Edmund was admitted against his will to Oak Haven, the same local sanitarium in which Adam had been locked up earlier in the year. Dimitri asked the doctor if Edmund had given him any information as to where he has taken Alex. Brooke came to the hospital to confront Dimitri about admitting Edmund. She asked Dimitri how he could lock up Edmund. Dimitri told her that someone saw Alex leave the yacht with a man who fit Edmund's description. Brooke assured Dimitri that Edmund loved Alex and that he would never hurt her. Dimitri said that his "gut feeling" is that Edmund is behind the disappearance of Alex. Brooke agreed to talk to Edmund and see if she could find out any information. Brooke asked Edmund if he needed anything and he shook his head no. Brooke tried to clear everything up for Edmund. She told Edmund that Dimitri got carried away because he was angry about Alex's disappearance. Edmund said that he was not angry with Dimitri. He told Brooke that he had a long time to think things over. Edmund told Brooke that when Dimitri "popped up like Lazarus" and Alex went back to Dimitri, he lost it then. He was OK for a few days but then he was really "hard" on Dimitri. Edmund said that he took on all the pain and anger and it broke his spirit. It was a miserable way to live and he does have a handle on it now. Edmund told Brooke that Alex was right to go back to Dimitri. Edmund said that he broke his brothers trust but it was too late because his brother put him into the hospital for evaluation. He told Brooke that he loves Dimitri and he never stopped loving him. Dimitri was outside the door listening to the whole conversation between Brooke and Edmund. Edmund told Brooke that he has hurt some people and he had some making up to do. Brooke told Edmund that they need to have Dimitri come into the room and Edmund agreed. She left the room to get Dimitri, but the Count was nowhere in site.
Ryan was at the Pine Valley Hospital arguing and fighting with David. Ryan was accused him of drugging everyone on the yacht with the Libediazone. Dr. Joe Martin had to break up the fight and he asked David if he was the one who administered the drug Libediazone without the knowledge or consent of the people on the yacht. David confessed but then he said that since he was a doctor and he would have access to the drug, then yes, he was a candidate to plant the drug but he had no motive. Ryan told him that he saw him give the waiter a fifty-dollar bill just before he took the punch bowl away and now it is missing. Dr. Joe also said that David and Gordon were close and now Gordon is missing. Jake said that David was not even interested in the drug Libediazone until he requested information on it. Gillian said that this was not the first time he had tried to drug someone. Ryan added that a couple of years ago, David tried to drug Adam Chandler. Dixie was standing in the background listening to everyone accuse David of being the person who planted the drug on the yacht. She shouted to everyone to stop ganging up on David. Everyone stopped and just looked at Dixie. Dixie told everyone that she was shocked that everyone was shouting accusations at him and they had no proof. Jake told David to try to convince them that he did not have a hand in the case against him. David said that he would answer each accusation one at a time. David told Dr. Joe that he had Gordon do lab work for him and so did every other doctor in the hospital. David said that he does not know what happened to Gordon and does not know where he went. He told Jake that he was part of a foundation that is interested in doing research on new drugs. David told Ryan that he had a stain on his dress shirt and the waiter got the stain out and that is why he tipped the waiter fifty dollars. David then told Joe that he had no motive to plant the drug. Jake said that he had a motive, he wanted to seduce his brothers' wife, Dixie. Dixie was upset that Jake made the statement that David Hayward has been panting over her for months. She was so upset that she walked away and left the doctors to argue amongst themselves. David told Ryan that if he tried to claim that he was involved, he would slap him with a slander suit. Gillian told David that he would probably poison every person on the planet if it meant he would get Dixie into his bed. David told Ryan that he has no evidence that he was involved and he left the room because he said that he had lives to save and other things to do. As David walked away, Ryan was right behind him. He finally caught up to David and told him that he knows he is behind this Libediazone fiasco and he is going to prove it. He told him that he must have left his tracks behind somewhere. Ryan told David that he is "going down" for this. After Ryan left, David reminisced about the party. He remembered talking to Alex about the drug and how she accused him about not stopping the research on the drug. He thought to himself that Alex was the last loose end, but seeing as Alex had disappeared he may not have worry about her after all.
Gillian was left with Jake while Ryan followed David. Jake mentioned the contract that he found on the boat linking Gordon to Ryan and Gillian told him that Ryan didn't know anything about it. Gillian thanked Jake for believing in Ryan. Jake said that the thing that swayed him was how much Gillian believed in Ryan. A delivery man brought papers for Jake to sign. The papers were his "no fault" divorce papers from Gillian.. Gillian said that she was so sorry and wished there was some other way. Jake told Gillian that he would respect any decision she made. Jake also told Gillian that the time he shared with her was a wonderful time and nobody could take that away from him.
Joe talked Dixie and asked if she was OK. Dixie told Joe that she was mortified when Jake accused David of wanting to sleep with her. Joe told her that Jake did not intend to embarrass her. Dixie said that she had to speak up when everyone was attacking David. Joe said that he wanted to tell Dixie something. He had heard rumors about David and her and he advised her to stop the rumors. Dixie was surprised to know that the rumor was all over the hospital. Joe told Dixie that she can stop the talk around the hospital. Dixie asked Joe if he thought this was not just gossip and that she wanted to be with David. Joe told Dixie that he did not believe the rumors. Joe told Dixie that she should take steps to squelch them. Dixie said that she had nothing to be ashamed of and would not alter her behavior to satisfy some small nasty minded people. Joe told her that it was a matter of perception. Dixie said that anything she did, people would think what they wanted to think anyway.
