Brad informed Sharon that John had passed away then said that what was going on between them had to end. "I'm committed to my marriage," he announced. When he left, Sharon was rattled by noises outside.
Nick and Phyllis learned they were having a girl. They went back to her apartment and acted all lovey-dovey. "I've always wanted a little girl," cooed Phyllis. Nick asked if he should move in. "Oh. Well, you're over here a lot..." noted Phyllis. "I want to tie your shoelaces when you can't see your feet anymore," Nick gushed. Phyllis was touched.
The Winters family had dinner together to celebrate Lily's graduation. Lily asked Daniel to join them. Sharon showed up and joined them for dessert. Devon gave Lily a stuffed bear; Daniel felt bad he hadn't gotten her anything. When the waiter brought the dessert menu, Sharon hallucinated and saw the well-dressed man then excused herself to go order a gin and tonic -- a double.
The nurse accidentally wheeled John's body by the entire family. Gloria broke down. The Abbotts went home to an empty house, while J.T. took Colleen back to the loft. Gloria lashed out at Jack, claiming he had rushed to pull the plug. Jack broke down in Ashley's arms. Gloria apologized, although she added, "I guess we'll never really know for sure," over whether they had made the right decision to discontinue life support. Michael and Lauren offered to take care of the funeral arrangements, but Jack and Ashley wanted to handle it; they wanted it small and intimate. Gloria balked, but Jack wouldn't back down.
Brad reiterated to Victoria that he was committed to their marriage and wanted to make a baby. "Why stop at one kid -- we can create a dynasty," he said.
At Phyllis' apartment, she and Nick talked about John as they read an article about him. She said they were bringing a new baby into the world while Jack was mourning his father.
At the ranch, Dru held the article about John, and she and Sharon talked about him. At Newman, Nick asked Phyllis to have lunch, but Sharon called and let Nick know that Noah was going home. She suggested the three of them have lunch, and Nick said he'd meet them at the ranch with food. He had to cancel lunch with Phyllis, since Noah had gotten home sooner than expected; she understood and told him to spend as much time with Noah as he needed to.
Nick showed up at the ranch to meet Noah and Sharon. They had lunch together, and when Sharon left, Noah told him Sharon was being weird. He asked Nick to return home. Noah unpacked his suitcase, and Sharon noticed that he had an MP3 player. After questioning him about it, she found out he'd taken it from his Aunt Casey. She told Noah he was grounded. Nick was at Newman, talking to Phyllis about the situation being difficult for Noah, and she said she understood. He got a call from Noah saying Sharon was being mean to him.
Phyllis told Nikki that Jack wanted to return to work right after the funeral. Nikki was surprised. She changed the subject to her new grandchild and asked Phyllis about her plans. Phyllis said that she and Nick planned to raise the baby together.
At the Abbott residence, Ashley read the article about John out loud. Jack said John had never cared about fame or publicity, and Jack was upset to find out that Gloria had made funeral arrangements at the Colonnade Room without telling anyone. Jack said he would make the arrangements, and John's service would be private. Gloria said she just wanted to celebrate his life -- a lot of people admired him, and they should have the chance to pay their respects.
Michael thought they could reach a compromise. Jack and Gloria agreed on the location, but Gloria wanted to invite the press. Jack, Ashley, and Billy were against it, and Jack told Gloria that if she, Kevin, or Michael had a problem with that, they didn't have to go.
Katherine and Jill arrived at the Abbotts'. Katherine agreed with Jack about the small service and reasoned with Gloria. Billy told his family that he was leaving after the service. Phyllis called Jack to see how he was and to tell him not to worry about returning to work until he was ready. He told her he was going back right after the service; he needed to work.
Michael got angry with Jack for being hostile toward Gloria, and Jack told him that Gloria had never belonged in the family. Michael asked Jack to be respectful of Gloria's feelings, and Jack told him that she was setting herself up for disappointment by assuming she was a bigger part of the family than she was. Gloria accused Jack of wanting to get rid of her. Michael told Gloria to pick her battles with Jack because there was a lot at stake. She went and told Jack, Ashley, and Billy that John would have wanted them to get along, so she would agree with whatever funeral plans they wanted to make.
