Up in the hayloft, it was the first time Julia had seen her sister Maria in years, and Maria was about to kill her. "Tell me who the hell you are and what you are doing here," Maria yelled, clutching a pitchfork. The injured Aidan tried to assure Maria that the woman was Julia, but Maria wasn't buying it. She called Julia a liar because she knew that her sister was in the Witness Protection Program. Julia explained that she was, in fact, still in the program, but Mateo had arranged the visit as a Christmas present.
Finally convinced, Maria broke down in tears and ran to hug Julia. Julia explained to Maria how close they had once been and how they had told each other everything. Julia asked why Maria was hiding that handsome man in the hay. Maria explained the Aidan situation to Julia and how Aidan had been her savior during the whole amnesia crisis. Since he was the one in trouble, she was going to help him, no matter how dangerous it might be. She made Julia promise not to tell anyone about Aidan, especially not Edmund.
In the meantime, back at Wildwind, Edmund was busy talking with the federal agent in charge of watching Julia. When he heard that the agent had left Julia at the stables, he ran to witness the Julia/Maria reunion. When Edmund and the agent arrived at the stables, the sisters could hear the voices below.
Realizing they were about to be discovered, Julia ran down the ladder and jumped into Edmund's arms. Maria nervously followed. After the hugs and kisses, Edmund casually asked Maria why they were way up in the hayloft. Julia quickly answered that she had hoped their old "spot" would stir up some of Maria's memory. Edmund completely bought the explanation, and they headed back to Wildwind so that Julia could see the kids. Aidan was alone up in the loft, groaning in pain. He glanced at his wound, which was bleeding again.
Back at the house, Agent Chaney was itching to search the entire premises. Terrified that Chaney would find Aidan, Maria began to sneak away. Edmund caught her leaving, and led her back into the living room. Having no choice but to follow him, she walked over to Julia and Maddie. Maria observed that Julia's scar was barely visible. Edmund and Julia stared at Maria in shock. They asked how Maria knew about the scar. They wondered if it was a sign that her memory had returned.
At the Chandler house, Adam asked Liza to join him at the homeless shelter, where Chandler Enterprises was sponsoring a Christmas dinner for the homeless. "Let's show the town that we're still a team," he proposed. She declined, claiming that she'd promised to help Colby with the gifts.
Adam left for the dinner, and Colby entered the living room. She asked if Aunt Mia would be joining them. When Liza replied that she didn't expect Mia that year, Colby asked, "Is it 'cause of the bad thing you did to Aunt Mia?" Liza was taken aback by the question at first but then decided to go the honest route. She admitted to Colby that mommy had done a bad thing, and she wasn't sure that Aunt Mia would ever forgive her.
However, little Colby wasn't hearing it. "Just apologize again, and it will all be fine," suggested Colby, and she promptly handed Liza the phone. Liza gently told Colby that she wouldn't call Mia, and she left the room. But little Colby wasn't taking no for an answer. She dialed up Mia herself.
In the meantime, back at Mia's house, Frank was furiously knocking at the door, yelling that he had made a decision about their baby. Mia tried to stop him from entering the house, but Frank barged in anyway.
Frank completely surprised Mia, He started out by apologizing for not being there when she had given birth to their baby. Then, he told her that he understood why Mia had given the baby away. And most importantly, he wasn't going to fight to take William away from a family who loved him. Mia couldn't believe her ears and asked what had changed his mind. He said that Simone had had something to do with it, but the big reason was Liza.
Mia was shocked that Liza had defended her, and she started to cry. Jake entered, and Mia explained what had just happened with Frank. Jake immediately sensed that Mia was softening toward Liza and gave her a reality check. He reminded Mia that it was her beloved sister who had pushed her out the window, practically killing her. Just then, the phone rang. It was little Colby. She told Mia how much she missed her. Liza saw Colby on the phone and grabbed the receiver from her. When she realized it was Mia on the other end, she awkwardly wished her a merry Christmas and quickly hung up.
Mia's phone rang again. It was Jackson. He needed to know right after Christmas whether Mia was going to press charges. Jake said it was great news, figuring that it would all be over with soon. He left to shower. Mia hobbled over to the Christmas tree and stared at her gift for Colby. She took the gift and headed for the Chandler house.
Back at the Chandler house, Liza was also staring at her gift for Mia. She, too, grabbed her gift and headed for Mia's house. She opened the door and ran smack into Mia.