Tad was in New York in his motel suite and was trying to reach Dixie on her phone. He left her a message asking her to call him before his next meeting. He heard water running and went into the bathroom and found the shower running. He shut the water off and from behind the curtain appeared Leslie telling him to get undressed and get into the shower to scrub her back. Tad was surprised to see her in his motel room. He put a bathrobe on her and told her to get dressed and leave. He said that if she would not do that, he would just take his work down to the lobby. Leslie told Tad that she received the results of the blood work and both of them had clean slates. She put her arms around Tad's neck and said that they were now free to enjoy each other as much as they wanted. Tad pulled her arms off of him and told her to stop the come ons and the nutsy behavior and the surprise visits. Leslie told Tad that there was chemistry between them and it could not be ignored. Tad said that the only chemistry was from the drug the night on the yacht. Leslie told Tad that she knows that he wants her and what happened on the yacht should have happened a long time ago. Tad said that it led to something that he regrets. Leslie told Tad that he is lying to himself because when she looks at him, she sees a man who wants her so much that he is afraid to come closer. Leslie told Tad not to be afraid to come closer. Tad told Leslie that he is afraid. There was a knock on the door and it was Opal. She was in New York doing some Christmas shopping and was ready to drop. She told Tad to open the door so that she could sit down. Tad told Leslie to stay in the bathroom and not to make a sound while Opal was there. Tad let Opal into the room and she told him that she tracked him down in New York. She heard a rumor at her Glamorama about Dixie being involved with David and she wanted to see Tad and make sure the rumor was not true. Tad tried to tell Opal that hospitals are as bad as beauty parlors when it comes to spreading gossip and she should not pay attention to anything she hears. She agreed with Tad and really thought that Dixie would be the last person in the world to get involved with David. The shower was turned on and Opal asked Tad if someone was in his shower. Tad told Opal that every five minutes the water keeps coming on and that it was supposed to be fixed by this afternoon. Opal told Tad that he looked tense. Tad told her that he has a lot of investors that are upset and he is really tense about that. Opal informed Tad that he needs to get himself home and spend time with Dixie. Tad assured her that everything was OK at home. After Opal left, Leslie came out of the bathroom and she and Tad argued. Tad handed Leslie her clothes and told her to get dressed and to get out of his room and he "wished to God" that he had never laid a hand on her. Tad kicked Leslie out of his room and told her to stay the hell out of his life. He told her that what happened was an accident and it would never happen again. Leslie asked him why he was treating her like this. Tad pushed her out the door. Leslie was upset and said that she would not be ignored and would not be tossed into a hallway like yesterday's room service.
Dimitri returned home and as he entered his office, his phone rang. He answered it and it was Alex on the other end.
"Baby, are you all right?" Dimitri asked in a state of jubilation and relief. Alex's reply was cryptic and didn't really offer Dimitri any relief. "I'm fine Dimitri. I'm sorry to frighten you like this," Alex said calmly. "I love you." With those final words, the phone line went dead. It took Dimitri several moments to figure out what to do next. He tried dialing *69 to return the last incoming call, but the call came from outside his local service area. Dimitri then phoned the operator and asked for a trace on the call, but he was told that the phone company could only give out numbers to the proper authorities. Dimitri pleaded with the operator to contact the Pine Valley Police Department to get the proper authorization. As Dimitri was ended the call, Brooke wandered into the hunting lodge. Though she was relieved that Alex was apparently okay, Brooke remained furious with Dimitri for having had Edmund committed. Dimitri remained confident that Edmund was somehow behind Alex's disappearance. Brooke lectured Dimitri for blaming Edmund. She reminded Dimitri that Edmund loved Alex and said that she was sure that he would never hurt her. She even went as far as to say that Dimitri had had Edmund locked away as a way to punish him for loving Alex. She concluded her speech by imploring Dimitri to have Edmund released from Oak Haven.
>From David's office, Dixie phoned Tad to check on his progress in New York. Tad's voice was a dead giveaway that he wasn't having the success he'd hoped. "I can't stop the bleeding," he lamented. Dixie assured Tad that the fiasco at Ryan's party was not his fault. She added that she also was confident that Ryan was not to blame. Tad asked Dixie to have Ryan call him. As Dixie ended the call, David wandered into the office. Dixie turned and quickly said that she'd be leaving. A few seconds later, David also exited his office, but Dixie was still standing outside the office. She turned and accused David of following her, a charge David denied. Since they were both there, David asked if he could have a few words with his former assistant. Dixie started to shake nervously and told David that she no longer wanted to be near him when no one else was around.
Greenlee told Leo about her plans to decorate their new home for Christmas, but Leo politely pointed out that they didn't actually have a home yet. He promised that he'd do his best to come up with his half of the money needed to buy a home, but warned Greenlee that it might not be until after the holiday.
In the corridor, Vanessa caught up with Palmer and handed him a festive holiday outfit that he'd asked her to pick up from a local custom shop. Vanessa laughed merrily as she told Palmer that the outfit looked a few sizes too small for him. Palmer flashed a smile back at his wife and informed her that the costume wasn't for him it was for her. A look of horror flashed over Vanessa's face. She chuckled uneasily and told Palmer that there was no way that she was going to dress up as Mrs. Claus. Palmer pursed his lips together and informed Vanessa that playing Mrs. Claus at a hospital event was penance for losing the $500,000 necklace he'd given her. Vanessa waved her hand in the air and grumbled that Palmer would always find one thing or another to hold over her head. Nevertheless, Vanessa refused to don the outfit. Palmer fumed and warned Vanessa that she'd regret her decision. Shortly after Palmer stormed away, Leo tiptoed up to his mother. He told her that he wanted to take her up on her offer of a loan. He beamed broadly and told his mother that he and Greenlee were going to be moving in together. Vanessa was pleased, but she told Leo that she was strapped for cash and, thanks to her lost necklace, she probably would be seeing any money for a long, long time. Leo sort of winked at his mother and mocked her use of the word "lost." Leo chuckled slightly and recalled all the times his mother had "lost" expensive jewelry in the past. According to Leo, Vanessa would receive pricey pieces of jewelry from her past beaus and then pawn the jewels so that she could get some fast cash. Vanessa admitted to her past "heists," but this time she swore that the necklace had really been stolen. Leo didn't accept his mother's explanation. Instead, he mulled the idea of telling Palmer of Vanessa's past schemes. Vanessa bit her lower lip and asked Leo if he was "shaking [her] down." Vanessa rolled her eyes and said that in order to get Leo the money he needed, she would have to dress up as Mrs. Claus. Leo made no attempt to hide his burgeoning smile. Vanessa sighed and agreed to go through with the costume party. Vanessa tracked down Palmer and told him that she'd play Mrs. Claus. Palmer was stunned and asked Vanessa why she'd reconsidered. Vanessa plucked the plastic-wrapped costume from her husband and said that this would be her "one benevolent act of the year."
