At the hospital, Doris asked Ashlee to find out who had saved her from the fire. When Doris noticed Grady in the hallway, Ashlee said he'd brought her to see Doris. Ashlee thought Grady really cared about his job, but Doris believed Grady really cared about Ashlee. Later at Company, Grady gave Ashlee the name of Doris' rescuer. After he did, Ashlee wondered why he was still hanging around. Since Ashlee had gotten Grady a job, he figured that misfits like them needed to stick together. He took her cell phone and typed "Alcheringa" into it. Explaining it as a word derived from the aboriginal faith, he said that if she texted him with that word, he would come to her aid with no questions asked.

Ashlee and Grady met Daisy outside Company. Ashlee explained how supportive Grady had been to her, and she said Daisy was lucky to have him. After Ashlee left for the hospital, Daisy noted that people had warmed up to Grady. Grady didn't care who liked him, as long as Daisy did. Daisy said Grady's benevolence toward Ashlee meant a lot to her and Ashlee.

At Grady's hotel room, Daisy was happy when she received a call from Harley. After the call, she told Grady that she hadn't mentioned her new living arrangements because she hadn't wanted to fight with her mother on the holiday. When the two exchanged gifts, Grady received a black jacket from Daisy. Grady gave Daisy a silver chain with their special key hanging from it. They thanked each other and kissed.

Josh and Reva checked on Shayne at the hospital after the fire rescue. They made a fuss over Shayne's wellbeing and then thanked him for staying in town. Reva pitched the idea of Shayne being her baby's godfather. Shayne scoffed and immediately declined. He said he wasn't the right person for the job, but Reva asked him to give it more thought.

After Shayne sneaked out of the hospital, he went to Company. He ran into Mallet, who explained that he and Marina had married despite Shayne's interference. After Mallet warned him to steer clear of Marina, Mallet received a call from someone asking him to return Shayne to the hospital. Mallet wheeled Shayne into Doris' hospital room, where Doris, Ashlee, Josh, and Reva awaited. A confused Shayne looked on as a photographer snapped photos of Doris and him. Doris thanked him for saving her life and proclaimed that he was a town hero. Shayne looked uncomfortable as Doris doted on his bravery. She presented him with Springfield's Badge of Light and asked Reva to pin it on him. Shayne strained to placate everyone who hailed him as a hero, and then he hastily concluded the press conference.

In the hospital hallway, Josh wanted to grab a bite to eat with Reva and Shayne, but Reva needed to get back to Jeffrey. Josh proposed they go the following day, but Reva said she had chemotherapy. An introspective Shayne changed his mind about being the baby's godfather, and Reva hugged him. Later, as Josh walked Reva to her door, they discussed Shayne's childhood acts of heroism and concluded that they had raised great children. Josh gave Reva a peck on the lips and wished her a merry Christmas before she went inside her house. Meanwhile, Shayne wheeled himself onto the river walk and threw the badge he'd been awarded into the water.

Coop stormed out of Company, determined to rescue Beth from Alan, but Buzz chased him outside, reasoning that Beth had chosen a life with Alan, the man with whom she shared a daughter. When Buzz couldn't prevent Coop from pursuing Beth to the mansion, he ordered Mallet to report Coop's car stolen. Seemingly confused, Mallet tried to decipher from Buzz what kind of trouble Coop was in. An agitated Buzz decided that he couldn't waste time at Company. He took off as Mallet called after him.

At the mansion, Beth dissuaded Alan from accompanying her to Minnesota because she would be too busy in workshops to entertain him; however, an undeterred Alan produced Beth's engagement ring, saying that he wanted the Minnesota trip to be a celebration of their love. On bended knee, Alan asked Beth to marry him again. A stunned Beth stalled Alan, saying that she couldn't think about marriage with the trip on her mind. Alan agreed to give her time, but he said he wanted to be married for the New Year. He handed her the ring and went upstairs to check on Peyton. As Beth stared forbiddingly at the ring, Coop arrived to pick her up for their trip.

Beth ushered Coop beneath the overlook, where they were out of view, and she urged him to leave. He persisted to know why she feared Alan when she could be free of him by asserting to him that she deserved better. Beth claimed it wasn't that easy because she had feelings for Alan. Coop kissed her and asked her to listen to her heart, which he believed desired to leave with him.