At the homeless shelter, JR and Laurie were looking pretty chummy as they served dinner. JR worried that Laurie's dad would see the necklace he had just given her, but Laurie assured him that her dad was nowhere near there that night. She was wrong. Laurie's dad showed up with a bandage on his head and looking a tad drunk. Her dad eyed his daughter snuggling with JR but chose to stay hidden.
Just then, Adam arrived. He gave a little speech about giving to the poor. JR listened to the speech and immediately became cynical about his father's lack of sincerity. Laurie tried to calm him down, reminding him that, sincere or not, it was Adam's charity that was feeding the homeless folks. She then spotted another homeless woman and served her a plate of food.
Before Laurie reached the woman, she ran right into her father. Stunned that he was there, she dropped the plate, causing everyone to turn around. Her dad, on the other hand, was outraged that his daughter was hanging with the Chandlers, charity function or not. Then Adam walked over, and that was the final straw. Her father lunged for Adam. However, due to his drunken state, instead of punching Adam, his fist landed in the wall.
In the meantime, Adam was completely perplexed as to why the strange man was so angry with him. Laurie's dad, still drunk, wouldn't explain further. He grabbed Laurie and left the shelter. JR tried to stop Laurie from leaving, but she left anyway.
As soon as Laurie and her father turned the corner, Laurie immediately asked why her father had lied. "Why didn't you go to the A.A. meeting like you promised?" she demanded to know. He eyed her necklace and guessed it was a gift from JR. He grabbed it so hard that the chain broke off her neck. Her dad looked sincerely sorry, but Laurie got upset and ran away.
Back in the shelter, JR angrily told Adam to shut up. He said that it was all his fault and ran off to chase after Laurie. In the hallway, JR ran into Laurie's dad. The dad gave JR the broken necklace and told JR that Laurie didn't want the necklace anymore. JR looked like he believed it, and he looked upset.
Trey and Kendall arrived at Greenlee's apartment. They stood outside and argued for a minute about her giving a fruitcake and why Greenlee would invite them over on Christmas Eve. As they talked, Anna, David, and Maggie showed up, saying they had been invited also. Greenlee opened the door, wearing a Santa hat, and welcomed them in. She told them that Leo would have wanted them all over for the holiday. Her mother entered, and Greenlee took her over to show her the Christmas tree.
Kendall wondered out loud what was up with Greenlee "the elf." Kendall walked over to Anna and asked if Aidan was stopping by. Anna said she hadn't heard from him, and Kendall said "See, he's a flat-leaver." Greenlee handed a gift to David, saying it was Leo's. He tried to refuse it, but she walked away as JR walked in. "My first party crasher!" she said.
Kendall went up to JR, and he told her what had happened at the community center with his father. She told him what he needed was a night spent with his other family, the Martins. "Being with Tad will be good for you," Kendall said. She dragged him outside to the car. Greenlee's mother offered her some Champagne, and Greenlee pretended to be "filled up with eggnog" then quickly stepped around the corner to be alone.
Greenlee whispered to herself, "I can't do this," as Trey joined her. He said he recognized the Champagne label, and it had been Leo's last gift to her. He put his hand on her shoulder in comfort. She said she'd thought she could do it alone, without Leo, but she couldn't. Trey said Leo had celebrated life and that he'd want her to be with family. She said he was right and went back into the living room, where she proposed a toast to Leo. Everyone raised a glass to Leo.
Liza opened the front door to leave and was surprised to see Mia. Mia said she just was delivering Colby's gift, and Liza said she was just headed out to deliver Mia's gift. Liza invited her in, and Mia accepted. Liza started to explain what had happened in the attic, but Mia asked if she'd be honest with her. Liza said yes. She said she didn't deserve a second chance with Mia, but Mia said she'd gotten one because of Liza. She told Liza that Frank wasn't going after William because Liza had stuck up for her, and it had made her realize she owed her sister another chance.
Liza said it was more than she deserved then said she wasn't angry at Mia; she had been angry at Adam and had wanted to talk to Mia, but her heel had caught in her dress. Mia stopped her and said she'd protected her child, and that meant everything to her. "You are my sister; you would never deliberately hurt me. I'm going to call Jackson Montgomery and drop the case," Mia told Liza. Liza cried as she hugged Mia.
Brooke and Jamie arrived at the Martins' and were taking off their coats when Adam followed them in. Jamie was less than thrilled and called him the Grinch; he ran upstairs. Adam told Brooke what had happened with the "drunken slob" at the community center. Erica and Chris entered, and Erica remarked, "I know who's getting coal in their stockings this year."
