Traci Abbott returned to Genoa City from boarding school 1982. She had little confidence in herself, a feeling only compounded by being overweight and the attention given to her beautiful older sister Ashley.

Traci befriended rock singer Danny Romalotti that summer, and became President of his fan club. She decided she cared too much about him to go away to college, so enrolled at Genoa City University. When Danny invited her to join him on stage for the final number at his concert, she was a big success. But their after-concert celebration plans were ruined when Danny didn't show up for the party because he had taken Patty Williams to the doctor. A hurt Traci wasn't interested in his apologies. As if that wasn't stressful enough, her mother, Dina, returned to town the first time since leaving them when Traci was only 7 years old.

Traci continued to have romantic feelings for Danny, who was being pursued by the wily, seductive Lauren Fenmore. Both girls sang with Danny's band and constantly clashed over who would be chosen to sing with him. Traci went on a strict diet to lose weight to gain Danny's attention, but Lauren took every opportunity to humiliate Traci or point out her weight. This began a rivalry which would involve slipped “mickeys”, a banana split poured on Lauren's head, with a lifespan far longer than their relationship with Danny.

Traci turned to pills supplied by the campus pusher, Sparky. The pills helped her lose weight, but made her unable to sleep or eat, dizzy, and irritable. A terrified Traci popped still more pills when Lauren trapped Danny into an engagement. While high, Traci crashed her car, was arrested, went into convulsions and sustained serious heart damage. Somehow, she managed to participate in a campus drug bust, and when Danny asked her to sing a song for his concert, she instead chose to address the audience on her horrible experience with drugs, and to find a more sensible alternative for your life.

Traci fell in love with a suave, handsome professor, Tim Sullivan, and they began an affair. Traci stopped by his apartment one night and found him in bed with another college girl. Crushed and suicidal, she went home, turned the gas on, and would have died if Cricket Blair had not found her in time. Traci then learned she was pregnant by Tim, and old friend Danny agreed to marry her to give the baby a father. Traci told Danny's girlfriend Patty Williams that the marriage was only temporary until the baby was born then they would divorce. As the pregnancy progressed, Traci began to fall in love with Danny, and when Patty confronted her about it, she accidentally caused Traci to fall down the stairs and miscarry. Afterward, Traci agreed to an annulment and she and Danny parted as friends. Because Danny blamed Patty for the miscarriage, she left town. Traci joined Danny singing at concerts over the next several years with themes such as drunk driving and "It's OK to Say No" to drugs.

In 1985, Traci grew close to hunky Brad Carlton, the family groundskeeper. They married, but he was more preoccupied with his budding career at Jabot than his marriage. She went away to Stanford for graduate school and ran into Tim Sullivan again. While she was gone, Brad got involved with her old foe Lauren. Brad put the affair on hold when Traci returned after winning a writing contest. Traci had grown close to Tim, but wanted to make her marriage work. Brad tried to understand her desire to write, but didn't want her to go back to Stanford. Traci suggested they have a baby, and to keep her in town Brad reluctantly agreed.

Traci got pregnant, but Brad's crazy ex-wife Lisa kidnapped him and showed up at Traci's with photos of Lisa and a drugged Brad in bed together. Soon after, she produced a fake tape-recording of Brad saying he wanted a divorce to return to his true love, Lisa. Traci clutched her stomach in pain, miscarrying for the second time. She then started divorce proceedings. When Brad finally escaped Lisa's clutches, he worked hard to win Traci back. When Traci's sister Ashley began flirting with him to make Traci jealous, the plan worked a little too well. Brad fell for Ashley and lost interest in Traci. Traci and Brad divorced.

While apart from Brad, Traci published two successful novels which became best-sellers, "Echoes of the Past" which was a veiled chronicle of life in the shadow of an older sister, and "Epitaph for a Lover".

Brad wooed Ashley, but couldn't persuade her to choose him over Victor Newman. When Ashley impulsively married Victor, a hurt Brad started dating Traci again. A quickie marriage to Cassandra Rawlins briefly kept them apart, but she was killed in a car accident and Brad inherited her millions. Then Traci learned she was pregnant by Brad again, but this time she kept the news a secret from all but John. She wanted Brad to love her for herself. Then Brad drew close to Ashley due to her marriage problems with Victor. Traci told Brad of her pregnancy, and that she could raise the child on her own, but he refused to let that happen.

