is in the hospital, his mother Marion Reeves, who had abandoned him since he was a child, pays him a surprise visit. Marion, in a touching encounter, confesses to her son that she came to know of his hospitalization and all the events he has been going through in recent times; realizing that all his mistakes are are in fact a result of her own mistakes, she apologizes for all the failings of the many years he has been forced to live alone. Ron, despite his initial resentment, forgives his mother and cannot help but try to understand her motives. What matters now, after all, is the promise from now on to be close to each other. In the meantime, Nancy, once again admitted to the psychiatric center, shows surprising signs of improvement. Evidently, her time out of the institution, alongside Ron, Karen and all the important people in her life, has enabled her to establish the basis for a full recovery. And then there is the fact that Ron, urged on by Marion, is starting to visit his wife more and more frequently, convinced that even without Karen, they could rebuild their family. Finally released from the mental institution, fully recovered, Nancy can finally embrace Ron and meet Marion, his mother. Nancy's happiness, however, is obviously cut short by Karen's absence, whose absence becomes increasingly unbearable. Ron repeatedly tries to convince her that by now she has become attached to Chris and Snapper, with whom they are beginning a journey that will surely guarantee her a better life, but Nancy seems to be particularly affected by the lack of her daughter.

1977 (#13) - Karen’s kidnapping, Snapper’s rescue and Ron’s suicide attempt

Chris's happiness at the ruling in favour is not going to last long. A Ron now driven by madness, and determined whatever it takes to be with his daughter, carries out the plan to kidnap the child. He goes to the schoolyard and, taking advantage of a moment of distraction, takes Karen with him, putting her in the car and leaving unnoticed. When Snapper and Chris are contacted by the school, they immediately realize that Ron is the only one behind Karen's disappearance. Frightened of the little girl's fate, the two immediately rush to the police to report the kidnapping, allowing the release of Ron's arrest warrant. He, meanwhile, reassures the little girl, who is constantly asking about Chris, telling her that he was about to take her on a trip and that Chris would soon join them. At the bus station, and about to leave for the first available destination, Ron notices that Karen is ill. So he decides to take her to the clinic for tests; what he didn't know was that the clinic is the same one Snapper runs. At his sight, Ron is forced to leave the hospital unnoticed, and decides to leave the girl to the doctors, giving up his crazy plan to give Karen a better future with Chris and Snapper. When Snapper is astonished to see the girl lying on a cot, he immediately warns Chris that he has found the girl, and the two burst with joy, relieved that their nightmare is finally over. Meanwhile Ron, now determined to end his life, attempts suicide by poisoning himself, but he is found and hospitalized, where the doctors manage to save him.

1977 (#9) - Ron's return, Karen's request for custody and Brock's defense

Just as Snapper and Chris are more determined than ever to get custody of Karen, and they think there are no more problems that could stop this project, Ron surprisingly returns in town with new claims on Karen. Convinced by the doctors that Nancy can recover and overcome her problems, Ron contacts his lawyer to inform him that he wants to claim his rights over Karen. Meanwhile, Ron visits Nancy to see with his eyes the woman's condition, but the encounter is much worse than expected, with Nancy recognizing Ron but beginning to act hysterically to the point he is forced to leave. Ron, however, through his lawyer, is convinced that only by reestablishing a relationship with the woman he can have a chance of getting back his daughter, and so he arranges for Nancy to be released from the center to take her home. Here, Ron begins slipping Nancy tranquilizers to make her appear more stable and gradually makes her look normal again. Ron has absolutely no interest in the woman's health, to the point that he's giving her doses of tranquilizers well beyond the recommended dose; what Ron is interested in is Karen's custody. As Nancy grows more and more normal in appearance, the lawyer congratulated Ron on a job well done, promising that he would soon be able to appear in court to regain custody of his Karen, along with a fully restored Nancy. Snapper and Chris, worried about Ron's plan, immediately contacted Brock, who began studying Ron's wicked behavior. He realized that Nancy's apparent improvement was in fact all the result of drugs that could only make Nancy presentable for a few hours a day and could only make her health worse in the long term. On the day the hearing before the judge was scheduled, therefore, Brock asked to move the session from morning to afternoon, demonstrating Ron's treatment of Nancy and upsetting the man's plans, whose request was thus denied. The verdict made Chris happy, thanking Brock infinitely for his help and embracing Snapper, with whom she hugged little Karen.

