"Adam expressed disbelief over David's fatal diagnosis. Marissa pleaded for David to admit that he was lying, but David would not concur. Marissa dashed out of the room, and JR followed her quickly. David started to follow his oldest child, but Krystal stopped him. David insisted that he wasn't trying to hurt Marissa. Krystal reminded him that Marissa had lost her adoptive parents in the last year and pointed out David's insensitivity.
Krystal caught up with JR and Marissa, and Marissa asked if Krystal had already known about David's diagnosis. Krystal swore that David's illness was a surprise to her. Marissa rhetorically asked how she could lose so many people, and JR wondered aloud if David was lying. Krystal acknowledged that David had done much worse in his life, but noted that David loved his children too much to lie about something so grave.
Zach made Kat lead him to the warehouse where Aidan held Kendall captive. When they opened the door, both were surprised to find the place empty. Zach demanded to know where Aidan and Kendall had gone. Before Kat could respond, Aidan hit Zach over the head. Before Zach fell unconscious, he saw Aidan.
Kat helped to tie up Zach, and Aidan reminded her that she knew what to do if something went wrong. Kat left, and Aidan nudged Zach awake with his gun. He then proceeded to berate Zach for his lack of faith in Kendall. Aidan revealed that the woman Zach saw with Aidan at the boarding house wasn't Kendall, and used the situation to illustrate how easily Zach was willing to abandon Kendall. Aidan insisted that Kendall had moved on from her life with Zach.
Jesse arrived at David's gathering, and Angie filled him in on David's revelation. As Tad and Liza approached, Jesse noted his belief that David was trying to get Amanda's attention. Tad was dismayed that David's ruse seemed to be working. As the quartet looked over in Amanda's direction, they saw Jake try to lead Amanda off to somewhere more private. David tried to inhibit their flight, but Adam diverted David's attention.
Adam claimed that David's announcement was an attempt to break up JR's marriage to Marissa. Amanda quickly jumped to David's defense, and said that David just wanted to clear his conscience before he died. Adam was amused at how protective Amanda was over David. Adam alluded to something more serious between Trevor's parents, and Jake was barely able to refrain from lashing out.
As Jesse went over to prevent a brawl, Angie left to check on Marissa. Angie found the young woman venting about how unimportant she was to David. Marissa said that she'd wanted to believe that underneath the surface, David was genuinely a good man. Marissa was upset that she would never be able to find out who David really was.
Krystal encouraged her daughter to use the time that David had left to do just that. Marissa didn't believe that David wanted to spend any of his last days with her. Marissa asked JR to escort her upstairs and away from the latest drama. Once the newlyweds were gone, Angie noted how lucky Marissa was to have Krystal. Krystal was grateful, but said that if she found out that David was lying, she would kill David herself.
Kendall twisted the doorknob futilely in an attempt to get out of a locked room. She banged on the door and called out for anyone who might be in earshot, but received no response. Frustrated, Kendall looked around her cell for resources, and spotted a hanger. She reshaped it, and tried to use an end to pick the lock.
Zach demanded to know what Aidan wanted, but Aidan avoided the question in lieu of continuing to tell Zach what he'd lost. Aidan insisted that Kendall had chosen to be with Aidan as a way to recover from the devastation of abandonment by Zach. Zach agreed to the possibility that his relationship with Kendall was over, but pointed out that Kendall would never give up on her children. Zach said that Kendall would never forgive Aidan if he stood in the way of a reunion with Spike and Ian. Unfazed, Aidan asked if Kendall would forgive him for shooting Zach.
Zach realized that Aidan wanted to make Zach's death look like a suicide. If Kendall believed that Zach took his own life, she might turn to Aidan for comfort, like she did before. Zach admitted that the plan was good, but noted that it would fall apart because, eventually, Kendall would need her family and friends. Zach said that Aidan would cease to be enough, and Aidan would feel trapped. Zach then told Aidan that they needed to end their standoff, and once again demanded to know Kendall's location.
Liza asked Adam to refrain from exacerbating the tension between Jake and David. Adam let Liza say her piece , and then agreed to her request. Liza then asked Adam to take his wife home, as no additional drama was needed. Annie piped up and said that Liza should feel free to keep her opinions to herself.
Tad could sense Liza's fury, and swooped in to rescue her from an acidic encounter. Although Tad was able to calm her down, her more relaxed state was momentary. She tensed up the moment David tapped his silverware against his glass and asked for everyone's attention. David noted that everyone likely thought of his impending death as gift enough, but said that he had additional presents to distribute.
David started with Jake and Amanda, and announced that he planned to sign over full custody of Trevor. David asked Liza to draw up the paperwork, but Adam objected. Adam said that without Trevor, David would focus on Little Adam. David said he wouldn't, as long as Adam agreed to leave the young boy alone as well. Angie and Jesse weren't certain they could take much more, and started to leave.
David stopped the Hubbards and said that he had something to give to Angie. He told her that she had undoubtedly discovered that being chief of staff was difficult, and at times overwhelming. His gift was the password to his computer. David said that should Angie choose to access that computer, she would find all of the dirty secrets that David used to maintain control when he headed up the hospital.
Marissa took a shower, but was unable to wash away the horror of losing her father. She insisted that David should have chosen to tell her first. Marissa said that if David loved her, he would have come clean as soon as he found out. JR's face fell as he realized he was doing the same thing to Marissa that David had done.