Brad and Traci remarried and she gave birth to a beautiful baby girl, Colleen. But their second marriage was no more stable than their first. Traci continued to be jealous of Brad's closeness with Ashley. When Traci's publisher, Steve Connolly, moved to town to help her with her novel, they instantly bonded. She felt as if she'd known him for years, even completing each other's sentences without meaning to. Brad was bitterly jealous, but realized Traci had found true happiness. With a sad farewell to Brad and her family, Traci packed up Colleen and moved to New York City, and soon married Steve.

In 1994 Traci visited Brad in the hospital after his heart attack, and got into a nasty cat fight with Lauren in the waiting room. In 1996 she visited when John seriously considered remarrying Dina. In 1999, she joined the family celebration when they bought back Jabot from Newman.

In 2001 Traci discovered Steve was cheating on her, and moved back home, refusing to hear his side. Teenager, Colleen didn't believe her at first, then turned against Steve when she realized Traci was telling the truth. Brad spent most of his time comforting them both, angering his new wife Ashley. Although Traci realized she was experiencing renewed feelings for Brad, she decided to give her marriage to Steve a second chance and not continue fighting with Ashley over Brad. Colleen was disgusted with the reunion and began lashing out, being disrespectful to Traci and Steve, staying out all hours, smoking pot, and was expelled. Hoping a change would straighten her out, Traci and Steve sent Colleen to live with her Grandfather John Abbott in Genoa City.

Brad and Ashley allowed Colleen to baby-sit for Abby to show they trusted her. Not long after they left, Colleen walked outside to smoke a joint when baby Abby choked on a button, and Colleen ran to her aid, saving her life. She was commended for her efforts after Brad and Ashley realized that the button was dropped by Ashley before she left. Colleen realized how different things could have ended if she had been stoned, so flushed the marijuana and vowed never to smoke again. With the help of her new friend J.T. Hellstrom, Colleen tried her best to stay out of trouble. She worked on the school yearbook, performed in the school play, and returned to both jazz and ballet. Colleen joined the Glo By Jabot team, taking Mac's place as assistant to the webmaster. Too much partying all summer left J.T. lacking the books he was required to read prior to starting GCU. To the rescue was 15 year old Colleen who had a crush on J.T. She had read all the books so tutored him in what he'd need to know. J.T. enjoyed her company, but had no intentions to deflower the young teen.

By the time Colleen turned 16 she and J.T. were in love, but being 19 and in college, and with J.T’s reputation with the girls, John forbade Colleen to see him. She began sneaking out and meeting J.T. on the sly. Colleen eventually went to live with her father Brad and Ashley, and she and J.T. became a sweet love story. Unfortunately in June of 2004, J.T. and Colleen split up, and Colleen returned to New York City brokenhearted. Traci visited Genoa City once again to say goodbye to her father John as he went off to prison for the murder of Tom Fisher.

Jeffrey and Gloria Bardwell plotted to buy up shares in Jabot to get controlling interest. They opened an account in the Caymans called "Agreeing Lovers" which was an anagram for "Gloria’s Revenge". They included Jack in the plan, promising him head of Jabot again. Jack was hesitant to trust them as they don't even fully trust each other. But he convinced his sisters Ashley and Traci to let him proxy their stocks to help put Jabot back under Abbott control.

In November 2008, Traci returned to Genoa City from her home in New York City to attend the funeral of Katherine Chancellor (who was not really dead, it was her doppelganger, Marge). Her mother Dina attended as well, and they exchanged some barbs about Dina's lack of contact with her daughter and granddaughter Colleen. Lauren approached Traci after the funeral, showed her a photo of Fen, and told her how nice it was to see her again. Lauren said she was thinking of all the things she wanted to say to Kay that she would never be able to, then saw Traci and realized that she'd always regretted the way she'd treated her in high school, and just had to apologize. The two hugged as her apology was accepted.

Traci returned again to spend time with Colleen in December 2008, ran into Brad, and they had a nice conversation about their regrets that things had never worked out for them, how much they still loved each other, and Brad called her "the one that got away". Days later, Sharon went up to the Abbott cabin at Twin Lakes to be alone and think about what to do with her life after she had divorce papers served on Jack. Brad showed up and declared his love, but Sharon sent him away. On the drive home, Brad had car trouble, got out, and heard the screams of Noah Newman who had gone skating with Eden and fallen through the ice. Brad died a hero after he pulled Noah from the hole in the ice, when he fell through himself and drowned.

