Evangeline accuses John of being a grinch after she finds him working at his desk on Christmas Eve. Antonio promises Jessica that the holiday will seem much merrier next year. Nash gets nowhere trying to reach Tess on his cell phone. As Matthew hopes that Nora will awaken in time for Hanukkah, Bo tries to keep his son's morale from flagging. Carlotta advises Cristian to just be himself and assures her gloomy son he'll soon win back Natalie's love. Rex receives a message from Bo instructing the young man to meet him at Llanfair. Duke complains to Kelly that he can't understand the way Adriana runs hot and cold with him. John fondly recalls a Christmas with his dad long ago. Nash finally reaches Jessica and explains how he wound up in the hospital. Evangeline encourages Cristian to begin painting again. John tells a surprised Michael how lucky he feels to have him as a brother. Rex is touched when Bo presents him with a special gift which once belonged to Drew. Tess emerges and cons Asa into lending her his private jet. Later, Tess gives Antonio the slip and heads to the airport for a quick trip to Napa. Clint thanks Viki for helping him remember how much he has to be thankful for as he looks around Llanfair's crowded parlor. Alone at the chapel, a tearful Paige says a prayer for the son she gave away years ago. Natalie gives John a medal of St. Jude.
David bumps into Dorian in Angel Square and is deflated when his former fiancée once again gives him the cold shoulder. Nash awakens in the ICU to find Tess cuddled up next to him. Clint takes exception to Viki's staunch belief in her brother's innocence. At the courthouse, jury selection begins for Todd's trial. Antonio comes to the vineyard in search of Jessica and is alarmed to find bloodstains on the floor of the cottage. Bo's strong and loving bond with Matthew makes Paige long for the son she gave away. Revealing that he's adopted, Hugh explains to Evangeline why he's taking the death of Margaret's baby so personally. Meanwhile, Todd is enraged to spot Spencer comforting Blair. David attempts to mend fences with Dorian but she refuses to forgive him for breaking her heart. Tess confides to Nash how worried she is about being a lousy mother to their child. Dorian is intrigued to walk in on a quarrel between Viki and Clint. Paige reveals to a shocked David that she gave up for adoption the infant son whose very existence is still a secret to Spencer. Antonio's arrival at the hospital brings Jessica back to the surface. Later, Antonio informs Nash that he and his girlfriend have scheduled a paternity test for their unborn baby. Hugh offers to take the death penalty off the table if Todd agrees to a life sentence without the possibility of parole. Clint warns Viki she'll be on her own if she dares to let Niki out again. Paige discloses her painful secret to Bo.
Spencer gives Kevin and Kelly the okay to start a family, as all of the test and post-op results look good. As Kevin looks on, Kelly sings Spencer's praises and gushes her thanks. Clint happens by and shares the good news but takes a seat next to Spencer at the bar. He has his eye on him, he warns the doctor, and he'd better not have a personal agenda. When Spencer puts down Clint for obtaining a fortune, he responds that he'd give it all up to help anyone in his family. And since poor Spencer has no loving family he has nothing to lose, he retorts. The good doctor is speechless. Afterwards, Clint shares his concerns about Spencer with Kevin who just thinks that the man is arrogant. Clint thinks there's strings attached to everything that he does.
Bo is stunned; not only does Paige have a 26 year old son but Spencer is a father who never knew about his child. Paige admits that as time goes by she has begun to obsess over the welfare of her child and wants Bo to help locate him. She's adamant that Spencer not find out even though Bo feels strongly that he should know. He relents to Paige's way of thinking and agrees to help find him. As if on cue, Spencer arrives, supposedly to check on his favorite patient. However, when Bo leaves the room to take a phone call, Spencer is quick to demand that Paige disclose the secret that David has on him. They accuse and threaten each other until Bo's return. Bo admits that he's fine with Paige's confession and is only sorry that she never got to be a mom.
John is quick to come to Evangeline's defense when Hugh bothers her regarding her acceptance of a deal for Todd. She turns on John but lets up when he apologizes for having the reflex to stick up for her. She's upset that Hugh has the jury that he wanted. They are finally able to sit and make small talk without either of them getting angry.
Natalie pays Cristian a visit and attempts to hand him a check for $27,000 but he has the wrong idea and thinks she's trying to pay him off. When she reveals that she's sold his paintings he's even angrier, wondering if she was low on cash or wanted to get rid of him in every way to be with John. Taken aback, a wounded Natalie explains how painful it was to have the beautiful paintings around and how amazing it was to sell them and keep him alive forever. She is angry over his thinking the worst of her but is soothed when Cris apologizes and agrees to keep the check. She asks to see his new work but he is not ready to show it yet, even though he always showed her everything. She's hurt again and leaves while he quickly follows. Ending up at Angel Square, Cris runs into Evangeline, explaining that he realized Nat was headed to work and stopped following her. They chat about getting their lives together. Cris is aware that both he and John want Natalie. He asks if Nat loves John; Evangeline feels that she loves them both.
