At the cabin, Blake settled down to finish her novel after putting the twins to bed. She took a turn in the novel where Armand decided that he truly loved his wife, Christina, not Clarissa. Of course, the characters were mad at that and told Blake that Armand would never want his frumpy old wife back when he had been in love with Clarissa for over ten chapters. Blake told Armand that she was the author and would write what she wanted. He told her to tell Ross the truth and get it over with so that she could go on writing the novel the way that it should be written.
At Towers, Ross was infuriated that Blake had taken the kids with her when she'd left town. He was bending Holly's ear about it, reading her the note from Blake saying that she had to have a break, and she and the boys would be back in a few days. Holly told Ross that he should know that the boys would be okay with Blake. He told her that she was right then suggested that they plan out Philadelphia.
Just then, "Joe" walked by. Ross stopped him and began asking where Blake was. "Joe" said that he had no idea. A girl waked in and kissed "Joe" on the cheek, which infuriated Ross. He noticed that "Joe's" life was complicated and wanted to know why he was on a date with someone when Blake was eight months pregnant with his kid. That made the girl want to know what was up. Finally, "Joe" said that it wasn't his baby then told Ross to talk to Blake. Ross was stunned. He went to Holly and asked what kind of person "Joe" could be to deny the baby.
Olivia walked in and told Josh about the meeting being changed. Josh said that he had moved out of his house. Olivia said that she was sorry and changed the subject to the menu. Olivia told him that she thought it was too soon to think about anything more than a business relationship, and she was cool with that. They ordered dinner. Josh learned that Olivia could cook and bake. He thanked her for making the night nice and not awkward.
In San Cristobel, Reva called Richard and told him that she wanted to talk to him. Richard told her that it wasn't a good time and that he was busy. Reva informed him that she had left Josh, and Richard wanted to know why she was telling him that. Richard told her that it was too late for them, there was no longer anything to say between them, and he was sorry -- but it was over and he had moved on. Reva told him that it wasn't fair to marry Cassie when he still had feelings for her. She told him to go to Springfield to meet with her.
Reva said goodbye to Richard and said that she would meet him in Springfield. Cassie walked in and saw that Richard was upset. She asked him who had been on the phone, and he told her. Cassie asked what Reva had wanted, and Richard told her about the breakup and that Reva wanted him in Springfield. Cassie asked when he was leaving. He told her that it was over with Reva, and he would not go after her. They went back in the courtyard, where Alan made a toast to Richard, who turned and made one to Cassie.
Cassie congratulated the happy engaged couple Beth and Jim.
Meanwhile, Edmund watched the video of Phillip and Beth's night of bliss. Phillip and Harley went to Edmund's room, willing to give Edmund that benefit of the doubt. He told Edmund that he was grateful to him and would like to offer him a job at Spaulding. Edmund was confused because he'd thought he was being tried for treason. Phillip told him that he'd talked to Richard, who had agreed to it if Edmund took the job in Springfield. Edmund understood then and figured that Richard was exiling him instead of putting him on trial. Edmund agreed to the offer, and Phillip and Harley left.
Phillip and Harley returned with Edmund at their heels. Edmund announced that he wanted to toast the Spauldings as well as his brother. Everyone drank and got ready for dinner.
Edmund talked to Alan about success. Alan left, and Susan walked up and introduced herself. She explained her parentage and told him that she wanted to introduce herself to him. He told her that she could fill him in on all the Springfield gossip. They danced until Jim cut in.
Beth thanked Edmund for being so kind to Susan. She then thanked him for saving her life. She told him that she was his immediate supervisor, and she could be tough. She left. Jim walked over and told Edmund that he knew the truth about him and would be watching him closely. Edmund felt smug that he had a secret to take down the entire room, but he didn't know when or how he would use it yet.
Richard caught back up with Cassie and asked her if she was okay. She gave him his ring and told him that she would not marry him if he still had feelings for Reva. He told her that he didn't want to be with Reva. She told him that she wanted him to go find out how he felt. He agreed to go, but only if she went with him, because they were a team. He kissed her, put her ring back on, and told her that they would be married when they returned. Cassie wondered if that day would ever come. Edmund congratulated Cassie and Richard on their engagement and thanked Richard for his second chance. Edmund made his own private toast to "Sex, Lies, and Videotape."
At the Lewis house, Reva hung up from Richard, and the doorbell rang. It was Olivia. She asked to talk to Josh, and Reva told her that Josh wasn't there at the moment. Olivia left a message and began to leave. Reva disclosed that Josh had moved out. Olivia apologized, saying she'd had no idea. Reva told her that she knew that Olivia had feelings for Josh and wanted to make sure that she didn't take advantage of him. Marah walked in, and Olivia left.