A Jewish service was held with the immediate family, his daughters Colleen and Abby, and his ex-wives Traci, Victoria, and Ashley. Brad's mother was unable to attend, and former lover Nikki was out of town. Sharon visited the grave alone, told him she always loved him, and thanked him for saving Noah’s life. In the Jewish tradition, a headstone was not laid until a week later.

In September 2009, Colleen lost a job prospect teaching at GCU after they saw the video online of her bearing her breasts in a bar, so after confronting Victor about his part in it, she went out to the Abbott cabin to get over it. She arrived to find a woman unknown to her tied to a chair and set her free. It was Patty Williams who had been held there by Gloria and Jeff, awaiting the arrival of Victor and Jack for the ransom they paid. Patty turned on Colleen and kidnapped her at gunpoint, taking her to Camp Cheveyo, and tying her to a tree. After Patty used Colleen's phone to call Jack, and Colleen hollered "cow.." before she was disconnected. (Because the camp slogan was “Cowabunga”, she hoped Jack would remember where they had both gone as kids.) Jack, J.T., and Paul searched for her, convincing even Victoria that Victor had set this all in motion by bringing Patty back to Genoa City to get back at Jack. Meanwhile Patty was bitten by a spider and had a bad reaction, Colleen got free, and held the gun on Patty, unsure what to do as Patty begged her for help. When Colleen tried to help her, Patty grabbed the gun away, but Colleen was able to convince her that she would get help and return, and left in a canoe. She fell out, and when she surfaced, hit her head on the bottom of the boat, sending her sinking again. Colleen was clearly drowning in the same lake as her father, with an eerie sequence of visions she was visited by the people who loved her, begging her to fight and come back to them, even visiting her best friend Lily giving her final advice. She saw her dead father and grandfather, ready to take her to the beyond. Jack realized where Colleen was, raced to the camp, and pulled her out of the lake. But as he tried to administer CPR, Patty was there holding the gun on him. Victor arrived and tried to convince Patty to drop the gun and let Jack save Colleen. Patty shot Victor three times instead and ran into the woods with Paul following, and J.T. stayed to help Victor.

Colleen's mother Traci and step-father Steve, Billy, and Abby were at the hospital when Colleen was brought in, with Nick and Victoria there for Victor. Victor arrived by ambulance in critical condition, and had surgery to remove a bullet from his heart. Ashley confronted Victor about all that he had caused and sent him into heart arrhythmia. Paul traced Nikki to a Colorado spa and brought her back to be with Victor. But his heart was too far gone, only a heart transplant would save him now. Tests confirmed Colleen was brain dead, and Traci finally made the heart-breaking decision to take her off life-support. Colleen’s friends came to say goodbye including her best friend Lily. Kevin and Jana told Traci and Steve what a wonderful person Colleen was, that she had turned their lives around by forgiving them for trying to kill her. A broken-hearted J.T. whispered, "Goodbye Sweetheart" into Colleen's ear and went off to be with his wife, but he returned the next day and spent some time alone with Colleen. Her uncles Jack and Billy and half sister Abby had a hard time comprehending it all.

Then Traci and Steve were told that Colleen was an organ-donor, and Nikki had the nerve to intrude to request Colleen’s heart to save Victor. Jack and Billy protested, then Jack reconsidered and agreed since Victor saved his life. Victor and Colleen turned out to be a match, and Traci decided to agree to the transplant despite Billy’s rant on how Victor was responsible for “Cee Cee’s” death and certainly would not have approved. Billy arranged a celebration of Colleen’s life instead of a funeral, with red balloons, and all wearing bright colors. In addition to the Abbotts, among those attending were Kevin & Jana, Phyllis and Noah representing the Newman’s, J.T., Mac, Kay, Murphy, and Daniel who presented Traci with a portrait of Colleen that he had drawn. “Aunt” Mamie and Dina sent flowers, Adrian and Brad’s mother, both unable to attend, phoned Traci. Victoria arrived and read a letter from Victor full of thanks and gratefulness. Traci, Jack, Ashley, Abby, Neil, Kay, Kevin, and J.T. gave eulogies about what they remembered most about Colleen. Neil broadcasted his eulogy to Lily who was restricted to home due to her cancer-caused low immunity level. At the end all released red balloons, including Lily at home, to “An Angel’s Lullaby” (sang by Beth Maitland, who plays Traci). Colleen was buried next to her father Brad, her kidneys donated to a 16 year old girl, her and corneas to a father who had never seen his children. Traci stayed in town long enough for Ashley's baby Faith Colleen Newman's Christening where Traci and Adam were god-parents, and the baby wore Colleen's Christening gown.