Just then, Alan called out to Beth. She emerged from beneath the overlook to see him carrying Peyton. He told Beth that he had announced his marriage proposal to Peyton. Coop stepped into view, claiming to be returning gloves that Beth had left at Company. Alan wondered if Coop needed anything else. When Beth awkwardly avoided Coop's prompting gaze, Coop guessed there wasn't anything else. Coop charged out of the parlor and collided with Buzz in the hallway. A heartbroken Coop gripped Buzz tightly as he said that Beth would marry Alan. Buzz wondered what Coop had expected. Coop said he didn't care anymore; he just wanted to get out of there.

Meanwhile, as Alan told Peyton what a great future they all had in store, Beth fixed Alan a drink. She laced it with sleeping pills before handing it to him. After a few sips, Alan groggily passed out on the sofa. Lillian entered the parlor to talk to Beth, and Beth revealed that she'd drugged Alan. Lillian called Beth crazy and wondered what had driven her to do such a thing. Beth answered by reciting a romanticized depiction of herself from Coop's novel. Lillian told Beth that Coop was not Phillip, and Beth screamed that her affair had nothing to do with Phillip. Lillian claimed that everything Beth did was about Phillip, including marrying Alan in the first place. Lillian warned Beth to get her head together. As Beth fled the house in search of Coop, Lillian wondered what she was supposed to do with "Sleeping Beauty."

At Company, Coop typed on his laptop, recreating the incident that had just happened at the mansion. When Ashlee entered to pick up Christmas leftovers for Doris, she noticed that Coop was writing again. Coop stopped her from reading aloud from the laptop, but he said he might let her edit the manuscript when it was ready. Ashlee assumed that the novel was about Coop's new love, but Coop said that his new relationship was just fiction. Ashlee shook her head, saying that Coop seemed to be really in love. She then confessed that she had lied about dating Cory because she hadn't wanted Coop to think that she was sitting at home alone. Coop graciously told her that she was beautiful and she always had been. Ashlee admitted that since the surgery, she didn't know who she was anymore. Coop uttered that she could be whoever she wanted to be.

Beth peered through the window at Company and saw Coop and Ashlee together inside. Buzz approached and rasped that they were closed, adding, "But you already knew that." Beth wondered aloud what she was doing, since Coop was so young, and she had three children. She asked Buzz to give Coop the manuscript pages she'd brought with her, but when she couldn't compose a message for Coop, she told Buzz to never mind and hurried away from Company with the pages still in her hand.

Alan awakened to a lonely mansion on New Year's Eve. When Lizzie called, he asked her if she had talked to Beth or heard about his marriage proposal to her. Lizzie hadn't talked to Beth since Christmas and wondered if Beth had agreed to marry him. Alan answered as if Beth's agreement was a formality. He attempted to ask Lizzie about the meetings in China, but Lizzie hurriedly got off the phone, saying she needed to catch her flight home for Bill's trial.

Emma pounced on Olivia's bed, ready to celebrate the New Year with hats, noisemakers, and champagne. As Olivia fell out of bed, she corrected Emma that the champagne was just for mommies. Downstairs, they joined Natalia, who danced to music as she cooked breakfast. When Olivia commented on Emma's sudden desire to ring in the New Year, Natalia said she'd shared with Emma her Abuela's belief that staying up until midnight was the only way a person could truly see the new year and thus decide what kind of year it would be. Emma said she planned to make the new year purple. Olivia said they would make big dreams and paint them all purple. Emma wondered if Natalia would help and Natalia said she definitely would.

Alan visited Olivia's house, and upon entering, he dubbed it something out of Green Acres. He presented Emma with an audacious bracelet that Olivia thought was a little overboard. The card said the gift was from Phillip and Alan. As Emma took it upstairs, Olivia admonished Alan for confusing the child. Alan said that just because Phillip wasn't there didn't mean that Phillip didn't love his daughter. When Alan began to lecture Olivia about her doomed living arrangement with Natalia, Olivia rolled her eyes and initiated what she called a ten-second countdown to him getting out of her house. By the time Olivia counted down to one second, Alan was walking out, reasoning that Olivia had too much taste to abide at the farmhouse. Olivia slammed the door in his face, and from the other side, he yelled, "Happy New Year!"