In the sunroom, Greenlee approached Ryan and asked him if he'd sell her the loft. She even promised to pay him 5% more than his asking price. Ryan refused to hear Greenlee out and sent her packing. Dixie arrived a few seconds later and told Ryan that he should call Tad. Ryan feared that things were going poorly and asked Dixie for more details. Dixie declined to get involved and repeated that Ryan needed to call Tad.
Later, while pouring herself a cup of coffee, Greenlee heard the familiar sound of Gillian's footsteps approaching. Greenlee turned and, in one motion, informed Gillian that the "English as a second language" course was being taught down the hall. Gillian ordered Greenlee to stay away from Ryan and asked her to abandon her attempts to buy the loft from Ryan.
Back out in the corridor, a giddy Myrtle bumped into Palmer and showed off the many shopping bags she'd picked up during a shopping spree at the mall. Palmer asked Myrtle about her shopping spree, to which Myrtle explained that she was spending off some of the profit she was going to make from her investment in incredibledreams.com. Myrtle smiled broadly and boasted that she'd invested "a bundle" into the operation.
Ryan phoned Tad and learned that the planned IPO for his Internet company had fizzled. In short, no one wanted to take a chance on a company. Ryan was visibly distraught. He struggled to find words to express his disappoint and panic. Tad grumbled that he should have known better than to invest money in a company founded by a man who was "fooling around" with his brother's wife. Tad hung up the phone and left his hotel room in a huff. Outside in the hallway, Leslie lurked around the corner.
At Oak Haven, Edmund promised his doctor that he was now "in control" of his behavior. As they talked, Mateo showed up to visit his brother-in-law. The doctor gave them some privacy by leaving the room. Mateo told Edmund that Sammy had been asking to see him. Edmund reacted violently, kicking a chair across the room. It was that type of outburst, Mateo noted pointedly, that was going to keep Edmund locked up. Edmund grudgingly admitted that Mateo was right and agreed to do his best to stay in line. Dimitri arrived at the room and was given a dirty look by Mateo. As Mateo left the room to let the two men talk, he lashed out at Dimitri for unjustly committing Edmund. Dimitri hung his head and waited until Mateo was gone before announcing that Alex had called. Edmund refused to believe that Dimitri had spoken to Alex. In his mind, Dimitri was trying to set him up. In order to get Edmund to believe him, Dimitri had to swear on their father's grave that what he was saying was true. Finally, Edmund knew that Dimitri was telling him the truth. Edmund immediately wanted to know when Dimitri had spoken to Alex, where she was and what she'd said. Dimitri said that he was unable to find out where Alex was, but said that she seemed to be okay. Edmund remained convinced that Charlotte was behind Alex's disappearance. Her control reaches beyond the bars of her jail cell, Edmund snarled. Dimitri pledged to help Edmund get out of Oak Haven, but when the doctor returned to the room he refused to grant Edmund an early release. The doctor reminded the two men that a court order had placed Edmund in the mental hospital and that he could not be released for any reason. Dimitri claimed that he had "baited" Edmund into slugging him and that neither one of them have been acting quite right since Alex vanished.
Back at the hospital, Ryan returned to the sunroom and told Gillian that the IPO was off. He shook his head in disbelief and sadly noted that a lot of his friends were going to be out an awful lot of money because of the party fiasco. Gillian urged Ryan to lay low for a while and try again at a later date. As they talked, Myrtle overheard the discussion from the doorway. Ryan looked up and apologized to Myrtle for the way she'd had to learn of his company's failure. Myrtle was disappointed, but she told Ryan that she understood that he had many other problems to deal with. Sadly, Myrtle held up her shopping bags and stated that she'd have to go back to the mall and make some returns. Ryan spotted Greenlee passing by and ran into the corridor to speak to her. In an act of desperation, Ryan told Greenlee that she could have his loft if she upped her offer to 10% over list price and agreed to pay in one cash payment. Greenlee happily agreed and said that she'd talk to her grandfather.
Greenlee later approached David and angrily told him that she knew he was responsible for the Libidozone scandal. David denied his involvement and said that he had no reason to want to harm any of Ryan's partygoers. Gillian didn't buy David's innocence and warned him that he'd be very sorry for what he'd done. As Gillian left the sunroom, Vanessa, who had been eavesdropping from the corridor, sashayed up to her son. Vanessa wasted no time in telling David that she's heard a rumor that he was responsible for the debacle aboard The Fidelity. Again, David denied that he had any part in the troublemaking. Vanessa mentioned David's fixation with Dixie and commented that David should give up his fantasy of being with her. She paused for a moment and said that the only way David would ever get a chance with Dixie was if he drugged her. Later, a hospital staffer approached David and asked him what should be done with all of Alex's mail. David said that he'd take the mail for Alex. After the man left, David tossed the stack of mail into the trashcan and mused that he was certain that Alex wasn't going to be needing her mail.