Traci returned to Genoa City to spend Christmas 2009 with her siblings and stopped to visit Lily and Cane, and again in 2010 for Jack's wedding to Emily Peterson (who was really Patty Williams).

In August 2010, Lily Winters asked Mackenzie Browning, their surrogate mother, to be Godmother to her twins. When Mac turned her down explaining that she was getting too attached to them, Lily asked Traci, and she accepted in memory of Colleen.

In February 2011, Traci returned to attend the funeral of Lily's husband Cane Ashby. Cane had been gunned down and murdered while he and Lily had been separated due to Cane lying about his past to protect his family. Lily kept seeing and talking with Cane at his funeral, then again at home where she made peace with him, making sure that he knew that she still loved him despite all the lies. While everyone else thought that Lily was going crazy, Traci understood and had a conversation with Lily about coping with the loss of someone you love.

In January 2012, Traci returned to Genoa City after Jack had been shot and paralyzed by Patty Williams, and she stood vigil with Ashley and Nikki during Jack's surgery. When Cane and Lily decided to remarry, Lily chose Abby and Traci to stand up for her in Colleen's memory. But when the wedding was moved to France as a gift from Katherine, Traci bowed out to stay with Jack, but gave Lily Colleen's bracelet as her "something borrowed", and Abby became Lily's maid of honor.

Traci stayed on to help out Jack, and later finally broke down and admitted that she hated Patty for killing Colleen and crippling Jack. After Jack was able to handle things without her, Traci returned to New York City.

Upon hearing that Jack and Phyllis had reunited, and Phyllis had moved in with him, Traci returned for an extended stay at Abbott Manor. Traci tried to convince Jack that Phyllis was only going to break his heart again, but Jack warned her that if she was only there to break them up, she needed to leave. Overhearing them, Phyllis became determined to prove Traci wrong. Traci ended up moving in with Abby, admitting to her that ever since Colleen had died, she and Steve had drifted apart, and her marriage was in trouble. She later admitted the same to Jack.

After Victoria left Newman again, Victoria spoke to Traci about any connections she might have in the literary world, as she was thinking of getting into writing and illustrating children's books.

In July 2014, Traci returned from spending some time in New York with news that her divorce from Steve was final, saying that things had never been the same since Colleen died. She moved in to Abby's mansion.

Traci showed up in Genoa City (no mention of where she was living or that she had ever left) as a 2015 Christmas surprise for the Abbotts who had just lost a five hundred million dollar lawsuit settlement to Newman. Traci gave Billy a pep talk after he had lost Victoria again, been fired from Jabot for causing the lawsuit, and his drinking again had caused him to get a DUI. Traci arranged for the family to band together and celebrate Christmas at the Abbott cabin.

Traci also appeared at Abby's New Year's Eve wedding to Ben, bringing Abby a sapphire necklace which had been Colleen's for her "something blue". Traci aborted boarding her flight back to New York City when Billy got beaten up, hit by a car, and went into a coma.

In spring 2017, Ashley went to New York City on business with Ravi Shapur, her young computer nerd colleague. They had dinner with Traci who noticed their rapport. Ashley admitted she was attracted to him, but he was an employee, and so young. Traci encouraged Ashley to "go for it" with Ravi. Traci announced that her new book of historical fiction had just been published. Not long afterward, Ashley summoned Traci to Abbott Manor for dinner with their mother Dina. Awkward conversation turned to laughter, then Jack and Dina sang a childhood song together, and they took a group photo. Traci left for a book signing in Milwaukee.

October 2017, bought Traci back to Genoa City when her mother Dina suddenly sold her company Mergeron and was temporarily living in Genoa City, accompanied by her younger companion Graham Bloodworth. Dina began trying to reestablish her relationship with her children and Ashley’s daughter Abby. After Dina changed her will to give the bulk of her estate to Graham, Ashley had him investigated. It turned up that Graham had grown up in Genoa City and Traci found him in an old yearbook as Graham Davis.