Marah said she'd gone to find her dad and had told him that she wanted to move in with him, but he had said she owed it to her mom to work things out. Reva said that she wanted to get through things and for them all to be honest with each other. Marah asked her mom if she'd left Josh because she was still in love with Richard. Reva admitted to her daughter that she did still have feelings for Richard but that they were nothing compared to her feelings for her family.
Marah didn't understand why Reva couldn't get away from Richard. Reva told her that she needed to sort through her feelings for him. Marah wanted her mom back -- not what she had had, just her mom. They hugged. They laughed, cried, and made up. Marah fell asleep on the couch.
At Towers, Carmen was dining with Maria. She was still blaming Michelle. Bill approached, wanting to talk to Pilar. Carmen told him to leave her alone and that she was with her cousin the priest. He said okay and mentioned to her about his mom's accident. Carmen started thinking about the possibilities that Vanessa could have been at Ben's.
At the jail, Danny and Michelle's lawyer walked in, obviously with a plan. Danny told Michelle that they needed to divorce so that she would have a better chance when her trial went to court. She adamantly refused and told him that she loved him and couldn't lose him, too. Danny reassured her that nothing would change between them, and they would remarry after she was let go. Michelle said no and talked to him about why.
The lawyer told Michell that not only should she and Danny divorce, but they should also start laying blame toward Danny, since that would get her out of it, and they would not be able to go after Danny because of lack of evidence. Michelle told him no, and he told her that she would end up with a death sentence if she didn't listen to him. He left. Michelle told Danny that she had read up on some things, and she could have Ross as her lawyer if she signed a waiver to no appeal. She wanted Ross, and Danny agreed that she should have him.
At the hospital, Matt and Rick looked in on Vanessa. Matt was upset, Rick was trying some new medicine, and Vanessa was silently thinking of how she'd killed Ben and that Michelle was in trouble. She wished she could tell Matt so he could help her. The guys left for a bite to eat, and Carmen walked in. She told Vanessa that Bill had told her about the accident and that she knew Vanessa had been there. She wondered if Vanessa had seen anything or if Ben had told her anything. Vanessa responded by grabbing Carmen's hand.
At the firehouse, Buzz tried to get Selena to do her exercises, but she was feeling down and not wanting to work on them. She told him that she was tired, but he didn't buy it. Drew and Jesse stopped by and cheered them up with Christmas cookies. Buzz kicked them out so that they could get back to work. Selena still didn't want to work, so she grabbed Buzz and kissed him to get his mind off of it.
Buzz kissed Selena back and reached to pick her up, only to carry her over to the mats. She did a little then Buzz massaged her legs. He was surprised that she had regained all of the feeling she had lost and hadn't told him. Selena admitted it and told him that she still couldn't walk and wanted to give him a whole woman, not what she was right then. Buzz and Selena kissed some more, and he gave her an early Christmas present: a pair of red high heels for the New Year's party at Millennium. He told her that she would dance with him that night, one way or another.
At Towers, Danny asked Ross to defend Michelle at trial, but he refused. He said that Michelle would have to waive her right to appeal, and if he made a mistake, she would suffer. Danny told him about their lawyer and how he wanted Michelle to plea bargain when she was innocent. Ross told him that they needed a new lawyer; he would love to help, but he cared so much for Michelle that he believed it wasn't in her best interest. Ross told Danny that even if he thought he could win, he had already accepted a job in Philadelphia and was leaving for a few months.
Danny got emotional and pleaded to Ross to save his wife. Ross was touched by Danny's love for Michelle. Ross said that he knew what it was like to love someone beyond reason. Danny said that Michelle was his life, and without her, he might not go on. Thinking all was lost, Danny apologized to Ross for wasting his time. Ross stopped him and agreed to try to find a way to represent Michelle, but he made no promises. Ross received a phone call from Blake. He asked where she was.
At Cedar's, Vanessa grabbed Carmen's hand after she asked about Ben's murder. Carmen jumped up just as Matt and Rick walked in. Matt wanted to know what was going on and why Carmen was in there with his wife. Carmen gave him some story about how she had talked to Bill and was worried about his mom. She said she cared about Bill's family as well as Rick's. Rick mentioned that he knew she had gone to visit Michelle and was surprised. He thought she would want to hang Michelle for Ben's murder.
Carmen assured Rick that she didn't believe every accusation she heard. Carmen told Matt that Vanessa would be in her prayers. She left. Matt talked to Vanessa about the turkey he'd gotten for the holidays. He talked about what Maureen had been up to and how much they both loved her. Carmen, in the hallway, noticed how much Matt loved Vanessa and thought of how she could use that for her own benefit.