Dimitri and Edmund returned to the hunting lodge where Dimitri received a phone call with information about Alex's call. All that the authorities have been able to determine was that the call came from an international location. Ryan dropped by to give Dimitri a face-to-face warning about incredibledreams.com's flop, but Dimitri wasn't all that worried about losing some money. Alex, he said, was his top priority. Edmund asked Ryan if he had any new leads on who might have sabotaged the party. Ryan looked sternly in Edmund's direction and said that he'd place his money on David Hayward, a man with means and motive. Dimitri then recalled that Alex had warned him the night of the party that David had some sort of "agenda." The three men agreed to keep secret tabs on David's doings.
Tad returned to his hotel room and heard the familiar sound of running water in his shower. He angrily shouted that he wanted to be left alone. To his surprise, Dixie, wrapped in a towel, walked out of the bathroom. Tad had to concoct a lie on the spot about having been bothered several times by a member of the housekeeping staff who seemingly had a clean shower fetish. The two shared an embrace. As they hugged, a knock sounded on the door. Tad begged Dixie to be quiet and let the person leave. Dixie refused and opened the door. When she did, Junior and Jamie stormed into the room and tackled Tad. Tad was glad to see the boys, but quickly handed over some cash so that the boys could spend some time in the hotel's arcade. Once the boys were gone, Tad and Dixie resumed their romantic posturing. Outside in the hallway while they waited for the elevator, Leslie appeared and greeted the boys. Junior and Jamie recognized Leslie and struck of some small talk with her. Leslie told the boys that Tad had wanted her to take them out for a good time. The boys saw nothing wrong with Leslie's remark and agreed to go with her. Strangely, Leslie asked that the boys forget about using the elevator and follow her down the stairs.
With the boys gone, Tad told Dixie that he wanted to try to "rip the headboard [of the bed] off the wall. Dixie, though intrigued by the idea, opted to place an order with room service. Meanwhile in the corridor, Jamie talked Junior into going along with Leslie's secret plans. To cover for her lie, Leslie said that Tad must have forgotten to tell the boys that she was going to look after them because of work stress. Back inside the hotel room, Tad browsed a travel guide of New York City. He shouted out to Dixie, who was in the bathroom, that he wanted to check out Rockefeller Center. His tourism chatter abruptly ended when Dixie strolled out in a negligee. The pair started becoming romantic, but they were interrupted by a knock on the door. Tad sighed deeply and went to answer the door. Dixie, meanwhile, ducked into the bathroom. Tad greeted the room service rep with a smile --- and a very generous tip. He also told the man that he could earn some extra money if he could keep Jamie and Junior occupied. The man promptly told Tad that he saw the boys leaving the hotel with a brunette. Tad described Leslie Coulson and the man confirmed that Tad was describing the woman he saw. Tad's face dropped as he asked himself what Leslie was up to.
At the loft, Ryan's quietness made Greenlee wonder if he was having second thoughts about selling the loft. Leo, meanwhile, straggled into the apartment with a stack of boxes. Greenlee handed Ryan a cashier's check and promptly ordered Ryan out of her home. Ryan, who looked extremely disappointed that Greenlee had not given him a wad of cash, explained that Greenlee had to sign her name on a contract before the deal wad official. Greenlee did and asked Leo to sign his name next to hers. Ryan shook his head in disbelief and asked Leo if he knew what he was sure about what he was doing. Ryan headed off to his bedroom to gather the last of his belongings. Greenlee, meanwhile, took Ryan's indoor mini-basketball hoop and hurled it into the hallway. Gillian, who was outside the apartment, asked Greenlee why she was destroying Ryan's home. Gillian smiled broadly and explained that she'd just bought the loft from Ryan. Gillian bowed her head and mumbled that Ryan must have sold the loft to get money to pay back his investors. Greenlee shrugged nonchalantly and replied that Ryan would be rolling in cash just as soon as incredibledreams.com IPOed. Gillian informed Greenlee that the public offering was off and that Ryan's company was broke. Leo wandered off under the guise of wanting to ask Ryan how to stop one of the faucets from leaking. Before he left, he instructed the two women to keep their shoes on, a reference to the catfight they'd had just a few days earlier. Gillian questioned why Leo would want to be with Greenlee. Greenlee shook her head and told Gillian that she was not going to be invited to the housewarming party. Leo returned to the room and asked Greenlee to help him with some measurements. When Ryan returned, he told Gillian that his recent wave of troubles had left him very much out of the Christmas spirit. Gillian later had a few moments alone with Leo. She told Leo that she liked him and warned him that Greenlee was going to make his life miserable. Leo was infuriated by the remarks and ordered Gillian to leave.