At the loft, J.T. admired Colleen for being strong when Brad called. Brad checked on Colleen and asked to talk to J.T. Brad asked J.T. to meet him at the office, and J.T. left as Lily showed up. Colleen told Lily that she and J.T. had had sex. Lily told her that she had graduated, and she invited Daniel to her celebration dinner. She asked if Lily had forgiven him, and she said she didn't know. J.T. returned, and Lily left. Colleen told J.T. that she had told Lily that they'd had sex. J.T. told her that Brad had hired him, but he didn't give her the details.
Victoria told Nick that she and Brad were planning to start a family. Nick told her it was a horrible idea. Brad wanted to hire J.T. to investigate the men that had kidnapped Sharon, as well as the Reliquary, and asked him not to tell Colleen. Brad went to leave and saw Nick in the hall. Nick told him not to bring a child into the world unless he could commit to it, and Nick warned Brad not to hurt Victoria. Nikki questioned Brad about the problems between him and Victoria, and Brad assured her they were just fine and told her they were starting a family. She asked Victoria about it and told her it wouldn't solve her problems. Victoria told Nikki that her marriage was fine and to stay out of it.
Neil and Carmen had lunch in the breakroom. Dru walked in and left without saying anything. Brad entered and yelled at Carmen for a press kit he wasn't happy with. She told him she wouldn't be talked to that way, and he returned later and apologized. Victoria overheard and told him she was proud of him.
Dru had another run-in with Neil about Carmen. Although Dru was correctly picking up their signals, Neil insisted that his wife was wrong, and there was nothing going on between Carmen and him. Later, Dru tried to call him to apologize, but Neil was at Yves and didn't take her call. Then, Dru overheard Carmen having a conversation with Neil and agreeing to meet him at Yves. Dru followed her and watched them from a distance. When they decided to go back to Neil's for a cup of tea, Dru also followed them there. Neil told Carmen that he was considering opening a jazz supper club.
Lurking outside her apartment, where Neil was with Carmen, Dru finally called Devon and told him there was an emergency, and he needed to go home. A few minutes later, Devon burst through the door, wondering if everything was okay. Carmen made a hasty exit. Neil found out that Dru had called Devon and told him that she'd thought she'd left the stove on. Neil knew instantly that Dru had known about and hoped to break up his evening with Carmen.
Ashley and Jack met with Christine to take a look at their father's will. Jack said everything was as he'd discussed with his father, but Ashley was upset to see that Gloria got half of John's financial holdings, and the other half would be split between his four children. She didn't think that was fair. Jack wondered if an invalid marriage would mean Gloria was disinherited. Christine said his father had been very specific about naming Gloria as his heir, so even if their marriage hadn't been legal, his intentions were clear. Jack appeared to accept that. After Christine had gone, Ashley questioned her brother's new and improved attitude toward Gloria. Jack said that things might not go the way either Ashley or Gloria expected them to.
Lauren had the restored copy of Michael's grandmother's diary for the two of them to look at. It was at least a diversion for Michael from his mother's problems. He felt like Gloria deserved better treatment from the Abbotts. As he and Lauren read the diary, Michael didn't really get his questions answered about his family history. However, he did admit that his interest in finding out what had happened to his grandmother was more important to him than ever. He just dreaded what he might learn about his father.
Sharon was still upset about Noah's theft of the MP3 player from his Aunt Casey and the way he'd tried to lie about it. So, she wasn't thrilled when Nikki showed up, but she tried to be polite. She did tell Nikki that she wanted to handle recovering from her kidnapping ordeal in her own time and her own way. When Nick called, Sharon didn't pick up the phone, even though Nikki knew it was her son calling. Noah ran downstairs, thinking his father was there. Then, Noah began to play Nikki against Sharon because he was mad at his mother for grounding him for his misbehavior.
