After Colleen's memorial service, the Black and Brady families boarded John's jet to return to Salem. Marlena quizzed John over his emotional state since Colleen's death. John told Marlena that he felt nothing and was glad "it" was over and that he hadn't killed his mother. He also told her of his vision of Colleen and Santo on the mountaintop. Marlena shared John's experience with Shawn Sr., Bo, and Hope. She told them that perhaps Colleen and Santo's spirits were free at last and at rest.
Steve noticed a familiar face at the airport and left the plane abruptly to find the mystery woman. Kayla chased after Steve and later quizzed him about his behavior. He lied about the woman and told her he'd forgotten his cell phone. Steve continued to avoid Kayla's questions about the incident and appeared concerned and preoccupied on the flight home.
Sami visited Lucas just prior to his sentencing, where he expected to be sent to prison for eight to ten years. Lucas was concerned about Allie's health, but Sami convinced him that Lexie had said Allie would recover with no ill effects. Lucas told Sami that he'd shot E.J. because of her and that he should have trusted her. Sami explained to Lucas that she was willing to marry E.J. to end the vendetta for the sake of their family. Lucas vowed to do what was right and pay for his crime. He did not want to prolong the ordeal and cause his family any more anguish.
Sami was distraught at the reality of life without her true love, Lucas. Sami and Lucas both told each other that their love was forever as they prepared to say goodbye. Before Sami left the visiting area, Lucas handed her a DVD for Allie with birthday messages for the next ten years of her life. Sami was so overcome with Lucas' gesture that she could barely compose herself to say a final goodbye to him.
E.J. had his hands full with the twins. Tony arrived and found E.J. quite comfortable with his new role as a parent. Anna happened to drop by with gifts for the twins and had a few words of her own for Tony. While Anna bonded with E.J. and twins, she and Tony sniped at each other like an old married couple. Anna told Tony, in no uncertain terms, he hadn't "seen nothing yet."
Bo attempted to tell Hope about his medical condition but had difficulty finding the right words. Bo explained to Hope that he had something to tell her but that he did not have all the facts. He asked her to trust their love and her faith in him. Hope agreed, but she made Bo promise to tell her if she felt the need to know the truth about his secret sooner.
Chloe confided in Philip that she was upset and disappointed that Brady was still missing. Philip tried to console her by explaining that if anyone could find Brady, it would be Victor. Philip asked Chloe about whether she would go back to Brady, when and if he was found, or if she would ask him for a divorce.
At the park, Victor walked up to the bed of tulips and picked one. Smiling, Caroline sidled up next to him to say hello. Caroline teased Victor about the softer side of him that could talk about flowers. Smirking, Victor reminded Caroline that a soft side to someone did not mean they were weak in business. Growing thoughtful, Caroline reminded Victor that he'd always had a soft side for their son, Bo. Victor kidded, "I try not to let that show too often."
Victor told Caroline that he was glad Bo had been raised by two good people and that he admired the job Shawn Sr. did as a father. The two talked briefly about Colleen being alive, but a somber Caroline told Victor that in Shawn Sr.'s last phone call, he'd sounded troubled. As Victor gave Caroline the tulip he'd picked, a happy looking Chelsea entered the park. After a little bit of chit-chat, Chelsea rather abruptly asked them how they had ended up having Bo. At first Caroline was reluctant to tell Chelsea, but Victor gently pushed her into telling the story.
Caroline explained that she, Victor, and Shawn Sr. had grown up together. Smiling, Caroline admitted that she'd been in love with Victor back then, but when Victor had moved to Greece to learn the family business, she'd grown closer to Shawn. Caroline's voice sounded sad as she told the story of how she had grown apart from Shawn Sr. when he had been traveling a lot for work and how the stress of raising three kids had made her feel alone.
Caroline told Chelsea that when Victor had returned to Salem, they'd had a moment's indiscretion. Victor was quick to inform Chelsea that although Caroline regretted what had happened, neither he nor Caroline regretted the result, which was Bo. Caroline explained how she had told Victor to go away and that she had kept the secret until one fateful day when Bo had almost killed Victor. Many years before, Bo had been investigating a case and, driven to the edge, had pulled a gun on Victor. Caroline explained that in the heat of the moment, she'd yelled out for Bo to stop because Victor was his father.