In the kitchen, Ruth Martin puttered around as Tad arrived downstairs. She handed him a spoon to lick. Jake entered and said there was no place he'd rather be. Tad said, "How about a jail cell?" They began to argue about Liza, and Ruth told them to stop. They continued, and Tad said Liza hadn't tried to kill Mia. Ruth said they had to be the family Dixie would remember and let go of their anger.
Jake and Tad apologized to each other as Joe arrived downstairs. Ruth and Joe went into the living room to welcome their guests. Chris handed them a tiramisu he had made, and he and Ruth took it to the kitchen. Tad asked Adam what he was doing there. Adam claimed that he wanted to spend some time with JR because they'd had a little misunderstanding earlier. Tad said no; Adam wanted to ambush JR there, and Tad could just throttle Adam. Adam told him to get in line.
Jackson and Bianca walked in, and Erica gave her daughter a big hug. Jack asked for his hug, but Erica refused because Jack knew Trey was an arsonist but wouldn't do anything. Jack said he worked for the people, not Erica Kane. He offered a candy cane as a truce, and Erica hugged him. Jake walked in and told Jack he wanted to make sure the charges against Liza stuck. Jackson said, "Hey, this is Christmas, not a time for grudges." Jake walked away.
JR talked Kendall into going to the Martins' with him. As they walked in the door, all heads turned to look, and Erica just glared. Ruth graciously welcomed them and told JR to get Kendall a drink. Adam walked over to his son and started to talk. JR told him to save it and went into the kitchen. Kendall told Adam that JR was just confused. Adam thanked her for taking him, and she said Christmas was a time to spend with family.
Tad joined JR in the kitchen and told him that in honor of the holiday, he should try to remember that Adam loved him. Tad said they might not have Dixie with them, but they had each other. JR was skeptical because Tad had promised to be around and not followed through before. Tad said all he wanted for Christmas was a second chance. JR smiled and said that was better than shopping for a gift.
In the living room Colby, Marian, and Liza arrived with Mia. Jamie took Colby to see her gifts, and Tad walked in. He asked Liza to clue him in. Liza said Mia had forgiven her. Adam kissed Mia as Tad asked if the charges had been dropped. Mia answered, "What charges?" Tad hugged her. Jake took her aside and asked if Liza had gotten to her. Mia said yes and that she wasn't going to punish Liza for an accident. "Don't fight me on this," she told him. Jake said he wouldn't and kissed her.
Jake walked over to Liza and wished her a Merry Christmas, and they hugged. Tad went outside on the porch alone and looked at the stars. He talked to Dixie about their wishing star and said he had a wish for her. "I wish somehow your son finds all the happiness you wanted him to have," Tad said as a shooting star sped across the sky. He said he wondered if, without Dixie, he was wasting his time, wishing on a star.
Brooke had followed Tad outside and told him that he was not wasting his time. She told him she loved his and Dixie's tradition of a wishing star. Tad said he didn't know if he should continue it, since she was gone. Brooke said Dixie wasn't gone; Brooke saw her in JR. Tad said JR seemed very troubled, and he needed his mother. Brooke said JR had Tad and that Dixie would help him. They walked back into the living room as the whole group began to sing "Silent Night."
Julia and Edmund were surprised that Maria remembered Julia's scar. Edmund sent the kids to the kitchen while Julia began to describe the tornado that had injured her. Maria said, "I saved you," and then remembered seeing a lot of broken things and that Julia's face had been badly cut. "I stitched you up," Maria said. Julia was thrilled and said that if Maria could remember bits and pieces then it would all eventually return to her.
Sam and Maddie ran back in and told the adults that Santa was in the hayloft. Julia and Maria looked at each other in alarm. Edmund volunteered to go with the kids to check, but Julia stopped him, saying she wanted to catch up with him. Maria said she'd take the kids, and they went to the barn.
Edmund and Julia sat down, and she asked how he was doing with the woman he loved not remembering him. He was a little down about it, but Julia told him Maria still had the love for him inside her and that nothing or nobody could change that. She explained that the only person who could get between Edmund and Maria was Maureen Gorman. Edmund asked if Julia was okay. She confessed that Christmas was hard. She missed everyone very much.
Out in the barn, Maria looked around for Santa with the kids. She convinced them to go back to the house to get cookies and milk ready for Santa, and they left. She climbed to the loft to check Aidan. He was lying against the hay and told her he had lost a lot of blood. She looked at his wound and cried out, "Oh, my God, Aidan!" He asked if it was bad.