Upstairs, Natalia received a call from Towers, asking her to work the New Year's Eve shift. Natalia awkwardly reminded them that they had fired her, but the manager offered her double pay for the shift. Olivia and Emma played Go Fish later, and they noticed Natalia dressed for waiting tables at Towers. Olivia said Natalia didn't work there anymore, but Natalia felt that she had to work the shift for extra money in case something went wrong. Olivia stated that for once in Natalia's life, Natalia had the money to cover her bills and Rafe's lawyer. Living in fear of problems wasn't living at all, according to Olivia. She wondered why a woman with faith like Natalia's had so little faith in herself. Natalia sighed and left for work.

While working the party at Towers, Natalia had an epiphany. She untied her apron, tossed it on a table, and slipped out of the building. Sometime later, sleeping Olivia and Emma were startled awake by a tooting horn. They awakened to see that Natalia had returned to the house. Natalia said she had sent herself home from work because she had faith that she could do without the extra tips. Natalia was ready to get their party rocking. Emma wondered if they could dance. Olivia opted to "couch dance" as Natalia cranked up the music.

Mel awakened Bill at his office after he'd passed out from drinking the night before. She took him to the Beacon to clean him up for a meeting with Doris Wolfe that day. She put him into the shower fully clothed, and he yelled as the water cascaded over him. Later, at Towers, Mel assumed Doris wanted to offer Bill a plea deal. In light of the evidence against him, Mel suggested that he take any deal Doris offered, but Bill felt that copping a plea was just like admitting guilt. He couldn't do that to his career or to Lizzie, who held such an unyielding faith in him. Mel asked him to at least seriously consider whatever Doris had to offer.

In Doris' hospital room later, Bill tried to express his sympathies for her accident, but Doris cut through the niceties, asking him where he had been during the fire. Offhandedly, Bill recalled being with his family. Doris wryly remarked that she was sure that his family would happily corroborate that alibi. Bill then realized that Doris was insinuating that he had committed arson to destroy the evidence in his case. Doris ruefully said that arson couldn't be proven, but the fire had conveniently destroyed all the evidence against him. "No evidence, no case," Doris said. Mel looked at Bill and stated that it was over.

After Mel and Bill left, Doris received a visit from Alan, whom she'd called there as a courtesy to inform him that the fire had destroyed all the evidence in Bill's case. Livid, Alan condemned her carelessness as inexcusable. Doris huffed that she was a little more concerned with saving her life than preserving burning evidence. Alan asserted that Doris wouldn't wiggle out of the trial just to save face. He vowed that Bill Lewis would not walk away from it, either, and he stormed out of her room.

Dinah found Shayne at the lake and threw slips of paper at him as her version of a tickertape parade for her hero. Since they'd destroyed the evidence, Dinah felt indebted to Shayne and proffered to repay him by keeping him company for New Year's Eve. Dinah had been reading folklore that damned anyone who didn't receive a New Year's kiss to a year of loneliness. She asked Shayne to save her from that fate; however, Shayne opted to use the favor she owed him to ask her to leave him alone. Dinah decided that he had to think of another favor because that one was too boring for her.

Shayne and Dinah went to Company for a meal, but Dinah abruptly left after Marina showed up, squawking about Shayne and Dinah ruining her wedding. Marina showed Shayne that the hero sandwich Buzz had named after him four years prior was still on the menu. She anticipated skyrocketing sales if Shayne kept pulling mayors out of burning buildings. Shayne threw the menu, wishing Buzz would change it. Shayne then begrudgingly said that disrupting her wedding hadn't been meant to hurt her. Marina said Mallet had told her that he'd seen Shayne, and she thought Shayne should have apologized to Mallet for the wedding debacle. Shayne said he'd never apologize to Mallet, but he would apologize to Marina.

After Dinah visited Ross's grave, Bill sought her out by the lake to ask if she had set the evidence fire. Dinah shrugged, saying that he knew that she would do anything for him. "Now I do," Bill replied. Dinah said there wasn't going to be a trial. Bill added that Doris didn't have enough to pursue an arson case, either. Dinah shrugged again, saying that she had been curious about that, but she hadn't really cared. They hugged, wishing each other a happy new year.

While at the New Year's Eve party at Towers later, Bill and Dinah had champagne at the bar. Bill reconciled his past issues with Dinah, saying that he never should have mistrusted her. Doing so had been like betraying his best friend. Dinah corrected that Lizzie was his best friend, but Bill recognized that Dinah was his sister, who was always there for him. Bill confided that he still wasn't at peace with the kidnapping. Even with the evidence destroyed, he still had a scar on his chest and the creeping doubt that he might have done it. Dinah urged him to put the kidnapping behind him, but Bill said he'd hired an investigator to get to the bottom of it. Dinah advised him to use the New Year to make a new start. She took off, saying she would see him the next year. Bill gulped his champagne down and then grabbed Dinah's abandoned flute.