Nick and Phyllis spent the evening watching a movie. He was a little concerned when Sharon didn't answer his call. Later, when Phyllis went to take a shower, Nick called Sharon again. Since Nikki was putting Noah to bed, Sharon answered. Nick told her that Noah had left a message for him. Their son was obviously upset with Sharon. Sharon said she wasn't surprised, because she'd been left to be the bad guy since Nick was gone. She told Nick to please leave her alone and let her deal with things in her own way. After they hung up, Nick told Phyllis that Sharon didn't seem to be handling things well. Phyllis thought that was understandable, considering what Sharon had been through, and she suggested that Noah might stay with them for the weekend.
Sharon went to Yves for a drink. When a man tried to flirt with her, she jerked away from him and told him to leave her alone. She kept seeing the face of her kidnapper when she looked at him and other men. As she was leaving, she ran into Jack and Ashley. She understood how upset they were about John's death. She said that when Cassie had died, she'd learned that funerals weren't for the person who'd died as much as for the living. Although she understood Ashley's pain and frustration with Gloria, she assured her that things would get better.
Nikki stayed with Noah while Sharon went out. She was thrilled when she received a phone call from Victor. He told her that he was returning home. Nikki assured him that nothing could make her happier than that news.
Kevin was at the Abbott house with Gloria when John's effects from the prison were brought to her. Gloria went through them, trying to deal with the loss of her husband. She was equally concerned about the way she was being treated by the Abbott children. Kevin reminded her that they were grieving, too. Although Gloria understood that, she said they'd all like to just exclude her from everything. She didn't intend to lose any of the status she'd gotten when she'd become Mrs. John Abbott.
When Jack and Ashley got home, Gloria took a suit downstairs that she wanted John to be buried in. At first, Jack and Ashley agreed, then Ashley took another look at the suit. She told Gloria that John had hated that suit. Gloria was sure that Ashley was just trying to keep her from making any decisions about John's funeral. Ashley insisted that between the two of them, they could find a more appropriate suit. She didn't understand why Gloria had to turn everything into a contest. When Gloria began another of her tirades, Jack stepped in. He assured her that she was a part of the family, and he would treat her that way from that point on. Gloria and Ashley looked equally shocked when Jack hugged Gloria.
Jack and Ashley were ready for John's funeral. Jack informed Ashley that Traci was still asleep and that Gloria had left early. Ashley asked Jack what had gone on between him and Gloria the previous evening. Jack said it had been an act of kindness. Ashley said she'd seen the look on Jack's face for that act of kindness, and it could have cracked a mirror. Jack said he'd done what he'd needed to do to make their day easier.
A short time later, Ashley, Traci, and Jack entered the dining room, and they reminisced about John at the dining room table, enjoying some of his favorite foods. Ashley tearfully said that things wouldn't be the same without him.
After everyone had left for the church, Billy told Colleen that he had no intention of going to the funeral. He wanted to remember his dad the way he'd seen him in the hospital, in a peaceful state. Colleen agreed with him. She also chose not to attend her grandfather's funeral. Colleen and Billy both felt that they had said their goodbyes at the hospital. Billy wasn't happy that he had only been with his dad half the time that Jack, Ashley, and Traci had spent with him. Colleen reminded Billy that John had been much older when Billy had been born. Billy and Colleen had both thought that John would live forever.
At Michael and Lauren's, Gloria told Kevin she hoped that Michael didn't mind her showing up so early. She wished Jack would change his attitude toward her so they could all get along. She said she missed John terribly. Lauren entered and apologized for being late. Lauren asked if Gloria had her speech ready. Gloria said it wasn't good enough. She thanked God for her family because she wouldn't have been able to get through that day without them. Lauren hugged her.
Gloria looked at Michael and asked if he was going to wear that black tie. Lauren suggested another tie for Michael. Gloria thought it should be a celebration for John, and she hoped that Jack and Ashley felt the same way. She said she would treat the Abbotts with respect and compassion, and she wanted to make John proud. Gloria checked the time with Michael, and he assured her they were fine. Kevin asked if Gloria believed that Jack had been sincere when he'd been nice to her. Gloria said that John would have wanted the family to be civil to each other.
