Jack and Nikki continue to search for any information pertaining to the father of Diane's baby. As they look, Jack tells Nikki how lucky he is to have Phyllis in his life. They finally come upon a medical file with serial numbers and Nikki surmises that one belongs to Victor and the other belongs to the real father of Diane's baby.
Phyllis barges into Michael's office. Phyllis tells Michael that she thinks that there are some residual feelings between Diane and Jack. Michael tells her that Jack and Diane are long over. Phyllis feels she may be overreacting due to the hormones. She confesses that she and Jack are trying to have a baby. She suggests to Michael that maybe having a child of his own could stabilize his life as he laughs hysterically. Phyllis tells Michael that once she has Jack's baby that she will not be insecure about Diane Jenkins or any other woman.
Sharon visits with her mother discussing the state of her marriage. She tells her mother that she and Nick are trying to get close. Doris tells her how lucky she is to have a wonderful man like Nick. Sharon tells her mother the whole story about Matt and the paternity question. She tells her mother how much she wants everything to go back to the way they were. At Dr. Thompson's office, the results of the DNA test arrive and the doctor places them in the file and hopes Sharon never asks for them.
Nick comes to the house looking for Nikki and finds Victor instead. Victor tells his son that they need to decide how to proceed without Ryan. Victor thinks that Victoria will probably come back to work more sooner than he would like. The subject changes to Nick's marriage and Nick admits that there is something standing in the middle of him and Sharon getting back to normal. Nick feels that the paternity issue is still an issue with Sharon.
Mac and Billy talk about her nightmares and what it means. Mac fears that having her mother in town will cause her to continue to have nightmares. Billy tells Mac that he spoke with Amanda and warned her not to hurt Mac again. Mac feels it's too big a risk to have her mother in town because of the threat of her stepfather finding her. At the shelter, Amanda is telling Ned that may actually be a chance for her and Mac to be mother and daughter again.
Sean tells Jill that he has purchased tickets for a trip to San Francisco. Jill says that she was looking forward to the outdoors trip that they were planning. She says since Ryan's death, she feels she needs to do something she has never done before. When Jill is not looking, Sean looks a bit apprehensive about the camping and bungee jumping adventure.
Ranch:
Victor and Nikki chat. He's got loads of paperwork to catch up on but notices Nikki looks quite filthy but she keeps mum as to why. Nikki later asks about the kids and how they're doing. Everyone seems to be coping. Victoria comes down and tells Vic about her dream about Ryan. It felt so real to her. Nikki thanks Vic for being there for the family and staying at the Ranch for Victoria. Victor suggests that Victoria go back to work to get her mind off things.
Abbott House:
Jack refuses to tell Billy why he was rummaging around in a basement. Billy worries about Mac who he feels is making a big mistake. Billy fills Jack in on the Amanda situation including her connection to Colleen. Jack advises Billy to stay out of it. Billy is confused by this advice especially coming from Jack. Jack admits that's his nature but not necessarily the smart the thing. He tells Billy that if he pushes Mac into something he's responsible for the consequences.
Shelter:
Mac asks Ned if Amanda is around. Ned thanks her for letting Amanda stay. Mac's changed her mind. She wants Amanda gone. Ned is shocked at her about face. She has doubts Amanda won't fall under Ralph's influence again. He decides to show her the missing poster picture her stepfather has sent out looking for Amanda. Mac worries that Ralph will track down Amanda here. Amanda then accidentally interrupts. Ned leaves them alone. Mac was reconsidering letting her mother stay until she saw the missing person poster. Mac wants to her Amanda's side. She asks Mac if what Ralph did only happened once. She confirms that it was once. Mac gets defensive. Ralph seemed nice at first but was apparently just bided his time. Amanda remembers how close they were when she was little and how adolescence drew Mac away. By the time she was 13 all they did was fight. Ralph even defended Mac to Amanda. Now she sees that he had an agenda and wishes she had talked with her daughter about her concerns. When Mac storms out Amanda tearfully asks her not to leave...again.