With the story told to their granddaughter, Caroline told Victor that both he and Shawn would always be Bo's fathers. When Chelsea asked why Shawn had stayed, Caroline said it was because Shawn Sr. loved her. Victor added, "And because he is a forgiving and honorable man."
In another section of the park, Kate sat on a bench, crying. From across the clearing, Roman spotted her and gook over a tissue for her to dry her eyes. Angry and confused, Kate lashed out at Roman and begged him to help Lucas. Roman calmly explained that because Lucas was already sentenced, there was nothing he could do except talk to the warden. Unsatisfied, Kate continued to demand that Roman help Lucas. Roman explained that as much as he loved Lucas, there was nothing he could do, since Lucas had taken responsibility for what he had done.
A fearful Kate worried about the gangs in prison, but Roman assured her that since the warden was a friend of his, and because of Lucas' confession, there was a good chance Lucas would end up in minimum security. After a few more assurances, Kate finally started to calm down, and she apologized to Roman for taking her anger out on him. Roman promised her that everything would be okay.
John's jet was still flying home over the Atlantic Ocean. On board, Shawn and Belle reassured Claire that the big bump that had shaken the plane was nothing to worry about. At the other end of the cabin, Chloe remained anxious despite Philip's reassurances about the turbulence. Philip tried to ease her stress by telling her that he truly believed Brady was fine, and he would do all he could to make sure Brady returned home all right. A tired Shawn Sr. slept rather fitfully while a worried Kayla fretted about her father's health.
Down the aisle, Marlena asked John to check with the pilot. When John explained in scientific terms what turbulence was caused by, Marlena teased him about his selective memory. Since John looked confused, Marlena explained that he had once been a pilot. "Oh," John responded. While Bo, Hope, and Marlena seemed optimistic about the turbulence, John decided to go up to the cockpit and check.
In the cockpit, the pilot complained to the copilot that the controls felt mushy. John entered and asked the pilot to fly under the weather, but the pilot explained that weather might not be the problem. When John cocked his eyebrow in a questioning glance, the pilot explained that though the instruments were working, the plane was getting progressively harder to fly. "Do your best. You have my family back there," John said before catching himself and looking stunned by what he had just said.
After John tested the controls himself and agreed with the pilot, the three agreed the best course of action was to land in Iceland for repairs. However, when they tried to radio the tower, the radio was no longer working, and there was no way to communicate with the airport.
Back in the cabin of the plane, Hope and Marlena were worried about how pale Bo looked. When Hope inquired about his sore back, a curious Marlena asked him what was wrong. Bo blew off Marlena's question, but when Hope got up to go check on Claire, Bo admitted to her that he was stressed about some bad news he needed to tell Hope. Marlena pushed Bo to explain, but Bo would only say that he would tell her later -- after he talked to Hope.
After checking on Claire, Hope sat down with Steve and Kayla and begged them to tell her what Bo's secret was about. Steve played dumb and Kayla asked Hope what Bo had told her so far. "To trust him," Hope whispered. Kayla told Hope that everything would be all right. Satisfied, Hope returned to Bo. However, a worried Steve asked Kayla why she would say that when they were not sure that everything with Bo would be fine. Kayla explained that she'd said that because she hoped it would be fine.
As the cabin grew colder and more stressed, John asked to borrow Marlena's cell phone. When Hope reminded John that he should not use a cell phone on a flight, John retorted, "I can do anything I want. It's my jet." When Bo questioned whether it would interfere with the radio, John quipped, "I sincerely doubt that."
After ducking into the cockpit and confirming that the cell phone had no reception, John returned to the cabin and asked the group whether anyone had a cell phone with reception. None of the cell phones on board had any reception. As everyone in the cabin grew tense, John explained that the radio was out, but the plane was fine. However, when the copilot leaned into the cabin to tell John they were losing cabin pressure, the group was no longer fooled.