In the park, Olivia and Josh sat on a park bench, eating hot dogs and watching kids ice-skate. He was surprised that she wanted to have hot dogs, and she admitted that she had never had one. She talked about how she hadn't been royalty growing up and that her family had been very hard workers. She talked about her childhood and her family. Josh, in turn, talked to her about Billy, Trish, H.B., and Martha. Josh told her about the family business and how they'd lost it. Olivia told him that she thought he was very brave to start over. They began to leave when Josh said that the next time, they would ice-skate.
At the Lewises', Richard rang the bell, and Reva was pleased to see him -- until she saw that Cassie was with him. Against Richard's wishes, Cassie left so that Reva and Richard could be alone to talk. Cassie met Marah outside. Marah was glad to see Cassie and thought that it was a good thing for her mom that her sister was home. Marah started to head inside when Cassie stopped her and said that Richard was with Reva. Marah got angry and told Cassie that she wished Richard would stop pursuing her mother. Cassie told her that Reva had called Richard and had asked him to go there. Marah and Cassie talked, and they both thought that Reva still loved Richard.
Richard wanted to talk to Reva about Cassie and their relationship, but Reva wanted to talk about her and him. She told him that he wouldn't have shown up if he had not wanted to see her. Reva told Richard that she couldn't get him out of her mind. She said she had been lying to everyone about her feelings. She remembered things about the two of them, when they had been together. She said that she had hurt everyone she knew, even him, but he was right about her feelings.
Richard didn't want to hear that; he told Reva that she was too late. Nothing was going to be helped by her telling him that. She said that they needed to find out if there was something between them worth saving. Richard told Reva that what she said didn't matter. He had a country to run and couldn't deal with her mind games. Reva accused him of sacrificing Cassie for his country, but Richard assured her that Cassie didn't feel that way.
Richard began to leave. Reva started to cry and said, "I really am on my own." Richard told her that he did not want to hurt her, and he hugged her. Cassie and Marah walked in. Richard said they were leaving, but Cassie wanted to stay and talk to Reva. Richard said he would meet her at the hotel.
At the cabin, Harley stopped in to check on Blake. She told Blake about how she'd almost lost Phillip. She said that Blake was being stupid and that Blake should go to Ross, spill her guts, and not worry about finishing the novel. Blake wanted to be the bigger person and let Ross and Holly go off into the sunset. She would have the baby alone. Harley told Blake to at least call Ross and tell him where she and the boys were so he didn't worry. Harley left.
Blake called Ross. She told Ross that she would have the kids home for Christmas. She hung up the phone but not all the way, and Ross overheard her tell the boys that they would go home as soon as she finished her novel.
At the Lewises', Reva and Cassie were talking about Richard. Reva was concerned that Cassie was going into a loveless marriage. Reva told her that Richard would never be able to love her with the feelings he had for Reva. Cassie said that Richard had been very happy with her over the past few weeks, and Reva's name hadn't even been mentioned up until she'd called. Cassie said that Reva just wanted to control things and that everyone else had to put their lives on hold. Reva insisted that she was doing it for everyone else, but Cassie thought Reva was only thinking of herself.
Reva asked Cassie not to marry Richard, and Cassie said no. Cassie said that she would not let Reva hurt Richard again. Cassie asked, "What about Josh?" Reva said that she and Richard needed a chance to deal with their feelings. Cassie was not buying it.
Reva saw that Cassie had feelings for Richard and asked if she loved him; Cassie admitted that she did but begged Reva not to tell him. Reva insisted that Cassie had to let him know herself. Cassie said she would in her time. Meanwhile, Reva wanted them to put things aside and spend Christmas together. Cassie didn't know if that would be possible. Cassie told her sister that she had missed her and then left.
At Towers, Ross had no idea why Blake would lie to him about writing a novel. He thought it was a good thing that she had, and he had no idea why she felt compelled to lie to him again. He decided to find Blake. He headed to the elevator and ran into Harley. He asked her why she hadn't told him about Blake being Darlena La Cross. Harley wondered how he'd found out, but Ross told her it didn't matter and asked where he could find Blake. Harley told him that she wouldn't tell him that Blake was hiding out at the cabin. He thanked her for "not telling" him and left.
Harley joined the party with Phillip, Jim, and Beth. Jim talked to Phillip alone and told him the truth about Edmund and how he'd had no intention of rescuing him and Beth. Phillip thanked Jim and told him that Edmund was on a super-tight leash and would not get the best of them. Meanwhile, Edmund talked to Richard, and they had a few disagreements. Richard left, and Edmund made a call and told someone to deliver something. Soon after, Beth received a package containing a video. She was confused at first until she read the side that said it was a wedding-planning video. She wondered how someone had known where she was but put the thought out of her mind. Edmund stared across the room at Beth.