Lauren told everyone that she'd been thinking about Traci because she hadn't seen Traci in years. Lauren said she'd been a hell-raiser in high school when she'd met Traci. Michael said he wished he'd met Lauren at that time, but Lauren said he wouldn't have liked her. She said her greatest pleasure had been to make Traci miserable. When she'd become an adult, John had looked past all the misery she'd caused Traci, and she and Traci had become friends. Gloria told Lauren that John had been the most forgiving man she'd ever known, and it looked like he'd given them all a second chance.
Katherine and Jill were the first to arrive at the church. Jill sat down, and as tears welled up, she recalled her life with John. Katherine sat down next to her and took her hand in an effort to comfort her.
Ashley, Traci, and Jack arrived, and Traci broke down in tears when she saw Katherine, who embraced Traci. Traci said everything looked beautiful, and she thanked Ashley for arranging everything and said that all the flowers were beautiful. Jack said he had specifically stated to send donations in lieu of flowers. He said that the only flowers in the church should have been from family. Ashley explained that the flowers had been sent from Dina and Mamie because neither one was able to attend the service, and they wanted to show their respect. Jill stated that she was happy they'd kept the funeral small.
Traci told Katherine that she'd wanted to be home for the Fourth of July for a visit; however, things had happened, and she hadn't been able to make it. Katherine patted Traci's hand and told her that John understood because he loved his children and had been close to all of them.
Reverend Bock arrived and expressed his concern that Gloria hadn't arrived yet. Jack said that Gloria had made her decision not to be there, and he suggested that they proceed with the service. Ashley asked that they wait a few minutes, and Katherine agreed. Katherine said she would call Gloria and see what the holdup was. Katherine returned a short time later and stated that she hadn't been able to reach Gloria. Jack said they should proceed without her.
Ashley was the first to speak. She said she'd had a dream about John the previous night. In the dream, she and John hadn't been doing anything special, just working together and talking about the books they'd read. She said she'd started crying, and John had opened his arms and said, "Ashley, my beauty, everything will be okay." Ashley said she'd felt comforted and at peace -- she'd felt loved. She said that when she'd woken up in the morning, it had felt like John was right beside her. She said that John would always be with all of them.
Katherine was next, and she said she'd loved John's dry sense of humor and how he would make her laugh. She said she missed him very much, and it was only a matter of time until they met again and shared the laughter again.
Traci said that John had been strong, and he'd never given up on any of them. That was the reason she'd been able to make her way in the world. He had always been there and holding her up. The greatest gift he'd given her was the belief in herself. Traci stopped at John's photo and asked what she was going to do without him. She said she loved him and sat down.
Jill said it was it was impossible for her to say how much John had meant to her. He'd brought so much to her life, but nothing compared to Billy's birth. After she'd lost her son Phillip, she'd never believed that she'd be able to feel joy again; however, she and John had found their way back to each other, and Billy had been their miracle. She said that no one could replace her first son, but she'd come back to life the day she'd remarried John and had Billy. She said that John would live on through all of them.
Jack said that he and John shared the same name, and since he'd been a little boy, he'd known the weight the name John Abbott carried. The name implied honesty, fairness, kindness, and generosity. To the Abbott family, the name meant absolute, unwavering love. John had been the most loyal and loving parent that anyone could ask for. Jack recalled John telling him how once he'd planted the seeds, he could accept the end of his life much more easily. Nothing had meant more to John than protecting his family, a job that fell to Jack. Jack was proud to carry his father's name, and he was honored to protect what John had honored most: his family.
Gloria, Michael, Lauren, and Kevin arrived to an empty church. Reverend Bock entered and was surprised to see Gloria and her family. He told them the service had ended a short time before, and he was leaving for a christening. After the pastor left, Michael asked Gloria who had told her what time to arrive at the church. Gloria said it had been Jack. She'd known she couldn't trust Jack, even after he'd told her that she would always have a place in the family. She called him a liar. Lauren wanted to know why someone hadn't insisted on waiting for them. Gloria said they hadn't wanted her or her family dirtying up their pristine family service.