Marissa lamented the sad state of her life, and said that the only bright spot thus far, besides JR and Little Adam, was the opportunity she'd had to get to know her birth parents. Marissa then expressed how happy she was that JR had gone into remission, and said that she wouldn't know how to survive if she lost JR. JR tried to keep the guilt out of his voice and said that they no longer needed to think about his illness.
Krystal tried to find a way to apologize to Rob for their utterly disastrous first date. Rob tried to dismiss the apology and agreed that they needed to leave. Before they could, David approached and told Krystal that he was leaving her the bulk of his estate. Krystal questioned the decision, but David assured her that his children had been well provided for. Krystal said that she didn't want the gift, but David told her that the money belonged to Krystal.
Liza walked up to David and asked how he intended to make up for the fact that he held her at gunpoint. David surreptitiously handed Liza an envelope and instructed her to open it while she was alone, in the privacy of her home. David then turned to give Tad a gift, but Tad rejected it. Tad then loudly said that everyone should reject what David had given, because there was always a condition or a string attached. David admitted that he didn't expect his gifts to ease the years of pain he had inflicted, and humbly noted his wish that he had enough time to prove his sincerity.
Tad and Jake had a brief conference about what they believed to be deception on David's part. Tad thought that David had provided everyone with exactly what they wanted, but Jake noted that David's gifts were merely attractive on the surface. They considered the possibility that they were the only ones that saw through David's act.
Across the room, Amanda told David that she was proud of him for making amends. David thought that his actions might be "too little, too late." David then said that he thought Amanda and Trevor should spend the holidays with Jake. Jake was close enough and overheard David's offer. Amanda started to protest and said that David should spend as much time as he needed with Trevor. Jake interrupted and told Amanda that she should abide by David's wishes.
Zach was worried that Aidan had done something to Kendall, but Aidan admitted that he was the person who got hurt. Zach was amazed that Aidan had essentially hatched his plan because he felt he was owed something. Zach said that if Aidan needed to punish someone, he should kill Zach and let Kendall reunite with her sons. At the same moment, Kendall gave up on her attempt to pick the lock. She then heard the tumblers shift, and tried the door. She was delighted when the door opened, but cautious when she saw Kat on the other side.
Jesse went to retrieve the cars that the valet had parked , and Liza checked to see if Rob and Krystal were ready to leave. Tad and Angie stayed behind, and again discussed what validity David's performance might hold. Tad was absolutely certain that David had lied, but Angie was doubtful. Tad thought that her reluctance stemmed from the gift that David had given her. Tad thought that the lure of absolute power was too much for anyone to resist.
Liza returned and said that Krystal and Rob would stay behind. More than ready to leave, Tad prepared himself to escort the two women to the cars. Angie said that she needed a moment. As soon as Tad and Liza left, Angie gave in to her curiosity, and opened the envelope that David had given her.
Jake and Amanda got back to their apartment, and Amanda got Trevor to fall asleep. When she emerged from the bedroom, she was horrified at the tree that Jake had purchased to celebrate the holiday. Jake said that he was hopeless without her, and then drew his wife into a passionate kiss. After they made love, Amanda admitted that she couldn't stop thinking that David was missing the last Christmas he would ever be able to spend with his son.
David visited Marissa and JR at their room and asked for a few moments of their time. Marissa granted him entrance, and David again apologized for how he chose to tell her about his illness. Marissa said that after thinking a while, she'd found some understanding. David told her that there was no excuse for how he'd treated her. David then asked if he could make it up to her by spending the rest of his days improving their relationship.
David said that he just wanted to take the time he had left to get to know Marissa better and make some memories. David said that JR should understand, and said he knew about JR's cancer diagnosis. JR thought that David wanted to use that information against him and demanded to know what David wanted. David insisted that he just wanted peace between himself and JR, and said that they should be able to achieve that, given that they were both battling illness. Marissa blurted out that JR was in remission and David shot JR a puzzled look.
When Annie and Adam returned home, Adam bellowed about the people who had fallen for David's story. Annie asked if there was a possibility that David had been truthful, but Adam rejected the idea. He called David a master manipulator who would stop at nothing to get what he wanted. Annie reminded Adam that she was quite similar to David in that regard. Annie said that identifying with David made her sympathetic. Adam said he had no reason to feel similar . Instead, Adam noted that his focus would be on helping Annie to forget how it felt to be misjudged and mistreated.
Zach rambled on about how Aidan's plan would ultimately fail, and Aidan demanded that Zach be quiet so that he could think. Zach refused to comply and continued to talk until Aidan was almost completely unhinged. Aidan laid the gun down and turned his back to Zach to contemplate his next move.
Zach was able to loosen the ties that bound his wrists, and quickly leapt up. He slammed Aidan's head into a metal container, which sent Aidan to the floor. Without hesitation, Zach grabbed Aidan's gun and pointed it at his captor. At Zach's mercy, Aidan dared Zach to shoot him. Zach seriously considered it until Kendall ran into the room and into Zach's arms.
Tad took Liza back to his place and said that they needed to celebrate that they got away from David's gathering without receiving a gift. Liza revealed that she hadn't been so lucky, but said that she hadn't opened the envelope. Tad encouraged her to burn the envelope and its contents, but Liza couldn't bear the thought of not knowing. She opened it and found pictures of DA Willis in bed with a judge, one Martha Sams. Liza said that if the pictures were published, Willis would lose his job, and Liza would have a clear shot at being his successor."
- Soap Central