1977 (#5) - The visit to Nancy's institute and Chris' willingness to adopt Karen

Chris, Snapper and little Karen's quiet family life is interrupted when Stuart announces that he has received a phone call from a nurse in a psychiatric center not far from Genoa City and has thus probably tracked down Nancy, hospitalized under the false name Jackson. When Chris and Snapper rush to the center to check if the patient is actually the woman, both recognize Nancy in her, despite not being able to believe what happened to her, as she is practically unrecognizable and suffering from severe mental distress. The doctors suggest that Snapper bring Karen into the institution so that Nancy can see her and spend time with her, as this might shake her up and bring her back to reality. The request is initially rejected decisively by Chris, who refuses to expose the child to such trauma, but later, however, the compassion she feels for seeing Nancy in that state makes her change her mind, and also with Snapper's encouragement they visit Nancy with Karen. Despite the doctors' expectations, however, Nancy remains unresponsive to Karen's sight and the meeting is short as Karen immediately curls up on the floor scared and clings to Chris' skirt, who immediately decides to leave the room. When the doctors are forced to realize that Nancy would probably never recover, Chris is increasingly convinced to adopt little Karen.

1977 (#3) - Chris' desire for motherhood and Ron's renunciation of Karen’s custody

The moment Nancy is admitted to the psychiatric center, and Ron runs away from the city and vanishes without a trace, Chris and Snapper get a chance to keep little Karen temporarily. Chris, who is having trouble in getting pregnant, thus decides to formally request final custody of the child, despite Snapper, worried about Chris' growing attachment to Karen, is afraid that this would only bring distress to his wife, convinced that Ron soon, knowing that there is no arrest warrant on him, would return to look for his daughter. Snapper's predictions, however, are only half right. Ron returns to the city, but after an interview with Chris, who asks him to think about the wellness and future of his daughter Karen, the man surprisingly announces to Snapper and Chris that he wants to give up custody of Karen, convinced that his wife Nancy would never recover from her illness. Ron also promises both Chris and Snapper to get out of their lives and start all over again far from Genoa City. Chris, extremely happy, then, is delighted to be able to cuddle up with what could soon become her daughter, Karen. Chris and Snapper's marriage is stronger than ever.

1976 (#16) - Peggy’s rape, acquittal of Ron and psychiatric hospitalization of Nancy

Just when Jack is running to Peggy to inform her that he has finally got a divorce and that they can finally be together, she goes to Chris to tell her about her secret relationship with his professor and ask her for advice. Not finding her at home, Peggy enters and decides to wait for her return; however, Chris' door was opened by a mysterious man who abuses the young girl, still a virgin. When Chris is informed by his sister about the rape, she tries to console Peggy and make her overcome this terrible trauma, experienced by Chris herself years before. Peggy soon finds the confidence and strength to report the incident. When she is shown some suspects to the police, Peggy recognizes her rapist in Ron, which leaves Chris shocked. Despite all the violence she has suffered, Nancy cannot believe that Ron could have done such a thing and takes her husband's side. Chris herself, moreover, shows doubts, not knowing how Ron could have broken into her home. In the trial, meanwhile, Ron is exonerated for lack of evidence; however, shortly afterwards, it is Nancy herself who realizes her husband's guilt, having found a note with Chris' address in his jacket. As soon as she confronted her husband, Nancy was beaten up and Ron ran away. Nancy goes to Chris to tell her the whole truth, but once they get to the police, the two women are disappointed to discover that it is not possible to start the procedures for an arrest warrant, since the case has already been judged and the evidence is insufficient to reopen the case. Ron, meanwhile, has now gone off the grid. Nancy, meanwhile, is showing more and more signs of emotional and mental instability and is being admitted to a mental institution. Little Karen is thus temporarily placed in the care of Chris and Snapper, who are happy to be able to give her some peace of mind and love.

1976 (#13) - The job of Chris at Legal Aid, Nancy’s help and the violence of Ron

The married life between Chris and Snapper, meanwhile, is going smoothly. The couple is in love and their relationship is now mature and well established. In the meantime Chris continues to work at Legal Aid with Greg, a job that takes a lot of time but also gives her a lot of satisfaction. One of the cases that Chris follows with greater interest and emotional participation is certainly that of Nancy Becker. The woman, married to Ron Becker, turns to Chris for help against her husband, who does not fail to do continuous violence against his wife. The situation in Becker's house is complicated by the presence of little Karen, a little girl to whom Chris soon becomes very fond. Ron, in prison some time before for a robbery and burglary, has just got out of prison and this has brought Nancy back into the nightmare of violence. Ron beat the woman with an increasing frequency; however, the woman loves Ron and refuses to denounce the man even though Chris tries several times to convince the woman, scared also for the repercussions that the complaint could have on little Karen. In the end, Chris naively tries to find Ron an honest job by asking his father Stuart, who hires the man at a newspaper delivery company, for help. Nancy thanks Chris endlessly, happy for the woman's newfound serenity.