En route to the cabin, Ross was going to confront Blake. He was listening to a doctor talk show about love on the radio and called in for advice on Blake. The doctor asked why, if she lied so much to him and he wanted out of the relationship, he was headed up to see her then. The doctor was ripping apart Blake, and Ross defended her. The doctor told Ross that he still loved his ex-wife. He got off the phone and thought a bit about it and knew that she was right; he turned the car around and decided not to chase her down, after all.
At the cabin, Blake finished her story and had Christina let go of Armand so he could be happy with Clarissa. After she finished, she started having contractions, but she had accidentally dropped the phone and broken it. She was worried that once again, she was going to end up having her baby in the Bauer cabin. Blake fell over in pain.
At Towers, Richard, Cassie, Tammy, and R.J. were dining. Richard gave Tammy a small tiara, and she thought she was royalty. Richard asked Cassie what she would like for Christmas, and she told him that her wish was impossible: she wanted to spend Christmas with her sister, but there were too many bad feelings for that to happen. Richard told her that they could go, and she could see Reva.
At the Lewises', Marah wasn't in a Christmas mood and complained about her dad not showing up for Christmas Eve. Shayne gave his presents to his mom and Marah to try to cheer them up, and it seemed to work a little until Josh showed up then everyone was happy. He passed out presents to everyone, including Reva, and they went about decorating the tree. Reva went to the door and found Richard. He told her that he had a gift for her, but she didn't know if she should accept it. Richard told her she had to then Cassie arrived at the door.
Richard thought that Reva should be with her sister and had taken her and the kids over. He left and passed Josh, who was getting wood and thanked Richard for taking Cassie to be with Reva. They wished each other merry Christmas, and Richard left. Rick and Abby showed up and had arms full of gifts. A courier delivered a gift to Reva. She opened it, and it was a gold locket. She opened the locket, and it had a picture of Jonathan in it with a note that read, "To Reva, From Jonathan: Thanks to you we are having a merry Christmas."
At the firehouse, Buzz was with his family and talked to his little boys about Santa. Jesse, Max, and Drew were there, but Drew was sad because she missed Ben and because her mom was in a wheelchair. Harley, Phillip, and Zack walked in. Harley told Selena how attentive Phillip had been since the plane crash. Jim, Beth, and Susan were there, as well. Buzz sat everyone down and told a story to all of his friends and family, "'Twas the Night Before Christmas," but his version told the story of what happened to the people of Springfield on Christmas Eve.
Edmund and Alan walked in and were welcomed into the festivities. Meanwhile, Drew was still upset, and Jesse was trying to help her. Jesse went in and told Selena about Drew being upset. He took Selena out to see her and left the two alone. Drew wanted to go home, but Selena wanted her to stay. Selena said that she wanted to give Drew her birthday present early. Selena stood up out of her wheelchair and walked over to her daughter to hug her. They were all smiles and tears.
Holly told Ross that she had received the last chapters of Darlena's book. Ross told her that Darlena was really Blake, and Holly figured out why Blake had done it. She knew Blake had done it for her and Ross and that the baby was really Ross's. She contemplated telling him then ultimately did. Ross understood everything then and left. Holly said, "Merry Christmas, Blake."
At the cabin, Blake was in pain with contractions. She wondered how she would get through it without help, but she knew she would have to. She tried to use the phone, but there was still no dial tone. She knew she would have to deliver alone and tried to get ready, but she ended up on the floor in pain.
Ross arrived just in time and noticed Blake on the floor. He helped her up and ended up helping her deliver their baby. He told her that he had gotten ahold of her midwife, who was on her way, but she had to promise not to ever tell Ed that she had delivered their entire family in the front room of his lake cottage. Blake smiled but was still in pain. Ross gave Blake their daughter and let her know that he knew the baby was their daughter. He told her that for some reason, the universe kept throwing them together, and he kissed her and told her, "Merry Christmas."
At the jail, Michelle and Danny were smooching when the guard walked in and broke things up. He told Danny that visiting hours were over and that Danny had to leave. Frank told him no exceptions, and Danny left after almost getting locked up himself. Frank returned and told Michelle that they were going to have to move her. She wondered what was up, especially when Frank escorted her to her own house.
Frank took Michelle to her room, where Danny was waiting. Danny explained to Michelle that Frank had set the whole thing up and that they had twelve hours together, alone. Frank said, "Merry Christmas," and left. Danny and Michelle kissed and talked and ended up making love. She talked about her mom and then began singing, "O Holy Night," and Danny started singing with her.