Newman Enterprises:
Neil asks to meet with Phyllis. She expresses her sympathies to him over Ryan. He's handling Ryan's projects now. He wants ideas for this holiday campaign by tomorrow. She can't possibly come up with ideas that fast but he demands results. She wonders why he's pushing for the change. Any big changes will only hurt the campaign. She's very annoyed at his attitude and implication that she hasn't been a team player. She rails at him that she's given 110%. She points out that she's going through a lot in her personal life and was planning on asking for time off but changed her mind when Ryan died in order to support the team. She flat out refuses to change her campaign and tells him if he wants a change to do it himself or hire a new webmaster. He tells her to forget it, he'll do it on his own. She realizes that he's upset about Ryan and he's trying to boost his own spirits. She suggests a compromise: allow her to develop some ideas for the Valentine campaign that Victoria usually runs. This will kick start some ideas for Victoria to work with. He agrees. He then apologizes for snapping at her and thanks her for her hard work. She understands; they all miss Ryan.
Jabot:
John and Ashley talk about Ryan. John respected him tremendously. Ashley assk about his trip with Colleen. He's waiting on the final word from Traci. Ash suggests calling for an update. John and Ash are both surprised to find out Colleen didn't know about the trip. He suspects that there's more to her not knowing than meets the eye. They worry about the lack of improvement since the return to NY. Ash cautions him to tread lightly with Traci. He agrees to wait until the trip. Later Traci calls and tells her dad that they are no longer going.
Connelly Apt:
Moody Colleen answers the phone and is surprised to hear from grandpa John and is really surprised to learn about the trip. He can't believe he blew the surprise but she isn't. She's excited about the trip and the activities he suggests. Traci overhears and demands Colleen get off the phone (she's grounded). When asked when Traci was going to tell her about the trip Traci reveals never. She's changed her mind since finding out about the marijuana smoking. Colleen isn't going on any trip. They argue about the trip and her bad behavior. They are trying to save her but Colleen won't hear of it. Colleen then secretly calls Ricky to make plans to meet up.
Woods:
Jill and Sean enjoy their camping trip. She's loving the trip and asks Sean(the expert) to make dinner. Jill is exceedingly pleased with her outdoorsy skills and thanks Sean for slowing down in his skill for her benefit. She was a little puzzled by his grabbing on to her during the bungee jump telling they don't have to do it. Bungee jumping has opened her eyes to new heights in exhilaration. She feels like she's mastering the outdoors like Sean. She notices he's having trouble with the stove but he passes that off as not being familiar with this brand. When she has trouble with their inflatable mattress she asks for help and he finally admits that it's his first time camping.