Erica hovered over a rack of clothing and ordered Bianca to try on another dress. Bianca rolled her eyes and asked if she could take a break from trying on the clothes. Erica insisted, saying that everything had to be ready for an Enchantment event in the morning. Luckily for Bianca, the doorbell sounded and she was granted a momentary reprieve. When Bianca opened the door, she found Laura standing outside on the porch with a large manila envelope in her hand. Erica immediately shouted out that she wanted Laura to get off of her property. Laura explained that she dropped by to hand over some photos she had taken of Bianca and Leo. As Bianca stood helplessly between the two women, Erica snarled that Laura's days on the Enchantment campaign were over. "She is as jealous of you as her mother is of me," Erica chirped to her daughter. Erica had to excuse herself to answer the phone. Bianca, meanwhile, raced out of the house after Laura. Outside, Bianca told Laura that she still wanted to be her friend. Laura didn't rule out the idea, but asked Bianca to come clean about who pushed her off of the yacht. Bianca said that she couldn't tell her the truth and insisted that there was more to the situation than she knew. Laura shook her head and stormed off. Just seconds later, Erica stormed out of the house and told Bianca that she had someone she needed to talk to. Bianca went back inside the house and sat down to read through some magazines. A knock sounded on the door and Bianca walked over to answer the door. She was quite pleased to see Rain standing on the other side of the door. She welcomed her friend into the house, saying that she had something she needed to talk about. Rain sensed the seriousness in Bianca's voice and promised that whatever they discussed would remain confidential. Bianca told Rain about Ryan's party and how Greenlee had pushed Laura off of the ship. Rain was outraged and, after calling Greenlee a "skank," told Bianca that she should tell Laura the truth. It wasn't that simple, Bianca explained, because Greenlee was blackmailing her. Rain listened as Bianca stated that Greenlee would "out" her if she told anyone the truth. Rain had an idea of how to take away Greenlee's power: tell Erica that she's gay. Bianca bowed her head and said that she couldn't tell her mother the truth. Rain took a deep breath and told Bianca that she had to get going and bid her friend farewell.
Fresh from his whirlwind trip to Europe, Adam summoned Liza to meet him at Chandler Mansion. Adam proudly showed off his signed divorce decree. As Liza smiled, Adam vowed that nothing could stop their happiness. Adam spoke a little too soon. A panicked Winifred appeared in the foyer and told Adam that his daughter had been arrested for murder. Adam immediately feared that Winifred was talking about Hayley. So when Hayley walked through the front door, Adam was blown away. Winifred clarified that Skye, now living in Llanview, had been locked up on murder charges. Adam ordered his housekeeper to get Barry Shire on the phone for him. Adam was relieved to see Hayley and, flashing a grin, showed Hayley his divorce papers. Hayley was stunned that Arlene had given up on the marriage. Adam explained that Arlene had found herself a rich widower. He added that Arlene had sent Hayley her love and a special Christmas present. Hayley puckered her lips and said she'd gotten the music box and suspected that Adam had helped Arlene pick it out. Winifred returned and told Adam that Barry was waiting on the line for him. After he left the room, Hayley and Liza sat down in the parlor to discuss Skye's situation. Hayley commented that the only difference between her and her sister was that she hadn't been arrested. She went on to say that if she had killed Arlene, there was no way that she could live with herself. Adam returned and briefed the ladies on what little he knew: Skye had been arrested for murder, but the details were still sketchy. Barry also told Adam that Nora Buchanan, a renowned Llanview attorney, had taken Skye's case. Ryan arrived at the mansion a little while later to discuss his financial woes with Adam and Liza. Not surprisingly, Liza was sympathetic to Ryan's plight. She told him that while Chandler Enterprises would take a loss on the money it invested in Ryan's company, she was sure that it would not ruin the company. Adam was surprised that Ryan was ready to call it quits. Adam offered a way to get Ryan out of financial ruin: he wanted to buy Ryan's company outright and assume the company's debt. Ryan was stunned. Before he could answer, Liza asked Adam why he hadn't asked for her approval before making the offer. Adam promptly replied that he wasn't offering the buy as a Chandler Enterprises rep, but rather as a regular businessman. Ryan, faced with mounting grief and growing debt, declined Adam's offer by saying that he wasn't going to "sell out." Hayley walked Ryan to the door and offered him some words of wisdom. She told Ryan that through his troubles he should always remember how blessed he is to have Gillian in his life. Adam reappeared and handed Ryan his business card. He then advised him that while his offer to buy incredibledreams.com is real, it's an offer that won't last forever. Hayley left with Ryan and Adam decided to head upstairs with Liza so that they could read to Colby. Winifred was also about to turn in for the evening, but she was stopped from doing so by a late-night knock on the door. Winifred answered the door and Stuart quickly dashed into the house. Winifred told Stuart that his brother was getting ready for bed because he was tired from his trip to see Arlene in Europe. Stuart's face lit up and, after Winifred left the room, scurried over to the phone to contact Derek Frye. Stuart happily told Derek that Arlene was no longer a missing person because Adam had visited her in Europe.
Leo and Greenlee shared a kiss in their new home. The door to the loft remained open, so Erica had easy access to the apartment. She immediately expressed her disproval that Leo had turned down getting ready for a publicity meeting for "nookie." Leo explained that he had already tried on his clothing for the event and assured Erica that he would go over possible questions in the morning. Erica explained that Leo was letting Bianca down by not being with her. Frustrated, Leo snapped that he was not what Bianca needed. "Bianca trusts you," Erica responded, noting that Leo was wasting his time with a "parasite" like Greenlee. Leo threw his hands in the air and angrily told Erica that he wanted out of his Enchantment deal. Erica was stunned, but she took the resignation in stride. She warned Leo that he was making a mistake by setting up house with Greenlee and said that she would not let Leo come "crawling back" for his job. After Erica stormed away, Leo hugged Greenlee tightly and pledged that nothing would come between them.
Erica returned home and found Bianca staring at the Christmas tree. She told her daughter that Leo had quit the Enchantment campaign, resulting in the whole process being "scrapped." Bianca was somewhat relieved by the news. Erica shocked her daughter by announcing that she had decided to return to modeling. Bianca was extremely supportive; perhaps as she realized that she would probably no longer be in the spotlight. That was not the case. Erica touted her new promotional idea – Mother and Daughter Enchantment with the slogan "the magic, the allure continues."
At Wildwind, Gillian met with Eugenia and told her of Ryan's financial problems. Eugenia gave Gillian an antique locket with a photo of her great great-grandmother. She urged Gillian to be there for Ryan during his hard times so that he would truly see how much she loves him. Later, while snuggled up in bed, Gillian urged Ryan to remain optimistic even though times were bad. Behind Gillian's back, Ryan took another look at Adam's business card.