Gloria said that Jack hadn't robbed her. No one would take that moment away from her. Gloria spoke to John's photo and said that she'd worked hard on her speech, but she felt the speech didn't do justice to the man who'd been her husband. She admitted she hadn't been a good wife. She wasn't an easy person to deal with, but in spite of her flaws, John had loved her for who she was and had been the only man who had made her feel really loved. When he'd taken her hand, she'd felt secure and peaceful. It had taken a long time, but she said she finally got it. Being with John, she'd finally known what it was to love and be in love.
At the Abbotts' after the funeral, Billy told Jack that it was weird that John was gone. He expected John to show up any moment. Billy and Jack reminisced about John and snacks he had enjoyed. Jack reminded Billy that he was there for Billy.
In the living room, the family couldn't get over all the donations they'd received. John had been loved. Colleen and Billy were about to leave when the Fisher family entered. Gloria said that Jack had gotten his wish. She accused Jack of giving her the wrong time for the funeral so they would miss it. Jack denied it and claimed there had been a misunderstanding. He apologized, but Gloria didn't believe him. She claimed that Jack hadn't wanted her or her family there, and Gloria believed that everyone in the Abbott family had known exactly what Jack had done.
Gloria said that Jack had treated her like a disease from day one, and she should have known the Abbotts had been up to something. She said what Jack had done was hateful and mean. Lauren said she couldn't believe that Jack would do something so disgraceful. Michael said it was vintage Jack Abbott. He'd taken an unbelievably painful situation, and he'd made it worse. Jack tried to deny it, but Gloria yelled that his days of treating her like dirt were over. She said that she and her family had every right to be respected in that home as much as Jack did. Jack suggested that Gloria not hold her breath for his respect. Traci begged them to stop, and Ashley said it wasn't the time or place.
Michael said that Jack had purposely denied Gloria the opportunity to say goodbye to John. Gloria told Jack that he hadn't taken anything away from her, and if he thought he was hurting her, he'd failed because it went beyond that. Jack asked if that was a threat. Ashley tried to stop Jack, but Jack said he would handle it. Kevin asked if Jack would handle it the same way he'd handled his father's funeral. Gloria thought that on that one day, they would have put aside their differences and that Jack would have behaved with a little class.
Jack mocked Gloria and said that he would get a lesson in class from a back-alley grifter. Kevin jumped in to defend Gloria, but she told him to let Jack insult her, because Jack was a selfish snob. Jack sneered and said that selfish was seeing his father's express wishes on paper and ignoring them for days. Selfish was hearing him, Ashley, and Traci beg for a small, simple service rather than turning it into a sideshow. Jack said he was sick of it. Gloria said she was sick of being treated like a second-class citizen, and John would have been ashamed of Jack.
Jack exploded in anger and yelled that Gloria was never to tell him how his father would feel because he'd known John for his entire life, and Gloria had only known John for two years. Gloria smiled and said that John had repeatedly told her that she'd made his life worth living and that she'd made him smile and feel young again.
Dripping sarcasm, Jack stated that Gloria might have done that for a few months until all her lies had begun to surface and until her slimy ex-husband had arrived in town. Tom had threatened John so much that John had felt he'd had to shoot him, and John had ended up behind bars. John had been under so much stress that he'd had another stroke before they could bring him home. Thanks to John's loving wife, they had just returned from John's funeral. He said they had put up with Gloria for a long time, and they had done it out of an obligation -- but those days were over. John was dead, and she was no longer John's wife or any part of the Abbott family.
Nikki was thrilled when Victor arrived home earlier than expected. Victor wanted to go immediately to the Abbott house to express his condolences. The Newmans found the Abbotts and the Fishers still fighting. Gloria accused Jack of deliberately lying to her about the time of John's funeral so she'd miss it. Jack warned her that he wasn't going to put up with any more of her games and dramatics. Gloria told Victor her suspicions about Jack's scheme, but Victor, still in the mellow state caused by his disease, wouldn't take either side. As Victor was leaving, he told Jack that he was sure John had provided for Gloria. Jack replied that Gloria would get everything that was coming to her.