At Crimson Lights, Amanda is sitting down, enjoying her coffee. Larry Warton is sitting at a table nearby. Larry remembers the advice Nikki gave him about "engaging in a social life." Larry makes the jump and meets Amanda Browning. Larry tries to make small talk and tells Amanda he has had his share of "being on the wrong tracks" Larry describes his job and the Family he works for, The Abbotts. Amanda asks Larry about Billy and asks if he is kind. Larry thinks the family is nice but doesn't get along with them too well. At the Abbott House, Mackenzie is thinking about "talking to my mom to get a perspective on things" Mackenzie admits her and Amanda "were close at one time but when I hit my teens, it's like we were fighting all the time" But then again when Amanda was talking about escaping from Ralph and finally believing in Mackenzie, it gave Mackenzie something to think about. Mackenzie makes her decision about letting Amanda stay "for the holidays but after that in January, we can talk" Billy thinks Mackenzie is making the right decision into not shutting Amanda out of her life. John and Ashley talk to Traci about getting her to "reconsider taking the trip" John says a change of pace might be good for Colleen and might help bring Colleen around. Brad overhears in the distance but feels like he doesn't "want to be another name on a Christmas card" Ashley can sympathize for being concerned about Colleen but Brad knows where his position lies. Colleen sneaks out of the apartment and goes to Ricky's place. As Colleen was about to smoke marijuana, Traci and Steve walk in, surprising her. Traci and Steve agree Ricky is a bad influence on Colleen. A "loser" Steve calls Ricky. Traci tells Colleen she was "about to reconsider taking the trip but because of Colleen's behaviour, she kind of blew any chance she had"
At Newman Enterprises, Victoria tries to gain the courage to go back to work. Neil is sitting at Victoria's desk, trying to think about the Valentine's Day campaign. Neil remembers the bottle of Rye he has in Vicki's cupboard and takes a drink or two. Neil is still reminded of Ryan's presence at work and shares Victoria's sympathy. As Neil and Victoria try to discuss about the new message for their campaign, Victoria is reminded of the positive words Ryan used to say to her. Victoria remembers how Ryan was before they married. Deep down inside, Victoria is hiding her anger. "I'm mad at myself. I'm mad at Ryan" "I want to move on with my life but my heart won't let Ryan go" Victor and Nikki still share concern for one another and Nikki once said her and Victor are "soulmates" This could bring Nikki and Victor back together but who knows. "Anything is possible"
Jill is happy to be camping with Sean. Sean admitted he pulled an act on Jill but Jill seemed to get past that and enjoy "roughing" it with Sean. What they don't like is the wildlife, therefore they race to get into their warm sleeping bag and snuggle under the stars. Sean could sense a new "life" in Jill. It's as if she's more vibrant, more alive. Jill replies, "well kid, you're gonna learn to get used to it"
Olivia paid Malcolm a visit to talk about Christmas gifts for Nate. He was surprised at her cooperation and civility. When she heard that Alex and Malcolm had checked in on Neil after the funeral, she gave him a gentle warning that family togetherness could be overdone.
Neil asked for bourbon with his coffee that morning at Gina's. Gina was concerned about him, then Alex noticed his drinking after she finished up an early meeting with a client. She brought him over to her table and expressed her deep concern for his welfare. He angrily told her that the only things that would help him would be to have his best friend back and to hold his brother's fiancé in his arms. Could she handle that one? Definitely not! He rushed off to his apartment leaving her speechless. . .
Later, Malcolm rang Neil's doorbell as Neil was pouring yet another drink before going back to work. Neil screamed, "I told you that there is nothing you can do!" as he opened the door, thinking that it was Alex. When he saw Malcolm's face, he slammed the door immediately, leaving his brother confounded and surprised.
Traci told Brad on the telephone that the trip was definitely off -- she and Steve had made the decision and had to stick with it. When John Abbott found out that Brad had called, he scolded his son-in-law for interfering. Colleen was as insolent as usual for her mother getting ready for school that morning. She tried calling her grandfather to get his sympathy and to see if she could arrange a visit with him alone. He was the only one that she could trust. He didn't agree to it because he knew that Traci wouldn't allow it. He and Brad argued about one of them taking a trip to New York City to see what was wrong with Colleen. John told Brad that he would have to "play Daddy" some other time -- he was going to New York to offer his support.
Jill and Sean awoke to snow on the ground near their campsite. They dressed for the day and began planning to return to their vehicle, when they realized that neither one of them knew the way back to the parking lot. Jill freaked out and tried to think of alternatives. Sean smirked as she ranted and raved, then brought out a global positioning tool that would help them retrace their steps. Jill fell into his arms in gratitude and love. . .
Ashley asked Nikki for her opinion on a new fragrance she had developed. Their conversation wandered to the topic of Jack and Phyllis, their wedding, and their potential to have a family. Nikki wondered if they had really explored their options in that area. Back at the Abbott home, Phyllis found papers referencing Johnson Reproductive Laboratories. She demanded to know why he had such a thing and he told her about Nikki's involvement in Diane's sperm switch and what he and Nikki were trying to do. After Jack left for work, Nikki arrived at the front door to Phyllis' surprise. She wanted to speak with Jack but asked to come in anyway for a chat. . . .