John returned to the cockpit and, together with the pilot and copilot, determined that the bump from before was probably not turbulence but instead was something knocking out the electrical systems. The group attempted to cut fuel to the engines to force a descent, but that didn't work. Steve ducked into the cockpit and overheard the three discuss the possibility of dumping the fuel and causing a crash.
Steve passionately argued with John to think of his family in the back, since not everyone would survive the crash. Unmoved, John ordered the fuel dumped. However, nothing happened. With no way to descend, John cautioned Steve to tell everyone that the plane was about to get a whole lot colder.
As Stephanie and Max returned to her room at the Theta house, Stephanie thanked Max for the best day she'd had in a long time. She apologized for "spacing out" a lot, but she said she really missed her parents. Max admitted he missed his pop, too, but assured her that their family would be home from Ireland soon. He joked that he had saved her life at the grocery store earlier, and she teased him that it hadn't been a motorcycle gang but an elderly woman in an electric wheelchair from whom he'd rescued her. She laughed that she would be his slave until she'd repaid him for saving her life.
Max said he only wanted Stephanie's friendship. She said he was more than just a friend and kissed him. He stopped her, saying it might not be such a good idea. He explained that he didn't want to force things between them -- or to "get all hot and heavy" -- until she was ready. She teased him good-naturedly, but thanked him.
Later, Max threw popcorn to Stephanie as she tried, unsuccessfully, to catch it in her mouth. They lightheartedly argued over whose fault it was that he kept missing. After she threw a whole handful at him, he mock-threatened her. She retorted, "What you got?" He moved toward her as they pretended to trash-talk each other then he playfully threw her back on the bed. She flinched, and he quickly jumped up and apologized.
She tried to shrug it off, but he reminded her that her doctor had said her physical reactions like that would go away in time. He repeated that he didn't want to force things with her because he really cared about her. She smiled and said if he'd let her, she would kiss him right then on the lips. The mood lighter, they teasingly quarreled again as they picked up the popcorn from the floor. After a lingering glance, she asked when they could start kissing again. He admitted he hoped it was soon.
Sami returned to the safe house after telling Lucas goodbye. E.J. told her he'd just gotten the twins down to sleep and that Sami had just missed Tony and Anna's visit. He began describing how funny it had been to see Tony act like he was afraid to hold one of the babies, but then he noticed how quiet Sami was. He asked if she wanted to talk about what had happened with Lucas. Sami hardly looked at E.J. as she briefly described her visit to the jail, which she ended by saying, "now I won't see him, except through a piece of glass, for who knows how many years."
She said Lucas had been her life and lamented that even though he was supposed to have been a part of her and her children's lives, he would be gone for a very long time. E.J. said he hated seeing her in pain but reminded her that Lucas had caused it for himself. She acknowledged that Lucas was well aware of what he'd done and that he had to pay the price for it, but that hadn't made it any easier to see the pain in his eyes. E.J. gently told her he understood and asked if she still loved Lucas. She finally turned to look at him, and, with mild annoyance, replied simply, "Yes."
Later, Sami sat by the fire and said she didn't know how much longer she could take living in the safe house. E.J. tried to assure her that Abe or her father would let them know just as soon as they could leave, but she said she didn't understand what they were waiting for, since Stefano was in a coma. Although the house was comfortable enough, she said she missed her family. E.J. said they should make the best of a bad situation and suggested they play a board game or some gin rummy. Sami perked up a bit and said she never lost at gin rummy.
They began arguing good-naturedly about who would win, but were soon interrupted by a knock at the door. It was Abe, whom Sami ran toward and greeted with a hug. "You're sprung!" Abe announced happily, though he admitted he still didn't trust Stefano, not even in a coma and locked up in a psychiatric hospital. Sami thanked him gratefully for looking after her and the twins and hugged him again. Abe told her how sorry he was about Lucas' situation, and he left so Sami and E.J. could pack.
As they gathered the twins' clothes, E.J. accidentally grabbed Sami's hand. Clearly uncomfortable, she told him to finish packing the suitcase and began picking up toys as she walked away. He asked her what was wrong, but she said she just wanted to get home. E.J. confessed he had rather enjoyed their arrangement. "You mean because of Johnny," she clarified, and he reluctantly agreed. Sami said as long as E.J. called first, he could see Johnny anytime he liked.