Maria looked again at Aidan's wound and said it wasn't bleeding as badly as she'd thought. He said he hated to do that to her on Christmas Eve. Maria said she'd gotten him a gift and handed him an angel ornament. Aidan took it in his hand and told Maria that she was his angel. She kissed him on the cheek, said merry Christmas, and left. Aidan sat looking at the ornament.
Julia and Edmund talked a bit, and the doorbell rang. The FBI agent asked Isabella if she was Mrs. Santos. She was worried about the strange man and walked in the living room, calling for Edmund. Julia was standing behind him then stepped aside so her mother could see her. The women ran to each other and hugged joyfully. Maria walked in and was touched by the scene.
Edmund took Isabella to see the kids in the kitchen. Maria thanked Julia for covering for her. She said she felt horrible keeping it from Edmund. Julia asked if she had something going on with Aidan. Maria said she owed him a lot. Julia asked if it was more than gratitude. Maria said Aidan was always there for her, and Julia said it looked like she really cared about him.
Maria said she was confused about her feelings for Aidan and Edmund. Julia said Maria could always talk to her about anything. Maria said Julia was the first person from her past that she'd felt a connection to and admitted she didn't have that with Edmund. Julia said the love they shared didn't just go away. Maria hoped she'd remember her past with Julia. Julia said even if she didn't, they'd always be sisters. They hugged.
Due to the Christmas holiday, All My Children did not air this day. The show resumed Thursday, December 26, where Tuesday's show concluded.
Laurie was hanging out at SOS, hoping JR would show up. Kendall saw Laurie and Joni and walked over. Kendall asked if they'd seen JR. Laurie said no, but she didn't want Kendall to get the idea that JR was available. Kendall listed all of JR's good qualities and asked why Laurie didn't treat him better. Kendall told Laurie that if she didn't give JR what he wanted, someone else would.
At that point, Laurie's dad walked in and told Laurie it was time to go home. He gave Laurie back her mom's necklace that he had repaired. Laurie was happy to get the necklace back but noticed that the ring JR had given her was missing. Her father explained she shouldn't be accepting jewelry from boys -- especially boys like JR Chandler. He went on to say that he missed Laurie being at home. Laurie retorted that she was not his servant and not his wife. Her dad took offense to that. He ordered her to meet him back at the car.
Liza finished packing her things then told JR she was worried about leaving him alone. JR told her it was okay; he needed time alone to do some studying. After Liza left, JR opened the back door, and Jamie entered. JR suggested that they get together with Joni and Laurie to have a little party. Jamie wasn't sure he liked the idea. He didn't want to do anything that would get him in trouble and mess up things with Joni.
As JR and Jamie debated what to do, the doorbell rang. Kendall was there, looking for Adam. When told Adam was away, Kendall told JR she was looking for someone to invest in her new cosmetics company. JR had an idea and suggested Liza. Kendall said that was perfect. She told JR she would arrange things with Joni and Laurie if he could put in a good word for her with Liza. JR agreed.
Kendall went back to SOS to find Laurie and Joni. She found Laurie just about to leave. Kendall told Laurie she had to make a choice. Her dad would think the worst of her no matter what she did, so she might as well go ahead and spend time with JR. When Kendall offered to drive the girls to the Chandler mansion, they agreed and went out through the back door. In the car, Joni piped up from the back seat that Laurie was going to be in lots of trouble, but Kendall told Laurie she had to stand up for herself and not let others control her.
Once the girls arrived, JR was pleased to tell Kendall she had an appointment with Liza in the morning. Joni and Jamie were surprised but happy to see each other. JR and Laurie spent some time together, cuddling and kissing on the sofa, until Laurie announced that she wanted to be with him.
Mia dropped by to give Liza a present. It was a tiny gold barbell. Mia said Liza should keep it on her desk as a sign of her strength. Liza wasn't sure she should accept it. Liza admitted that she felt as if she'd lost herself. She explained to Mia that marriage changed a person. She had begun to think of herself not as Liza Colby but as Mrs. Adam Chandler. Mia called Liza a wimp and listed off all the things Liza had accomplished in the past year. Liza realized she had to find the woman she'd once been. After Mia left, Kendall showed up at the door, looking for "a savvy businesswoman to get things rolling."
Aidan was barely awake when he saw a girl climb into the loft. He said, "You came back," then began kissing the girl, who was really Maria. Aidan called her Fiona then realized he had to have been dreaming. Maria asked him who Fiona was, but Aidan wouldn't budge. He wouldn't even admit he'd called Maria by another name.