Jack threw a party for Ashley to celebrate her winning the Innovator of the Year award, something John Abbott had also won in the past. Dina and Graham attended and Graham urged Dina to speak. Ashley interrupted exposing Graham as being Graham Davis who grew up in Genoa City using his mother’s maiden name Bloodworth. Dina responded, shocked, “Davis? You are the son of Ashley’s father Brent Davis?”, exposing the decades-kept secret of Ashley’s real parentage and shocking Traci. Ashley accused Graham of stalking and latching on to Dina years ago with the intent to get her trust and her fortune. Graham told how Dina stole his step father leaving him and his mother penniless, and yes he was out for revenge. Graham made a toast to Ashley the untrue Abbott. Neil helped escort Graham out of the venue, and Jack took Dina back to her hotel room. Traci confronted Ashley, demanding to know why she was just finding this out now after so many years. Ashley explained that it was true, and she had had a nervous breakdown after finding out, and that even John had gone to his grave never knowing the truth. Later, Ashley visited Dina and found her collapsed on the floor of her suite, having suffered a small stroke. Graham turned up at the hospital with a medical power of attorney, and took a drugged Dina away on a jet.

Traci and Ashley did some sleuthing and came up with a manuscript by Dina which told how she met Graham on a yacht party, but 6 months later she was determined to get rid of Graham who was only out for her money. They read how she got the Alzheimer's diagnosis led her to want to get in touch with her children and make amends.

Graham broke into Ashley’s lab at Jabot, and stole some chemicals, one of them toxic. He dumped all but the toxic one in a trash can in the park which was found by police. Graham got Ashley to come to their room at the club and hand him a syringe, leaving her fingerprints on it. Later Jack and Ashley put together that Graham intended to inject Dina and blame Ashley. Meanwhile Graham was trying to do so, Dina woke up, struggled, and Graham ended up injecting himself. They found Graham on floor, and Dina gone. Dina turned herself in to Paul for the murder of Brent Davis, who had been dead for years. Ashley’s prints were found on the syringe, but believed their story that Graham was behind it all. All were summoned to the hospital, where Graham was not coming out of it. They asked for next of kin to agree to take him off life support. Dina, suddenly very much herself, stepped up, said she was his wife, and to go ahead.

Dina, back living at Abbott Manor, was again living in the past thinking Jack was John, believing Jackie was still a little boy. She was fine with Ashley and Abby, but Traci was crushed that her mother didn’t remember her at all, treating her as “the help”. Everyone was having a hard time doing what the experts told them, to just accept her reality. Abby, relocated to Paris for work, and invited Dina to Paris. Dina excitedly accepted and left on the private jet. Abby reported that Dina, back in her element, was thriving. She remembered everything, her staff who were rehired, their history, and all the Paris sites. Abby also got professional help for Dina.

Kind-hearted Traci was upset with Jack and Ashley and their “Who will be Jabot CEO feud” as both were acting viciously toward each other after Jack claimed that Jabot could only be run by a “blood Abbott”. During arbitration Jack accused Ashley of abandoning their mother while he forgave and took care of Dina. Jack won, and Ashley shocked him by resigning, saying, “You and I are done.” Victor and Nikki tag-teamed Ashley to get her to work at Newman where she was hired as Chief Innovation Officer. Traci shamed Jack into apologizing and offering to undue everything he had done if she would return to Jabot. Ashley told him she appreciated it, but it was too late, she no longer could trust him.

In December 2017, J.T. moved back to Genoa City and on Colleen’s birthday spent time reminiscing with Traci. He called Traci the most generous positive person despite the sadness which had been dumped on her, and marveled how she still appreciates everything and resists falling into the darkness. J.T. said he felt that had she lived, Colleen would be working at Newman, in charge of design and graphics, and they would have had beautiful children. Tracy mentioned that she had established a scholarship in Colleen’s name.

Abby began videoing Dina telling stories of her past before they faded away from Alzheimer's. When finished, Abby and Ashley prescreened and approved it. A theater was rented, the Abbotts arrived in a limo in formal dress. Victor showed up uninvited, but Dina let him stay. Everyone was enjoying the video titled, “What the mind can’t remember, the heart never forgets.” Suddenly a clip where Dina admitted that Jack was not John’s son appeared. Ashley, Traci, and Abby were shocked. Jack was devastated. Victor gave condolences then laughed when Jack turned to leave. Later a DNA test comparing Billy’s to Jack’s DNA proved it was true. Jack fought the truth for a long time, but finally exited Jabot and Billy was elected CEO, as the only “blood Abbott” aside from Traci, who declined.