E.J. requested to also spend some time with Allie when he took Johnny out and admitted he'd be upset if he couldn't see Allie at all. She said she understood, but since E.J. wasn't Allie's father, she didn't want them to bond too much. He countered that Allie needed a male figure in her life, since Lucas wasn't there. Finally, Sami seemed to grudgingly agree, but since she never actually said so, E.J. asked, "Is that a yes?" When she wouldn't meet his eyes, he took that as his answer. "Thank you. That means so much," he beamed, and he moved toward her as if to hug her.
Sami quickly dodged E.J. and changed the subject. A bit distractedly, she mentioned that Johnny needed diaper cream then she began fiddling with her phone. E.J. apologized for trying to hug her, but she shrugged it off. Confused, he asked what was bothering her. She finally looked up and acknowledged that there was something she wanted to tell him. She told him Marlena had called and had told her about how the family had been able to meet Colleen before she'd died.
She said, "My mom is not one who's given to flights of fancy, but she did tell me that she thinks Colleen and Santo were reunited in death." E.J. smiled and asked if Sami believed it. She smiled back but knocked her purse to the floor before she could answer. As they picked up her fallen things, E.J. noticed the DVD and asked about it. She told him it was a video Lucas had made for Allie.
Sami sat down with Allie in her lap to watch the DVD. On it, Lucas spoke into the camera and told Allie how much he missed her and how hard it was to be away from her. He explained that because he'd made a mistake, he'd have to be away for a while. He said he wouldn't be able to take care of her and would miss seeing her first steps. He told her he loved her and her mother very much -- and always would. E.J. walked in but slipped back out when he saw that Sami had begun to cry.
After Sami and Allie had finished watching the video, E.J. walked back in. He told Sami he was torn about their situation because, while his distaste for Lucas wasn't a secret, he hated to see Sami in so much pain. He also confided that his feelings for her had grown while they'd been in hiding together. She said she was sorry about his feelings, but she appreciated what a gentleman he'd been.
"I will always be a gentleman with you," he promised. Later, as the movers carried E.J. and Sami's things out, E.J. admitted he was a little sorry to be leaving because, for the first time in his life, he'd gotten a taste of what it was like to be part of a real family. Sami assured him he would have the family he wanted some day.
In the cockpit of John's plane, high above the North Atlantic, John and Steve argued about dumping the fuel. Despite the fact that it would likely cause the plan to crash and kill them all, John ordered the pilot to dump the fuel, over Steve's protests -- but nothing happened. "Well, Dead Eye," John said to Steve, "why don't you go on back there and give everybody the good news? We're gonna be up here for a while, and it's gonna get a hell of a lot colder."
Back in the cabin, Steve didn't mince words: "We got no radio, no instruments, no controls, and we're losing cabin pressure." Everyone peppered him at once with panicked questions. After quieting them, Marlena asked if John could fly the plane. Steve told them that John was in the copilot's seat and apparently remembered a lot about being a pilot. Steve explained that John and the pilots had decided the best thing to do was to keep the plane flying straight and level for the time being.
Steve asked Philip to round up some blankets because it was going to get a lot colder. John retutrned to the cabin and reiterated what Steve had told them. Marlena asked him point-blank, "Are we going to crash?" John replied, "Not on my watch." He admitted he had absolutely no idea what to do next and filled them in on what was happening. He said the plane's controls were unresponsive, so they had tried but failed to descend to a warmer altitude; they had attempted to dump fuel, but it hadn't worked; the plane was flying at a constant altitude, but they couldn't maneuver it; they were losing cabin pressure by the minute; and they had no idea how or why any of it had happened, nor how to fix it.
Bo asked how long they could stay in the air. John said two and a half hours, but they couldn't change course or land. He said at that altitude, their main problems were the cold and the lack of oxygen. Steve asked how long the air in the cabin would last. John replied that it was leaking from a hole in the fuselage, so he couldn't calculate how long it would take. Bo asked why they didn't just turn off the engines until they descended to a safer altitude. Steve said they'd already tried that, but it was all tied into the electronics.