Alan ran into Shayne at the mini-mart. While Alan congratulated Shayne on being a hero, Shayne ribbed Alan for losing part of his company to Shayne's family. Both men claimed to have big New Year's Eve plans; however, Shayne went to Remy's vacant hotel room to have a beer in front of the television, and Alan returned home to play chess alone in the parlor overlook. Alex joined him, noting that Alan certainly needed a new year. Deploring the thought of being needy, Alan felt the new year should be about what he wanted. He said it was time he made himself a force to be reckoned with again. He hailed himself the hero of Springfield, and he said he wanted his respect and power back. "And I'll tell you another thing," Alan said, leaning over the chess table, "I want to be feared."

Dinah found Shayne in Remy's hotel room. She barged in with champagne even though Shayne asked her to leave. She said they had less than a minute to make the kiss happen. She popped the cork and handed him the bottle. Dinah slipped onto his lap and said they had to wait twelve more seconds. "We just have to make it last that long," Shayne uttered and pulled her in for a long kiss. The New Year's countdown began.

With five seconds left in the countdown, Lizzie slipped up to Bill at the bar, saying that she had heard his good news. Surprised that Lizzie was back, Bill grabbed her and pressed his lips to hers just as everyone screamed, "Happy New Year!"

Due to the New Year's Eve holiday, today's episode of Guiding Light was pre-empted.

There will be no new programming on Thursday, January 1. Regular programming will resume on January 2, and there will be no "lost" episodes as a result of the holiday schedule.

Due to the New Year's holiday, today's episodes of your favorite CBS Daytime soaps -- The Young and the Restless, The Bold and the Beautiful, As the World Turns, and Guiding Light -- were not shown.

Regular programming will resume on January 2, 2009, and there will be no "lost" episodes as a result of the holiday pre-emption.

On behalf of everyone involved in Soap Central, I'd like to wish you a peaceful and prosperous 2009. Thank you so much for your continued loyalty to the site and we look forward to providing you with even better soap opera coverage in the year ahead.

Olivia woke up late and realized that Emma was going to be late for school. Natalia calmed Olivia down and helped her get Emma ready. Emma made it to the school bus just in time. Later, the pair went to work at the Beacon and Natalia marveled at how well Olivia conducted herself in business. During their talk, Natalia got a call from Rafe's lawyer telling her that he found no loophole with which to help Rafe. Olivia told a saddened Natalia to take the rest of the day off, but Natalia was determined to keep working.

On the day that they were set to move out of the hotel, Daisy complained to Grady that she wished they could stay. Grady assured a worried Daisy that they would find a place to live. Grady asked if she missed living with Marina, and Daisy replied that she did not. Daisy then picked up the newspaper and learned that the prosecution was dropping all charges against Bill due to lack of evidence. When Grady heard that, he rushed out.

Lizzie woke up next to Bill and reflectively fingered his scar. Later, Lizzie showed Bill the headline in the paper and was relieved that everything was almost over and they could move on. Bill thanked her for never giving up on him. Lizzie wanted to celebrate, but Bill wanted to wait until they went to the judge. Lizzie assured him that they were moving on together and nothing would get in the way of that.

Grady went to Doris' office where he rummaged through her desk, looking to see if she was fingering anyone else for the kidnapping. Ashlee caught him. Grady lied that Doris sent him there to look for the file on Bill Lewis, but Ashlee assumed that he was looking for a file on himself. Ashlee commented that Doris had a file on everyone she knew, probably even Ashlee herself, and stated that any personal file would probably be under lock and key. Ashlee thanked Grady for taking her to the hospital to see her mother the other day. Grady asked if she was going to mention catching him to her mom, and Ashlee replied that his secret was safe with her.

Daisy went to Company and stole some money from the register. At that moment, Frank appeared and asked if she had spoken with Harley on Christmas. After telling Daisy that her mother missed her, Frank invited her to go to the movies with him. Daisy declined and told Frank that she had a busy day, since she and Grady were moving. Daisy told Frank that she hoped her relationship with Grady would not come between her and Frank. Before Daisy could leave the restaurant, Frank suggested that she put the money back in the register. Frank asked why she didn't come to him for money. Daisy said that if she had told him it was for her and Grady to get an apartment, he would not have given it to her. Frank conceded that point and asked her to do him a favor. Frank asked her to look at her life and where she wanted it to be. Frank said that the Daisy that he knew and loved would have never stolen money from her family. Frank stated that she was better than that.

