diff --git a/src/loaders/Plan.cpp b/src/loaders/Plan.cpp
index 5bb1245..aea5b3b 100644
--- a/src/loaders/Plan.cpp
+++ b/src/loaders/Plan.cpp
@@ -1,42 +1,84 @@
 #include "Plan.h"
 
+/// Plan_InvalidTaskIndex - Exception thrown when a Plan tries to access a contained Task's value by index not present
+/// in the Unit.
+class Plan_InvalidTaskIndex: public std::runtime_error { public:
+    Plan_InvalidTaskIndex(): std::runtime_error("Plan: Attempted to access a Task using an invalid index.") {}
+};
+
+/// Plan_InvalidTaskName - Exception thrown when a Plan tries to access a contained Task's value by name not present
+/// in the Unit.
+class Plan_InvalidTaskName: public std::runtime_error { public:
+    Plan_InvalidTaskName(): std::runtime_error("Plan: Attempted to access a Task using an invalid name.") {}
+};
+
+
+/// Plan::Plan() - Constructor for Plan class.  A Plan is a managed container for a Task vector.  These tasks reference
+/// Units that are defined in the Units files (Suite).  If Units are definitions, Tasks are selections of those
+/// definitions to execute, and if Units together form a Suite, Tasks together form a Plan.
 Plan::Plan(): JSON_Loader() {};
 
+/// Plan::load_plan_file - Uses the json_root buffer on each run to append intact Units as they're deserialized from
+/// the provided file.
+///
+/// \param filename - The filename to load the plan from.
+/// \param verbose  - Whether to print verbose output to STDOUT.
 void Plan::load_plan_file(std::string filename, bool verbose)
 {
     // plan always loads from file
-    this->load_json_file( filename );
+    this->load_json_file( filename, verbose );
 
-    Json::Value raw_tasks = this->as_serialized()["plan"];
+    // staging buffer
+    Json::Value jbuff;
 
-    for ( int index = 0; index < raw_tasks.size(); index++ )
+    // fill the jbuff staging buffer wih a json::value object in the supplied filename
+    if ( this->get_serialized( jbuff, "plan", verbose ) == 0 )
     {
-        this->tasks.push_back( Task( raw_tasks[index] ) );
+        this->json_root = jbuff;
     }
 
+    // iterate through the json::value members that have been loaded.  append to this->tasks vector
+    // buffer for tasks to append:
+    Task tmp_T;
+    for ( int index = 0; index < this->json_root.size(); index++ )
+    {
+        tmp_T.load_root( this->json_root[ index ] );
+        this->tasks.push_back( tmp_T );
+        if ( verbose ) {
+            std::cout << "Added task \"" << tmp_T.get_name() << "\" to Plan." << std::endl;
+        }
+    }
 }
 
-Task Plan::get_task(int index)
-// returns a task from its parent Plan by index
+/// Plan::get_task - Retrieves a task by index.
+///
+/// \param result - The variable receiving the value.
+/// \param index  - The numerical index in the Task vector to retrieve a value for.
+/// \param verbose  - Whether to print verbose output to STDOUT.
+void Plan::get_task(Task & result, int index, bool verbose)
 {
-    return this->tasks[index];
+    if ( index <= this->tasks.size() )
+    {
+        result = this->tasks[ index ];
+    } else {
+        throw Plan_InvalidTaskIndex();
+    }
 }
 
-Task Plan::get_task(std::string provided_name)
-/* returns a task from a Plan object by name
- * this will need reworked.  maybe should return int, populate a pointer.
- * error handling is the concern here.
-*/
+/// Plan::get_task - Retrieves a task by name.
+///
+/// \param result - The variable receiving the value.
+/// \param provided_name - The name to find a task by.
+/// \param verbose - Whether to print verbose output to STDOUT.
+void Plan::get_task(Task & result, std::string provided_name, bool verbose)
 {
-        Task * returnable;
         bool foundMatch = false;
 
         for ( int i = 0; i < this->tasks.size(); i++ )
         {
-            std::string task_name = this->tasks[i].get_name();
-            if ( task_name == provided_name )
+            if ( this->tasks[i].get_name() == provided_name )
             {
-                returnable = & this->tasks[i];
+                result = this->tasks[i];
                 foundMatch = true;
                 break;
             }
@@ -44,8 +86,6 @@ Task Plan::get_task(std::string provided_name)
         if (! foundMatch )
         {
             std::cerr << "Task name \"" << provided_name << "\" was referenced but not defined!" << std::endl;
-            std::exit(1);
+            throw Plan_InvalidTaskName();
         }
-
-        return * returnable;
 }
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/loaders/Plan.h b/src/loaders/Plan.h
index b0af61f..6a6ab1b 100644
--- a/src/loaders/Plan.h
+++ b/src/loaders/Plan.h
@@ -18,9 +18,11 @@ class Plan: public JSON_Loader
 
         void load_plan_file( std::string filename, bool verbose );
 
-        void get_task(Task & result, std::string provided_name, bool verbose);
+        void get_task( Task & result, std::string provided_name, bool verbose );
 
-        void  get_task(Task & result, int index. bool verbose);
+        void get_task( Task & result, int index. bool verbose );
+
+        void get_unit_from_task(Unit & result, Task input, bool verbose );
 };
 
 #endif //FTESTS_PLAN_H