Abbott House:
Nikki and Phyllis have tea together. They talk about Diane's return to GC and Phyllis points out how odd it must be considering what happened with Victor and the baby. Nikki changes topics to the wedding. Phyllis invites Nikki who accepts. She then asks Phyllis about the baby situation. Phyllis wonders if Nikki and Jack have talked about it. Phyllis resents Nikki's butting in and informs her she knows all about her options. She then tells Nikki she firmly believes that her marriage to Jack will last a lot longer than Nikki's. Nikki excuses herself at that point.
Neil's:
Malcolm stops by but a frustrated and hung over Neil slams the door in his face. He soon re-opens the door, apologizes and says he's had a long day and needs to get back. Malcolm refuses to leave his brother alone. He invites Neil over for Christmas day and tells him that Nate's already excited about it. He's bothered by Neil having a drink. He snaps at Malcolm that he as no idea what he's going through. Malcolm tries to sympathize over Ryan's death but Neil blows up: it's not about Ryan it's about Alex and the feelings they have for each other and have had to hide because of Malcolm.
Walnut Grove:
Rianna and J.T. make plans to hook up at his parents' place later. Brittany and Raul overhear. Britt warns J.T. that using Rianna for sex is going to really hurt her. Rianna bumps into Mac asks her to pass a message on J.T. that she's running late. Mac wishes her well with J.T. They hope to get Billy and J.T. to be friends. Later, Billy and Mac discuss Amanda. Mac is looking forward to spending time with her mother over the holidays. She then talks with him about Rianna and J.T. He wants nothing to do with J.T. He then walks by and Mac passes her Rianna 's message. He and Billy then trade barbs. Billy asks Mac if she'll still stand by J.T. when he breaks Rianna's heart again. She doesn't think he'll ever do that, he's changed. J.T. overhears and feels guilty.
Gina's:
Ashley and Olivia catch up. Ash relates Brad's frustration over the Colleen situation. Olivia agrees with Traci keeping him at arm's length. They then talk about Jack and Phyllis' wedding. Ash wonders about Liv's other woman theory. Liz confirms it but doesn't go into details.
Connelly Apt:
Traci is surprised to see John at her door. He's there to help with Colleen. Steve is upset that Colleen whined ot John. He is supporting Traci and Steve but things are only getting worse. They worry that the distance between Colleen and her parents will never be mended. Traci agrees to let John sit in on their talks with Colleen. They get a call from Colleen's Headmaster who wants a meeting.
Colleen's School:
Steve and Traci meet with the Headmaster who tells them that she was caught smoking marijuana. Ricky's parents denied his wrong doing and blamed Colleen. The headmaster is impressed that her parents are taking responsibility but regrets to inform them that there is a Zero tolerance policy on drugs. Colleen is expelled.
Jabot:
Jack's surprised to see a very relaxed Jill return from her trip. She's still exhilarated from her camping trip with Sean. Jill keeps mum but notices Jack's mood too. He explains that the wedding was moved up and notices her lack of invite. He tells her it's a small ceremony. She wonders why the rush but Jack tells her to mind her own business. Later, Nikki arrives and she tells Jack it's time. He asks if she's sure she wants to do this and she is.
Crimson Lights:
Brittany finds Raul and asks him about his reaction to seeing Rianna and J.T. kiss. He doesn't care he tells her. She then asks him what he's working on. It's his Christmas list for people he needs to buy for. They chat about Christmas and how he need sot get a lot of presents for his large family. He mentions how much it means to his mom and hopes it will cheer her up after his brother Diego let the family down again by not showing up as promised for Thanksgiving. Brittany offers to take him Christmas shopping for their moms.