At the police station, Natalie bursts into John's office with the confirmation of his psychiatric evaluation issued by internal affairs. Being concerned, she wants to know about it, she demands. Citing the fact that they're no longer together, he informs her that basically it's none of her business. She's quick to retort that he'd keep it to himself even if they were together. He relents and explains that it's either the exam to keep his badge or he'll be forced to take a leave of absence. They manage to joke around; she suggests that now would be a good time to use the St. Jude's medal.
Todd has a nightmare involving Margaret.
After revealing he has no health insurance, Nash learns that Antonio has already paid his entire hospital bill. A confused Blair senses that Spencer has begun avoiding her. At the jail, Rex reports to Todd that he hasn't turned up any new witnesses or evidence to corroborate his story. Bo shows Cristian the plaque Natalie had placed outside the church when she believed her husband was dead. A fuming Adriana overhears Kelly and Duke discussing how naive she is about men. Later, Adriana lashes out at Kelly for ruining her life. Bo privately enlists Rex to help him locate Paige's son. Nash reminds Jessica that he fully intends to be a part of her baby's life if he is indeed the father. Natalie suggests to John that they wipe the slate clean instead of starting the new year angry. Antonio discovers that the beating Nash took was probably administered by a couple of professionals. Blair presses Bo to let her visit Todd's cell at midnight so they can ring in 2006 together. Kelly confides to Spencer how she argued with her young cousin. Meanwhile, Duke assures Adriana he wants to be with her. John and Cris face off again on the subject of Natalie.
On New Year's Eve, the Buchanans get ready to head to Asa's lodge for a party. Meanwhile, Spencer and David sit together at the Palace bar. David knows that Spencer is out to ruin the Buchanans, but he still doesn't know why. Spencer brings up Cairo in order to get David to help him do his dirty work. David makes a call to Kelly and asks her to come visit him at the Palace, because he is feeling depressed. Spencer also has someone put in a call to Renee, telling her that there is trouble with the Chef at the Palace. All of this is part of Spencer's strategy to get Kevin to drive up to the Lodge by himself, and also to cause Duke and Kelly to ride together. As a surprise bonus to his plan, Rex ends up driving Adriana to the lodge. As a storm rages in Llanview, Kevin's car gets stuck and he stops to use a phone booth on a lonely stretch of road. Spencer has followed Kevin, comes up behind him, and knocks him unconscious. The snow falls on Kevin's still body. Meanwhile, Kelly and Duke get stuck on the side of the road, as do Adriana and Rex in their vehicle. Rex persuades Adriana to cuddle with him in order to stay warm. Spencer arrives at the Lodge, where he has left a bottle of poisoned alcohol for Asa. Asa enjoys two glasses, then falls into a chair, semiconscious. Spencer comes up beside him and says, "I see you found the gift I left you."
Viki is relieved to see Jessica, but furious that Antonio did not let she and Clint know that they were in California. Antonio leaves to attend to some business, and Viki tries to assure Jessica that they will cure her. After Jessica goes upstairs, Niki tries to come out. She fights for control with Viki, taunting her host with the knowledge of the secret about Jessica's childhood. Niki gains control just as Nash arrives at the door. She flirts with him and tries to get him to take her away from Llanfair, but he is disgusted with her. Jessica comes downstairs and immediately sees through Niki's act. Viki taunts Jessica and tries to get Tess to come out. She talks about how much Nash loves her, and Tess gains control and flees Llanfair. Niki wants to party, but she has to deal with a visit from Dorian, who has just enjoyed drinks with Clint at the Palace. Clint persuaded Dorian not to help Viki bring out Niki again, and Dorian wanted to tell this to Viki in person. Niki pretends to be Viki, and she tells Dorian to go ahead and date Clint if she wants to. After Dorian leaves, Niki takes off to party. She arrives at the Palace and begins to flirt with David, who thinks she's Viki!
Dorian goes to the Buchanan mansion to tell Clint that she assured Viki she will not help her bring out Niki Smith again. When Dorian tells Clint that Viki gave her permission to date him, he immediately knows that Dorian was actually speaking to Niki. "What kind of an idiot are you?" he growls at Dorian.
Tess and Nash frantically search for one another outside in the snow storm. Tess takes shelter in an abandoned shed, but she hears Nash calling for her and runs out into the storm.
Cristian hands Evangeline a check for twenty-seven thousand dollars as payment for her services and as a retainer to help him keep his marriage to Natalie intact. Evangeline tells him that she helped him for moral reasons, but that she can't assist him with Natalie. She tells him that forcing Natalie to stay married to him is not the best way to win her back. Antonio arrives and asks Evangeline to help him get a restraining order against Nash. Regretfully, Van tells him that she won't be able to help him either. She says that Nash technically hasn't done anything except be in love with the same woman as Antonio. Antonio tells her that Nash is in love with Tess, who is not the same person as Jessica. Cris tries to get Evangeline to be with John for New Year's Eve, and in exchange he will be with Natalie. She tells him that there is nothing worse than being with someone who wants to be with someone else. She leaves alone.