Back in New York, when Dixie exited the bathroom she found Tad on the phone. Tad told Dixie that he had something he needed to tell her. Dixie became worried by Tad's peculiar behavior. "Oh baby, I don't know how to say this," Tad said nervously. Before he could say another word, then hotel room door swung open and Jamie and Junior rushed inside. A few seconds later, Leslie sauntered into the room. Dixie was surprised to see Leslie and asked her why she was in town. Leslie claimed that she'd been working closely with Tad. She then smiled and handed Dixie a bag of roasted chestnuts. Dixie accepted the gift and went back to playing with the boys. Tad walked Leslie into the hallway where he let Leslie know that he did not appreciate her antics. He accused her of having "kidnapped" his boys and warned her that he would no longer tolerate her behavior. Leslie noted that Tad wouldn't go to the police about her time with the boys because it would mean exposing their affair. Tad countered that they were not having an affair. Tad claimed that what he and Leslie had shared was nothing more than 10 drug-induced minutes of sex. Leslie stormed off in a huff and Tad returned to his hotel room. When he did, he ordered the boys into the bathroom to wash up. Dixie again noted that Tad was acting strangely. She also asked why it is that Tad seems to need to hide the fact that he and Leslie are spending time together. Tad assured Dixie that there was no possibility of Leslie upstaging her. They embraced and pledged that their union was as strong as ever and that nothing would tear them apart.
Back in her hotel room, Leslie gently rolled Tad's pen back and forth in her hand as she dialed the telephone. She reached the reception desk at The Valley Inn and announced that she needed to book a room for Tad Martin.
As morning rises over Pine Valley, Gillian pauses outside of the bedroom door with a tray full of food for Ryan. She overhears his telephone conversation as he begs to borrow money. Dejectedly, he agrees that he "probably wouldn't lend money to someone who sounds [so] desperate either." Ryan hangs up and pretends to be asleep as Gillian enters the room. He awakens to the sound of Gillian's voice and they embrace as they agree that they're happy to be skipping Christmas this year so they can spend more time with each other. Later on, Ryan walks in on Gillian as she is longingly holding an Advent Calendar. He tells her that he has an errand to run and Gillian declares that she's "glad they don't have to do all that depressive Christmas shopping." After Ryan has left, Gillian calls an appraiser and plans a meeting with him. Mr. Glendenning arrives and Gillian has her great grandmother's brooch appraised. He asks her why she would want something of this value sold at any price and she replies that she has something else that's worth much more.
At the Valley Inn, Erica is preparing for the launch of her brand new mother-daughter Enchantment Campaign. She runs into Jack, who is there for a breakfast meeting, and the two begin to talk about his "very beautiful, very photogenic niece." He tells Erica that he hasn't heard from Bianca in a while and asks if everything okay. Erica informs him that everything is "perfect." Jack admits that he was going to stop the other night, but saw David's car parked in the driveway. Erica tells him that he should have come in because David didn't stay very long. She assures him that David won't be coming back again. She confesses that she made the mistake in confiding to David about Bianca's recent troubles and that he said some "very crude" things about her daughter. When Jack inquires about what he said, Erica hurriedly declares that it was "not worth repeating" but that he said something obscene about Bianca and Sarah. Val informs Erica that the limo driver has been waiting out front of her house and that Bianca is not coming out or answering the phone. Erica tells him to keep trying and leaves to get Bianca herself. At Erica's, a disheartened Bianca sits in front of the mirror as the phone rings. She gets up and takes baby steps toward the door before sitting down again. Leo enters and Bianca tells him that she is getting ready to leave for the new Enchantment Campaign. She asks him how she looks and, glancing at the portrait of Erica over the mantle, he tells her that she looks exactly like her mother. Bianca confides that Erica created this campaign to bring them closer and tells him that she's going to miss him. She tries to convince him that she is happy at home with her mother and that she "feels really great about everything" but Leo only asks her who she's trying to kid. He tells Bianca that she shouldn't let Erica make her do this campaign and argues that she's lying to herself and her mother. Bianca tells him that she has only two more years until she's 18 and can come out to Erica once she's living on her own. Bianca answers the ringing phone and tells Leo that her mother's on her way to pick her up. Leo begs her to rethink the campaign and reminds her that their "super-couple" image "crashed and burned." He asks her what she will say in interviews when they ask her what she looks for in a boy. Bianca lashes out at Leo and tells him that he's not one to give life advice when he's playing house with someone he doesn't even know. She attacks Greenlee and Leo tells her that she shouldn't take her anger out on someone else but Bianca can't bring herself to tell Leo that Greenlee is blackmailing her. Erica walks in as Leo asks if Bianca isn't afraid of disappointing her mother, but of finding out who she really is. Erica promptly throws Leo out and tells Bianca that she is beautiful and that she is beyond her wildest dreams of what her daughter would be. She gives Bianca a locket that Travis gave to her when their daughter was born and Erica tells her that one day, when she has her own child, her and her husband will feel the same joy and pride that she's feeling now. Bianca asks for some time to herself and Erica leaves. Alone, she remembers Travis and cries out for him to help her. As she opens the door to leave, she comes face to face with Sarah.