John returned to the cockpit. Marlena advised everyone to get bundled up to keep warm and conserve body heat. Steve got "Papa Shawn" settled comfortably then joined Kayla as the rest of the group huddled under blankets with their seatmates. Kayla confided to Steve that she was worried about Stephanie, should anything happen to them, and he tried to assuage her fears.
When John got back to the cockpit, he found both pilots unconscious. He returned to the cabin, and quietly asked to see Marlena up front. She was stunned to see the pilots on the floor. He asked if it was from the cold or the lack of oxygen, but she said no. She slipped back into the main cabin to retrieve her bag then returned and checked the pilots' vital signs.
After noticing residue in the bottom of the water bottle the pilots had shared, Marlena determined they had probably been drugged with a high dose of narcotics. John asked if she could administer anything to counteract the drugs. She replied that without knowing what the pilots had been given, or how much, she could only guess -- and if she were wrong, it could kill them. John said he was sick of all the talk about dying, and added, "I'm gonna get my butt on the ground in one piece, and you and your friends back there are going to help me." As he got back into the pilot's seat, Marlena smiled to herself.
Later, Marlena told John she'd given the pilots naloxone, and they were stable but still unresponsive. John admitted he had no idea what his next step was. She said she was impressed with the way he'd handled things so far. Suddenly, John closed his eyes and began "doodling" in the air with his finger. When Marlena asked what he was doing, he replied, "Math." He said he'd calculated that they had a little over two hours' flying time left, and he might have figured out a way to land safely -- and they might have just enough oxygen to do it.
Back in the cabin, Bo checked on Shawn Sr. as Belle and Shawn made sure a sleeping Claire was bundled up well. Philip held a shivering Chloe tight, and she admitted she was afraid they would crash into the North Atlantic. Philip assured her the pilots would get them down on land safely. Marlena returned from the cockpit and announced that John thought he had figured out how to land the plane safely, but he was the only pilot. She explained that the same people who'd sabotaged the plane had probably drugged the pilots. "This was no accident," she surmised. The others, shivering, all looked at each other with fear and concern.
Marlena said that John had calculated how much fuel they needed to burn off before they could land safely. She reminded them about the leak in the fuselage, but she said they could use whatever was in the oxygen masks and released the masks from overhead. John appeared in the cockpit door, and Marlena asked if he'd figured out how to land the plane. He said no; they'd be up there until they ran out of fuel. "And then what?" gasped a panicky Chloe. John replied, "We join Colleen and Santo in the sweet hereafter."
There was mass panic on the plane. The plane was running out of fuel and oxygen. Not all the oxygen masks worked. There was a lot of discussion about who would use the masks. As a group, everybody decided to take turns using the masks. Everybody except John -- he refused to share his personal oxygen tank and mask.
John, Steve, and Bo decided to do something about the plane. Bo tried to stand but got dizzy and was unable to assist anybody. Steve knew how to hot-wire cars, so he thought he'd give the plane a shot. Steve asked John to accompany him to the cockpit. John refused, choosing to work on the back of the plane by himself.
Kayla was worried about Steve. She wanted him to stay by her side. He told her he would be fine. He would use the pilots' oxygen masks. Kayla gave her husband a loving and passionate kiss before he departed. When he left, Kayla began to reminisce about when their unborn child had been conceived. She then remembered the phone call she'd received from Lexie telling Kayla she was pregnant.
Marlena sat across from Kayla. Kayla told Marlena that she was pregnant. Marlena expressed concern for the fetus. Marlena told Kayla not to share her mask because she needed adequate oxygen for her unborn child. Kayla worried about Steve. Marlena was convinced that John would save the day. Belle asked her mother if she was sure about John's abilities.
John returned and told everybody he didn't know what he was doing. He decided to take a break. He sat beside Kayla and closed his eyes. Kayla asked what John was doing. John said he was thinking. Kayla said John needed to do something and quick -- John had to save the day, just as he always had. John said what he needed was for people to stop telling him what to do and stop reminding him of what he used to be like. John left his seat and walked toward the cockpit.