Meanwhile, Anna paid a visit to Wildwind to have a chat with Maria. Edmund informed her Maria was out for a ride. When Anna asked if either of them had seen or heard from Aidan, Edmund said no. He and Maria had been too busy together with Christmas. Edmund excitedly told Anna about their Christmas and how Maria had seemed more like herself. He felt that if Maria continued to spend time with her family, she would begin to remember more and more. Edmund thought when Maria was with Aidan, Aidan encouraged her to remain as Maureen. Edmund's happy mood changed as he began to blame Anna's husband and nephew for all of Maria's problems.
Anna grew upset and was ready to leave. She was almost to the door when she lost her balance and fell. Edmund rushed over and helped Anna back to the sofa. He left to get her some crackers and water. Maria entered. Anna thanked Maria for helping Aidan. Maria assumed Anna knew about their situation and begged Anna not to tell Edmund, or Aidan would be in more danger. As Maria went on, she started to realize that she and Anna were talking about different things. Maria desperately tried to backtrack, but Anna was suspicious. Edmund returned, and Maria assured Anna she hadn't seen Aidan since before Christmas.
When Anna left, Edmund confronted Maria and asked why she'd just lied to Anna. When Maria tried to defend herself, it turned into yet another argument about Maria versus Maureen. Finally, Maria had had enough. She told Edmund that she'd played the role of Maria throughout Christmas. She'd tried to act just like Maria, but the whole time, she had felt like a bug under glass as everyone watched her, waiting for her to make a mistake.
Maria asked Edmund, "What more do you want from me?" He replied, "Nothing, Not a damn thing." He quietly told Maria that since Christmas was over, it was time for her to leave. The sooner the better, he added.
Anna decided to pay a visit to the stables. She began to go up the ladder to the loft but was still feeling the effects of her morning sickness. As Anna looked around on the ground floor, Aidan rolled over to see who was below. Anna heard creaking from the loft. She pulled out her gun and again began to ascend the ladder.
At SOS, Mia met Jake. Jake wanted to talk about their wedding plans. He said they needed to put down a deposit in order to reserve the Valley Inn for Valentine's Day. Mia told him the wedding was off. She couldn't go through with it.
Jamie and Joni, and JR and Laurie shared some private time alone at Chandler Mansion. Joni was unnerved by the fact that there were no adults in the mansion, but Jamie did his best to assure her that things would be okay. Laurie convinced JR to follow her up to the attic. Once there, Laurie told JR that she wanted that night to be "the" night. JR politely declined her offer of sex. Surprisingly, Laurie was offended and threatened to leave. JR, however, managed to calm her down and explain that he wanted the timing to be right for both of them.
Meanwhile, Laurie's father arrived and demanded to know where his daughter was. To Jamie's dismay, Joni squealed on JR and Laurie, saying that they'd gone upstairs somewhere. When Mr. Lewis saw Laurie and JR walking down the steps, he assumed the worse. After pushing JR away from his daughter, Mr. Lewis grabbed Laurie and escorted her out of the house.
Edmund ordered Maria to leave Wildwind and return to the life that awaited her at the Pine Cone Motel. He said that he was furious with Maria oscillating between her life as his wife and her life as "Maureen." Without warning, Maria rushed at Edmund and planted a kiss on his lips. Anna searched the stables, but as she did, she passed out. A stable hand summoned Edmund and Maria to the stables to check on Anna. Anna claimed that she was fine and asked that everyone stop fussing over her. Anna and Maria had a few moments alone, time that allowed Anna to tell Maria that Aidan was wanted for the murder of an ex-lover, Fiona Sinclair.
Jake was upset when Mia asked for more time before they got married. Jake tried to pressure Mia into getting married immediately, but he eventually understood why Mia wanted to wait until spring.
Erica and Bianca showed up at SOS to discuss some numbers for Enchantment's new teen line. Erica watched curiously as Kendall, Simone, Greenlee, and Liza crowded a nearby table. Erica commented that the quartet made an interesting "coven." Greenlee and Kendall took turns trying to convince Liza to invest in their new -- and still unnamed -- company. The two argued over what was more important -- guerrilla marketing or a hot product. Simone sided with Greenlee's idea of needing buzz.
As the women discussed wanting to take Enchantment down, Erica and Bianca approached the table. The two women taunted the newcomers about their desire to topple Enchantment and assured them that Enchantment would remain standing for many more years. Hearing Erica badmouth Kendall, Greenlee, and Simone, Liza decided that she wanted to invest in the new company after all. Later, Liza summoned Mia to the table and offered her a job as an executive at the new company.