Cyrus read the news in the paper about Bill and left a voicemail for Grady telling him to call. Later, he walked by Company and saw Daisy swipe the money from the register. When Daisy came out, Cyrus told her how Frank knew that she had taken the money. Daisy lamented that she used to be a better liar and told Cyrus that she and Grady had to look for a new place to live. Cyrus invited them to stay with him, but she declined because she felt they should have their own place. Daisy told Cyrus that he was a good brother, and he responded that he was trying.

Ashlee and Daisy ran into each other at the courthouse. Daisy told Ashlee about Frank catching her stealing. Daisy said that she felt bad about stealing from her family, but stated that she needed the money. Daisy bemoaned the fact that her family still hated Grady, and Ashlee wondered if that was why Daisy loved him. Daisy denied that and Ashlee told Daisy that she had to decide what was more important-impressing her family or being with Grady, because she clearly could not have both. Ashlee said that since Grady was a sexy guy who would do anything for Daisy, she should just disappoint her family.

Olivia went to Company where she saw Frank. Olivia told Frank that she was getting some food for Natalia, who was having a bad day and needed cheering up. Olivia gave Frank an order of all of Natalia's favorite foods-specifically asking that the Buzz Burgers have onions. Olivia asked Frank to do her one more favor.

Natalia and Emma went shopping for school supplies. Emma seemed sad and told Natalia that she had to write a report about her family and read it before the class. Emma told Natalia that she was worried about what to say about her father. Natalia told her not to worry about that and just write about her mother. Later, Emma and Olivia had dinner at the Beacon so that Natalia could have a relaxing evening. Both Emma and Olivia talked about how they wanted Natalia to be happy.

Frank delivered food to Natalia and ate with her. Natalia was amazed that Frank brought all of her favorite foods and asked how he knew that she liked onions. Frank said that she must have mentioned it.

The judge granted the prosecution's motion to drop the charges due to lack of evidence. After the hearing, Doris informed the press that, although the charges were dropped, the kidnapping case was still open. Doris stated that the person responsible would pay for what he'd done and signed off saying that Bill was lucky.

Cyrus spotted Lizzie at the courthouse and said that he was sorry about what Doris said to the press. Lizzie told Cyrus that she did not need him anymore. When Cyrus asked about what Lizzie said before about wanting to know the truth, Lizzie responded that it had been a momentary lapse. An adamant Lizzie told Cyrus that she knew that Bill did not do it. Cyrus asked if she was okay and she stated that she was fine. Lizzie gave Cyrus his money and told him not to talk about it again.

At the courthouse, Grady told Doris how impressed he was with how she handled the press conference. Grady said how much he enjoyed working for her and she stated that she enjoyed having him around as well. Doris added that Ashlee seemed to enjoy having him around, and Grady stated that they were just friends. Later, Doris had dinner with Ashlee. Ashlee talked about how she wished Doris would take it easy, and Doris responded that she could with Grady around, because he was pretty capable. Ashlee made a joke about him being capable of breaking and entering, and then dismissed it. Doris seemed intrigued by this inside joke and told Ashlee that she thought Grady liked Ashlee. Ashlee scoffed that he was with her best friend and told Doris not to be the cool mom by setting her up with a boy from the wrong side of the tracks.

Cyrus visited Grady as he was preparing to move out of his motel room. Grady told Cyrus that Doris believed that Bill was behind the kidnapping, which meant that Grady was cleared. Cyrus suggested that he try to stay that way. Cyrus asked where Grady was headed and invited him and Daisy to stay with him. Grady declined the invite. Later, Ashlee saw Grady and Daisy and invited them to stay with her.

Lizzie ranted to Bill that she had to find a way to undo Doris's slander. Bill told Lizzie that it did not matter. All that mattered to him was that Lizzie believed that he was innocent. That was not enough for Lizzie and she decided that Bill had to make a public plea to convince the world that he was innocent. Bill seemed reluctant. He noted that even though his own parents doubted that he was innocent, Lizzie's faith in him never wavered. Bill said that he would not be able to live with himself if she did not know the truth. Lizzie nervously asked him what truth, and he confessed that he did not know whether he kidnapped her or not.