Chloe and Phillip sat close together. Chloe shivered beneath her blanket. She was so worried about their safety that she was a nervous wreck. She began to realize that she would never see Brady again. Phillip tried to reassure Chloe. Chloe wondered if the plane had been sabotaged because of Phillip. She felt Phillip and his father had made many enemies in the business world. Phillip said perhaps the plane had been sabotaged because of Chloe.
Phillip decided to try to help with the plane. Chloe begged him to stay with her. She said she would freak out if he left her alone. Phillip said he would stay by her side, but he would help if somebody needed his assistance. Chloe agreed.
Shawn wanted to help as well. Belle refused to let her husband leave her side. Belle, Shawn, and Claire took turns using their oxygen mask. Shawn wanted to make sure that Claire and Belle received adequate amounts of oxygen. He did not want to share the mask, but Belle insisted. Belle began to remember how she'd felt a short time before when Shawn decided to give their marriage another try. Belle and Shawn expressed their feelings for one another. Belle told Shawn that she had never loved anybody the way she loved him.
Shawn Sr. did not want to share an oxygen mask. He decided that he had lived a full life and was at peace with his sister. Perhaps it was the time for him to make peace with God. Hope and Bo forced Shawn Sr. to share the air mask with them. Bo finally decided to tell his wife about his illness.
Hope was devastated to learn that her husband had cancer -- and crushed when he said it was likely fatal. Shawn Sr. could not believe his ears. He was very concerned for his son. Bo was growing weak due to lack of oxygen. Shawn Sr. decided Hope should keep the oxygen for herself and Bo. He was willing to sacrifice himself for his son.
Steve reached the cockpit. He tried to use the oxygen masks, but they were not working. Very soon, Steve became weak and lost consciousness. John entered the cockpit and saw Steve sitting on one of the chairs. John felt for a pulse then held the oxygen mask to Steve's face. John encouraged Steve to wake up, but had no intention of looking after him.
John was able to repair the oxygen mask in the cockpit. He placed it on Steve and began to hit him. Steve regained consciousness and began to flail about. John told him to calm down. John said he had good news and bad news. The good news was that Steve was fine. The bad news was that he would not be for much longer.
Lexie told Abe how worried she was about Bo. She was sure Bo had not told Hope about his illness. Abe told her the plane would be arriving soon. Lexie expressed concern. Just then, Chelsea and Stephanie enter Abe's office. Chelsea wanted to know what Lexie was so concerned about. Lexie skirted the issue. Chelsea wanted to know if they had heard anything about when the plane might arrive.
Chelsea tried reaching Bo but was unable to. Abe made a call and discovered the plane had left Ireland a couple of hours prior and was headed home. Lexie asked Chelsea about her mother. Chelsea said Billie was adjusting well to her new life. Billie had a flat in London and was very happy. Lexie asked Chelsea to give Billie her love.
Abe told the young ladies it was not necessary for them to stay because he would call them as soon as the plane arrived. Just as Chelsea and Stephanie were leaving, Abe received a call. Abe stopped them because it was a call about the plane. Abe told everybody the plane was in trouble.
Roman was surprised to find Abe, Lexie, Chelsea, and Stephanie in his office at the Salem Police Station. Abe informed him that John's plane had lost radio contact, and the pilots had missed a scheduled position report. He said it appeared as though they would miss their landing coordinates and soon run out of fuel. If that were to happen, Abe continued, they would have no safe place to land. Caroline and Max soon arrived. In detailing the situation for his mother, Roman didn't sugarcoat the fact that their family was in trouble.
Roman reassured everyone that the pilots were trained to deal with all sorts of emergencies -- plus they had John, Bo, Philip, and Steve to help them. Everyone waited and worried while Abe and Roman got on the phone to attempt to get more information. Max tried calling the cell phones of everyone on the plane, to no avail. Roman hung up with Homeland Security and said there was no indication that the crew's lack of communication was connected to terrorism. Abe soon learned that Greenland was tracking the plane on radar, but it still hadn't changed course, airspeed, or altitude.