After Billy was caught embezzling from Jabot to support his gambling, Traci briefly became CEO of Jabot, they quickly voted out the blood Abbott clause, and voted Ashley CEO over Jack. Jack called a board meeting after Kyle discovered that Andrew Lynford had been blackmailing Ashley, and she had been paying him off as Type A Consulting with company funds. Ashley introduced him as Dr. Andrew Lynford a consultant doing anti-aging anti-cancer research. But Phyllis recognized him as a former coworker from twenty-five years ago at DNS Labs in New York City, and knew he was now in charge of the DNA lab at Genoa City Memorial. Jack offered Andrew double for the real reason Ashley was paying him. Ashley gave the answer for free, telling them all that Jack was really John Abbott’s son, how she had coached Dina, edited the clip in movie of Dina’s memoirs, and had paid Lynford to alter the DNA test results. Ashley got her revenge for what Jack had done to her by invoking the blood Abbott clause. She said she had intended to tell Jack the truth as a Christmas present. Ashley was removed as CEO.

After a bad conversation with Ashley, Dina told Kyle that she had been a good mother to Ashley and there was proof of it at Jabot. Kyle took her to the CEO office that had also once been John’s. Dina located a wall safe that had been covered during remodeling, her birthdate being the combination. Inside was a document that John had drawn up assigning all patents, inventions, discoveries made by Ashley to her excluding all others in perpetuity. Knowing what this information could do to the company, Kyle tried to destroy it, but Dina pitched a fit, and Jack walked in. Once Jack saw the contract, he shredded it, ushering them out, saying it was best for the company. After Dina later related the tale to Traci, Traci found and reconstructed the shredded document. She called a family meeting and made Jack and Kyle tell Ashley what had happened that day. Ashley was both elated and furious with them. Jack tried to buy back the patents from Ashley, but she stood her ground requesting the CEO position in exchange. When that was rejected, Ashley decided to pack up her patents, move to Paris and start her own cosmetics company. But following the death of Neil Winters, Jack and Ashley reconciled.

Cane began sharing his pain over losing Lily with Traci who had encouraged him to pursue Lily. Traci was inspired by Cane into writing a book about a 1940s detective named Flynn, whose former wife Iris had hired him to find out if her current husband was cheating on her, and to track down a locket. Traci’s vivid imagination pictured Flynn and herself in 1040s attire, working together on the case. She was falling for Flynn, and trying hard not to let Cane realize it.

After Dina became violet and aggressive with Traci and even more confused than ever, it became apparent that Dina could no longer live with them. The family reluctantly checked her into Bright Tomorrows Home Care Center. But when Dina realized it was time for her to leave, she locked herself in a room and climbed out a window, leaving her GPS bracelet behind. But Jack found her in Chancellor Park listening to Tessa Porter sing. Jack invited Tessa to sing at Bright Tomorrows. Dina was good with that, and left happy. Jack and Traci visited Dina, but she didn’t know them, telling them that they were so nice to visit, unlike her children who had just dumped her there. Traci began reading to Dina from her newly finished book, “Stolen Lockets/Broken Hearts”, which brought a lot of joy to Dina.

When Traci finished her book she celebrated with Cane. He asked her to read him the book, and when she finished he kissed her. They attended a carnival together, and the Abbott get-together for Kyle’s future mother in law Celeste, while Jack kept giving them knowing looks. Traci planned to go to New York City to wrap up her book deal, and Cane asked to join her to attend a seminar. They had a great time enjoying the city and attending a 1940s costume party for her book. Cane told Traci how proud he was of her, and that he was interested in pursuing a relationship with her. Traci became flustered and told him she didn’t want to ruin their friendship with romance.