After Victor and Nikki left, Jack received a call from Christine. She said she could find no proof that John and Gloria's second marriage had ever been filed with the court, so they probably weren't legally married. After Jack conveyed that news to Gloria, Lauren suggested that they leave and take Gloria to Michael's place. As they were walking out, Michael warned that he would fight Jack on his mother's behalf.
Once the Abbott children were alone, Traci questioned the things Jack had done. Jack assured her that she didn't realize the full extent of the trouble Gloria had brought to the Abbotts. After Traci left to run errands, Ashley urged Jack to back off of Gloria for a while so they could mourn in peace. Later, Jack got a call from the prison chaplain and told him it was okay to drop by. When the chaplain arrived, Jack summoned Ashley downstairs. When told the chaplain had John's new will, Jack refused to take it. He told Ashley he'd give Gloria no opportunity to say they'd tampered with the document. It should go straight to a judge.
Christine went to Michael's apartment after he called her. She confirmed what she'd told Jack earlier. John's attorney had been in failing health and had let a few things fall through the cracks. One of those was filing the paperwork for John and Gloria's marriage. But it didn't matter whether or not Gloria was married to John. He'd still left her half of everything he owned. Gloria perked up at that news, and Christine expressed surprise that Jack and Ashley hadn't told her.
Dru and Neil had another run-in at work. He told her he knew she'd faked an excuse to get Devon home to interrupt Neil's evening with Carmen. He couldn't believe she'd use their son that way. Dru apologized for that, but she still had her suspicions about the "friendship" between her husband and Carmen. Neil walked out on her to avoid another fight.
Later, Carmen and Dru met face to face at work, and Dru again accused Carmen of having designs on Neil. Carmen expressed weariness with Drucilla's accusations and apologies, and the two almost came to physical blows before Neil ran in and separated them. Dru was upset when Neil walked out with Carmen instead of staying with her. Neil then took Carmen out to eat to make up for Dru's behavior, while Dru was stuck working late.
After dinner, Neil and Carmen went to Carmen's to watch a scary movie. When Carmen offered to make them coffee, Neil caught her on her way past him. The two of them kissed. When Neil tried to apologize, Carmen told him not to. They then kissed again before Neil said he should go. Neither of them was aware that Dru was on the street outside and could see them kissing through the windows.
The Newman family planned a surprise coming-home party for Victor. Sharon was shocked to see a visibly pregnant Phyllis show up with Nick, as was Noah. When Sharon got Noah out of the room for a few minutes, she asked Nick why he'd thought it was a good idea to take his pregnant mistress there. Nick hadn't realized that Noah's night away at camp had been canceled due to storm damage. Later, Phyllis offered to leave, but Nick said no. Sooner or later, he would have a talk with Noah about what was going on. However, all of them needed to get used to Phyllis' presence in their lives.
Victor told the gathered family that he'd been in India. While there, the people at the monastery had become concerned about his health and had insisted that he seek medical help. Nikki correctly surmised that Victor hadn't been taking his medication. Victor said the side effects were too great, but he was going to try other treatment options because he was home.
Sharon was having a miserable night. Not only was Noah taking his anger out on her, but she had to deal with Phyllis and a publicly affectionate Victoria and Brad. Phyllis noticed the tension between Brad and Nick and questioned it. Brad wanted to know what Nick had told Phyllis about Brad's past. Nick assured Brad that he hadn't told Phyllis anything, but he also made it clear that he was disgusted by Brad and his influence over Victoria.
Victor was concerned about Sharon's behavior. When he asked questions about the kidnapping, Sharon said she'd rather they all didn't talk about it. Later, Noah and Abby got into a fight over the dog. Noah was clearly acting out because of his anger at his parents. Sharon took him upstairs for a time out. Nikki and Victor were surprised to hear that their new grandchild was going to be a girl. They cautioned Nick about how he presented the news to Sharon, who was sure to be reminded of Cassie.