In the cockpit of John's plane, a digital readout ticked off the oxygen supply's remaining minutes. As Steve regained consciousness and gasped for breath behind his oxygen mask, John recapped what he'd missed: they still had no control over the plane and couldn't alter their course or altitude, and there was less than half an hour of oxygen and an hour's worth of fuel left.
When John calmly told Steve, "Look on the bright side. The crash won't kill us -- we'll already have suffocated," Steve lost it. He told John they could not give up because they had to save their friends and families. John concurred and said they needed to dump the fuel, regain control, and try to land the plane. John then asked about the pilots. "They didn't make it," replied Steve. John wondered aloud who could have been behind the sabotage.
Back in the passenger cabin, the group discovered more of the oxygen masks were working, so everyone could have their own. Belle frantically tried to keep Claire warm. As Hope secured an unconscious Bo's mask, Shawn Sr. dropped his own mask to his lap. Hope gently ordered him to put it back on, but he refused. "I won't do it, darlin'. Bo needs to live, and so do you," he said. He and Hope argued, and she finally convinced him to put his mask on while she went to get Kayla, because Kayla deserved to know what he was about to do.
Shawn Sr. said he'd put on the mask only if Hope didn't tell any of the others. When Hope quietly led Kayla back, Kayla was concerned to see that Bo was unconscious. Hope explained Bo had passed out because he'd refused the oxygen. She related that Bo had said he was probably not going to make it, anyway, and they should let him die -- and Shawn Sr. was trying to do the same thing.
Chloe slumped against Philip, who shouted her name and told her she had to stay awake. Marlena held a sleeping Claire close to her while she tried to calm Belle, who was so frightened she began to cry.
As Hope watched tearfully, Kayla tried to talk Shawn Sr. out of sacrificing himself. She told him she was pregnant and wanted him to know his new grandchild. Shawn argued that the child wouldn't even have a chance at life unless Kayla let him go. Kayla ordered her Pop to put his mask back on, but he steadfastly refused. He told Kayla he loved her and the whole family, and promised he and Colleen would watch over them all. "Tell Caroline that I'll miss her most of all," he said resolutely.
Kayla said without the oxygen, he would just go to sleep, and then she would put the mask back on him. He told her to stop it and let him die. "You know it's right!" Shawn insisted as Kayla began to weep. "Now let me go, before the devil knows I'm gone." With that, Shawn reached up and yanked his mask's tubing out of the ceiling. Kayla cried, "No! Pop!" as the plane bounced, nearly jostling Hope into the aisle.
Up front, the oxygen monitor clicked down to seven minutes. John told Steve they needed to figure out a way to either regain control so they could descend, or dump the fuel-but the former was far preferable, as dumping the fuel would cause the plane to plummet quickly. John located the proper switches for Steve, who removed the control panel's cover and began working on the wires with pliers and a screwdriver. Steve noted that it looked like the wires had been burned by explosives, but neither man was sure which set of wires controlled the fuel dump and which went to the flight controls.
Hope removed her glove and felt for Shawn's pulse. "I can't believe he's really gone," she sniffed to a devastated Kayla, and then gently pulled the blanket over his face. They agreed not to tell the others yet. Hope quietly asked Kayla if Bo was going to die from what he had. Kayla assured her she would do everything she could not to let that happen. "He has to live, Kay," said Hope, her face streaked with tears. "Your father's sacrifice can't be in vain."
Steve began having trouble breathing, and as the clock ticked down to zero, John barked, "We need flight control or dump that fuel now!" One by one, the passengers removed their masks as they realized they were no longer getting oxygen, and everyone gasped for breath. Belle insisted there had to be more air for Claire. Marlena tried to reassure her by telling her Claire would just stay asleep and would never know what had happened. The words offered little comfort for Belle, who began sobbing.
Shawn put his head on Belle's shoulder and told her he loved her, and both of them slowly closed their eyes. Marlena managed to quietly gasp, "John," before her eyes closed as well. Hope put her arm around Bo and softly said, "I love you, Brady," as she rested her head on his shoulder. Kayla put her head on her father's chest, whispering, "I love you, Pop. I love you, Steve."