Back at the loft, Greenlee is hanging holiday decorations when Vanessa arrives. She admits that she's there to see Greenlee, not Leo, and hands her a giant Poinsettia for a housewarming gift. She promises that the present is coming soon but Greenlee says that all they want for Christmas is to be alone. Vanessa declares that Greenlee is very important to her and explains that her and her son always had a relationship that was more "comrades in arms." She attempts to manipulate Greenlee into helping them become "friends" again but Greenlee refuses, reminding her that Leo is angry at her because his own mother was ready to put him in jail for a murder that he didn't even commit. Greenlee tells her that the only thing she'll be getting from them is a lump of coal. Vanessa chuckles and tells a dumbfounded Greenlee that it warms her heart "to know that Leo has fallen in love with someone exactly like his mother." She explains that the two of them are "manipulative, possessive and congenitally selfish" and that Leo needs someone like this to push him through life. She tries to convince Greenlee that her grandfather is the key to Leo attaining success and money. When Greenlee tells her that she loves Leo just as he is, Vanessa lets it be known that if she knows her as well as she thinks she does, then any secret that Greenlee is hiding from her son would just devastate him if he ever found out. Marian interrupts the conversation with a knock on the door. She explains that she needs signed papers for the co-op and Greenlee goes off in search for them. Alone, Marian and Vanessa banter back and forth and Vanessa tells her that she could give her some commission if she could find a mansion for her and Palmer, but that they are more comfortable living at the Valley Inn because they have more options. Marion tells her that "it must be nice having all these options in a town where everyone dislikes you" and tells her that her only friend has been Arlene, who was last seen on the yacht. Vanessa is instantly alert and tells her that it must have been Arlene who stole her necklace. She demands to know where Arlene is and Marian nervously says that she heard she was in Europe. Greenlee reappears with the papers and Marian leaves. Before Vanessa leaves, Greenlee tells them that they should be friends. In the hallway outside the loft, Vanessa calls Derek with information about the stolen necklace.
Liza and Adam are passionately kissing under the mistletoe at the Chandler Mansion when Adam mentions that he promised to marry her by Thanksgiving and that it is now Christmastime. Liza replies that she doesn't feel it's the right time for them to marry. Adam retorts that "Arlene was the only obstacle and she's been disposed of." He says he is not going to grieve for her because even though what happened to her was terrible, it turned out well in the end. Liza admits that it's far from being settled because Hayley is still under the impression that her mother is alive and well in Europe and she wonders how long they can keep her in the dark. Adam admits that he has already devised a plan with his man in Amsterdam: before the end of winter, he will call the Chandlers and tell them that Arlene was killed in a crash on the Audubon and that she was quickly cremated. This way, he reasons, Hayley can mourn her mother and believe that her last weeks on earth were spent being happy. Liza looks lovingly into Adams's eyes and tells him that she loves him. He asks her to marry him tonight but before she can answer, Hayley and Mateo come in with armloads of gifts. Adam happily informs Hayley that their gift to her doesn't require wrapping and announces that they are getting married. Liza reminds him that they don't have a marriage license and gives permission for Adam to call Barry to make the arrangements. As Adam hurries away, Hayley tells Liza that she's happy for them and that they shouldn't let Arlene stand in the way of their happiness. Liza comforts Hayley and tells her that even though she believes what happened to her mother was her fault, everyone aboard the yacht is in fact to blame because they were all under the influence of Libidozone. Adam rushes back with news that Barry is sending the marriage license and admits that he had this "spur of the moment" wedding planned from the beginning. When Hayley tells them to marry quickly in case Arlene lashes out at them in a drunken rage, Adam informs her that Arlene is back on the wagon. As Mateo looks on in surprise, Hayley delights in the information. Mateo asks to speak to Adam in private and takes him aside. Not wanting Hayley to overhear their conversation, Adam suggests that Hayley take a look at the staff Christmas tree in the back parlor and Hayley and Liza leave. Alone, Mateo tells Adam to stop feeding his wife such ludicrous lies and asks what he will do when Hayley wants to have physical contact with her mother. Before Adam can fill Mateo in on his plan, they're interrupted by a knock on the door. Ryan enters and asks if he can speak to Adam in private. Hayley greets a cheerful Ryan and asks him if he's having better luck with his business problems. Ryan declares that he's "going to create (his) own luck and (he's) not going to wait for it to come to (him)." Liza, Hayley and Mateo leave to revisit the tree and Ryan signs over incredibledreams.com to Adam. Adam admits that he's disappointed that Ryan didn't stick it out because "a few guests ingested a drug on the yacht and caused a minor scandal." He boasts that he blew up a building a he's still here! Ryan agrees to pack up and leave the yacht but Adam tells him that he can stay there during the transition. Ryan leaves and the courier arrives with the marriage license. Adam informs Liza, Hayley and Mateo that he's already got a minister waiting at the Church and there is no time to wait for Marian and Stuart. As they're getting ready to leave, Marian walks in and they inform her of their impromptu wedding plans. Derek arrives as they are leaving as tells Adam that he ask to ask him a few questions about the whereabouts of Arlene Chandler.
Erica has a press conference at the Valley Inn to unveil the new Enchantment campaign. She is dressed very glamorously in a black sparkly dress, with her hair put up. She assures everyone that Bianca will be there shortly, and invites them to have hors d'oeuvres and drinks. Bruce, the photographer who first shot Leo and Bianca for the Enchantment campaign, grumbles, "This is going to take all day. Damn kid of hers always screws up everything." Erica demands to know why he is there, since she replaced him as photographer for Enchantment. Bruce tells Erica he is working for one of the trades. Erica instructs him to spend more time snapping photos and less time flapping his gums.
Brooke walks in and talks to Jackson. She came to the Valley Inn for lunch and asks Jack what is going on. Jackson tells her about the mother-daughter campaign. Brooke says Erica "should be taking her daughter to a therapist." Brooke tells Jackson that Bianca pushed Laura overboard and "Erica's in her usual state of denial and Bianca is the one who is suffering for that." Erica overhears this and confronts Brooke, saying, "How dare you!" She asks Jack if he is just going to stand there. Brooke said that Bianca was under the influence of the Libidozone, saw Leo and Laura kissing, and became jealous. Erica indignantly says Bianca would never be jealous of Laura and Leo because there is nothing between Leo and Bianca. Jackson pulls Erica aside to speak to her. "I think that maybe Bianca doesn't have feelings for Leo. I think maybe she has feelings for Laura." Erica is shocked. "How can you say such a thing?" she snarls. Jackson says, "Now, your daughter is obviously struggling, honey. Bianca is struggling with something -- her sexuality." Erica slaps him across the face. Her arms waving back and forth in the air, Erica stormed out of the room leaving Jackson to take charge of the press conference. As Jackson questions why he is helping Erica after she just made a fool of him, Brooke implies that he is still not over Erica, and adds, "I hope you can help Bianca because I'm not sure that her mother can."
Meanwhile, at the Chandler mansion, Liza, Adam, Marian, Mateo and Hayley are preparing to leave for Liza and Adam's wedding, but Derek comes by to ask questions about Arlene. Adam says," I don't know where the hell she is and I don't care." Hayley interjects, "You know exactly where she is. You just came from seeing her. Why don't you just tell Derek where to find her?" Adam tells Derek that Arlene is in Amsterdam, but he doesn't know where exactly. Derek says Stuart filed a missing persons report on Arlene, but canceled it after he heard that she was in Amsterdam. Derek wants to know why she left the country with nothing but the clothes on her back. Derek asks if anyone saw Arlene aboard the yacht the night of the fundraiser. He wants to speak with her about Vanessa's missing necklace. Hayley has a flashback where she remembers strangling Arlene, and seeing the necklace around her neck. Adam tells Derek that none of them saw Arlene on the boat that night. Derek confronts Marian about her telling Vanessa that she saw Arlene on board that night. Marian denies it, declaring, "I never told her that. She's lying. That woman must be out of her mind." During this, Hayley and Mateo go into the foyer to talk. Hayley says she remembers the necklace and that's how Arlene must have gotten the money to go to Europe. She tells Derek she saw Arlene on the yacht and that Arlene was wearing Vanessa's necklace. Adam tries to stop her. He tells Derek he needs a court order before anyone in his house can be questioned. He orders Derek to leave. Before he goes, Derek says, "Hayley, I'll be really anxious to hear what you have to say. And I will hear it." Once the detective is gone, Hayley demands to know what is going on. Mateo says, "You should know the truth." Hayley thinks her mother passed out when she choked her, but came to and went to Amsterdam. Mateo admits that Adam didn't see Arlene in Europe, and says," When you choked her, she didn't wake up. She died." Hayley is in shock and sinks into the sofa. "I killed my own mother?"
Over at Erica's home, Bianca opens the door to see Sarah standing there. Bianca is dressed just like Erica-black sparkly dress and her hair put up. Sarah gives Bianca a Christmas present-a new journal. Bianca is conflicted. She asks, "Are you trying to make me cry?" Sarah says her mother was so upset that Bianca went to see her in New York, she moved up Sarah's wedding date. She will be getting married tomorrow. Sarah tells Bianca she needs her help, saying, "I can't believe this is happening to me." Bianca says, "Nothing is happening to you that you can't stop." Sarah says she can't because, "I'm not as strong as you are." Bianca asks her what she wants. Sarah says, "I want you! I want what we had. I want that with you. And I'll never be what my mom wants me to be. Maybe you can pull that off with your mom, but I can't." Bianca says, "I don't think I could take it if you said it and didn't mean it." Then Sarah says, "I can't marry Ian tomorrow," and a flash of hope lights up Bianca's face, but Sarah finishes,"...not unless you help me through it. Help me to be strong, like you are." Bianca is crushed, and asks, "Sarah, what are you trying to do to me?" Sarah tells her, "I want you to say it's going to be okay. I want you to tell me that I'm not going to be unhappy for the rest of my life. I want you to let me go." With tears running down her face, Bianca says," I can't do that. I love you and that has never changed, not for one minute." Sarah keeps saying that Bianca is strong and can handle things better. Bianca says she is living a lie and "My mother can't accept who I am, Sarah, and you won't accept us, so where does that leave us?" Sarah says," You'll be able to tell her. You're strong enough to do it. I know you are." They reminisce about being together in rehab and Sarah admits, "I still love you." They embrace and are still holding each other when Erica walks in. They quickly separate and both look on like deer trapped in the headlights of a car. Erica becomes angry when she sees Sarah and orders her to leave, even threatening to call her personal security guards. Bianca desperately begs her mother to stop. Sarah starts to leave and Bianca says, "Sarah, this is it. We can do this. We can do this right now, Sarah. You don't have to get married. You don't have to." Sarah looks frightened and dashes out the door. Bianca is devastated. Erica tries to comfort her, saying, "You don't have to worry about anything, honey. Mommy's here. And I love you. I just can't wait for the world to see you." Tearful and trembling, Bianca takes off her earrings, takes down her hair, takes off her dress and shoes. She is dressed in only a slip. Erica is shocked, "Bianca, what are you doing?" Bianca says," This isn't me, Mom. It never was." Erica wants to leave but Bianca says she has something she has to tell her mother. "I want you to see who I am, mother." Erica protests that they have a press conference to go to and dozens of reporter are waiting." Bianca says, "Mom, were you listening to David when he tried to tell you who I was? Or Uncle Jack?" Erica is visibly disturbed. "Bianca, what are you doing? What are you trying to say?" she asks. Erica wants to leave because there are people waiting for her, "I don't know why you're doing this to me. I mean, I'm hanging by a thread here," she says. "This is not about you," Bianca says, "Have you always loved me?" Erica is aghast, saying, "How could you even ask me a question like that? Bianca asks if her mother loves her now and Erica says yes. In a quiet voice, tears on her face and lip trembling, Bianca says, "I'm gay."