In the cockpit, Steve succumbed to the lack of oxygen and slumped back in his seat. Deeply drawing in breath through his mask, John took over with the wires, as the passenger cabin grew eerily quiet behind him. Finally, John twisted the right combination of wires together, and the plane made a whining sound. Immediately, the fuel gauges began sliding toward "empty," and the plane began to descend rapidly.
John grabbed the controls, but they didn't respond. Steve began to wake up, and coughed, "What happened?" John told him he'd been able to dump the fuel but still needed flight controls. "Start jamming wires!" he ordered. Steve did as he was commanded, quickly fumbling with the instrument panel wiring, until suddenly John said, "That's it!" He told Steve to grab the controls, and they both fought to pull the plane's nose up.
In the back, Philip began to stir, as did Hope. Both looked around them, disoriented, but the others remained motionless. At last, the plane leveled off. Marlena awoke with a start then reached across to the facing seats and shook Shawn and Belle awake. Belle immediately asked, "Claire?" Marlena said she was okay too. Philip sat Chloe up, and she opened her eyes with disbelief. Hope checked to make sure Bo was breathing then removed his mask and woke Kayla.
Marlena called up to the cockpit, and John told her they had dumped the fuel, and the plane was at a low enough altitude that they should all be able to breathe. She asked if they'd be able to land, and he replied that it would be "a little sooner and harder than we'd like." "I love you," a thrilled Marlena told him. "Good to know," he replied before hanging up. Marlena told the other passengers they were out of fuel but were about to attempt an emergency landing, so they should all buckle up and brace themselves.
When the group at the police station began to grow more panicked, Abe and Roman assured them that the FAA, Homeland Security, the ISA, and NORAD were all working on it and would notify them as soon as they had any news. Chelsea speculated that it might be a hijacking by someone after John or Philip's money, and Stephanie mentioned that Chloe was in trouble in Europe, but Abe said there was no evidence of foul play.
Abe also tried to convince them all to go to the Brady Pub to wait for news, but Caroline defiantly said, "I'm not going anywhere." Chelsea and Stephanie echoed her thoughts. Abe's phone rang, and after he hung up, he grimly told the group the plane had just gone off radar. Caroline asked if that meant it had crashed, but Abe said he didn't know. Roman announced he would try to reach NORAD, and the others worried in silence.
In the cockpit, John and Steve wrestled with the controls. "Hey! There's land!" Steve shouted. John told him to just keep the nose up. Steve prayed to God to soften the blow when they hit the ground. John announced they had no landing gear, which alarmed Steve.
A terrified Chloe gasped that they were going down too fast and were going to crash. Philip tried to get her to appreciate the fact that they were still alive. Claire began to cry, and Belle tried to soothe her. The plane bounced hard, which woke Bo. Though he was a bit groggy, he noticed Shawn Sr.'s blanket was covering his face. Bo jumped out of his seat, yanked the blanket off, and tried to rouse his father.
Kayla told Bo what Shawn had done. "It was supposed to be me!" a devastated Bo cried. Kayla told him their father had died a hero, and Bo collapsed in tears against Shawn's chest. After he'd pulled the blanket back over Shawn's face, Hope told Bo they were making an emergency landing. Belle and Shawn told each other, "I love you," as did Bo and Hope. Chloe wailed, "God help us!"
Roman announced that NORAD was sending rescue planes to the projected crash site. The others realized that meant the plane had probably crashed, and Lexie told them all not to panic. Max and Chelsea tried to comfort a sobbing Caroline, as Stephanie prayed aloud.
As the plane began to dive more sharply, John told Steve to pull back on the controls as hard as he could. Shawn shouted across the plane to Bo and Hope that he loved them, and they returned the sentiment. Marlena protectively held her arm across Claire and told Belle she loved her. Belle and Shawn again expressed their love for each other. Philip shouted, "This is it!" and up in the cockpit, John grabbed Steve's jacket and repeated those exact words. The plane's dive grew more vertical, the lights on board flickered, and everyone in the passenger cabin screamed in terror.