Jack and Traci decided to write the Abbott Family memoirs. While talking with Dina she started rhapsodizing about Stuart Brooks. While researching their connection, Doris Tillington came to them, admitting she had been the class gossip. She told them how Stuart had a crush on Dina in high school, quite obvious to her who saw them acting out Hamlet and Ophelia. But Dina was seriously dating John Abbott. Stuart and Dina snuck off together from a post-homecoming party at the Abbott estate and made love but swore to each other it was a one time thing. After graduation instead of going to college, Dina spent a year abroad, never contacting her friends. Dina returned to Genoa City and to John. In stored Mergeron files, Jack found a tear-stained letter from Dina to Stuart hidden in a copy of Hamlet. It said, “I must be cruel only to be kind thus bad begins and worse remains behind.” Also a birth certificate for a baby boy. It turned out that Dina had been pregnant, and her baby boy was adopted by Margaret and Ralph Vanderway in Chicago. They named him Eric. Eric grew up to be a union delegate for the teamsters, had a family, but died from a heart attack when his son Theo was 15 years old. Theo landed in Genoa City as an adult. The Abbott family was shocked to find out that Theo was family, especially Kyle who had been buddies with Theo when they lived in New York City. After breaking the news to Theo, and getting a DNA test confirmation, Theo asked to meet Dina. Dina came out of her fugue hearing the name Vanderway, and assumed that Theo was her son Eric. Theo played along and assured her that he had been raised in a loving home which seemed to comfort Dina. Jack did his best to make Theo feel part of the family, as did Ashley, who offered Theo a job working for her in Paris. Kyle and Traci were less trusting. But Jack talked Theo into working at Jabot in Genoa City instead as Theo head of Social Media. But Billy later quit Jabot and Theo was fired, and went to work for Billy at ChancComm.

Warned that Dina did not have a lot of time left, the Abbotts decided to bring her home to Abbott Manor to live out her final days. In an envelope of things sent home with Dina was a note written in one of her more lucid moments of things she wanted her family to know. In addition to funeral arrangements, how she regretted being a bad mother, yet was so impressed that her children had all turned out so well. Saying she had barely known Traci, she was so young, and that it was unforgivable that she did not go to Colleen’s funeral, a most loving and caring young lady. It ended with, “Theo you are a great catch.” Although mostly staring off into space and unresponsive, Dina still managed to be dressed up and sipping tea in the living room. Theo’s kindness or his fighting with Kyle in front of her seemed to spark her only reaction, and she called Theo, Stewart. This left Traci feeling frustrated and inadequate to help. Billy and Lily convinced Traci to head the serialized online fiction department of their newly formed Chancellor division, ChancComm. They would publish Traci’s next book, she would hire talent, oversee editors, web designers, and message boards to chat. Working mostly from home, she could still be there for Dina.

Dina loved listening to music, as Jack, Theo, Abby, Traci, or Summer and Kyle would sit with her. But one song upset her and she uttered the word Bixley. Intrigued, Traci finally figured out that Dina had a Bixby movie camera. Traci began looking for family movies. In Dina’s Paris storage the only movie she had kept was of John narrating Dina bringing Jack home from the hospital after his birth. Typical for John, he said in the film, “Love and family are all that really matters.” Dina was entranced watching. Suddenly lucid, she recognized the necklace she had been wearing. Traci researched the huge emerald necklace which was known as “the teardrop of love”. She traced it back to a Renaissance painting of an Italian princess wearing it. All her jewelry had been stolen and missing for centuries. Then a Chicago millionaire’s GI son gave it to his girlfriend, but it was stolen. John bought it for Dina on the black market when she and John were young marrieds and Dina was pregnant with Jack. Dina wore it often for years but it was stolen about the time Dina abandoned her family for Paris. Years later, it took Victor a year to track it down for Nikki, but he lost the bid to a holding company named BOHDI owned by Neil Fenmore. Lauren found it in a safe deposit box in London.

The family finally realized that Dina needed to be placed in a facility for advanced Alzheimer's patients. But they brought her home for the final months of her life. Just before Dina’s death the emerald was cut up to make jewelry for each of the Abbott siblings, and Lauren kept a major piece of it.

Dina died, and Theo was incensed the Abbotts didn’t even notify him to join them as she passed. Theo attended the memorial, playing Dina’s favorite song encouraging everyone to dance and celebrate Dina. Kyle left, mad that Theo had taken over. Later at the reading of the will, an old will made prior to Dina knowing of her grandson Theo, she left his father a special pen that Stuart had given her, and it passed to Theo because his father was deceased. Theo complained later that the dang thing didn’t even write. The bulk of estate was split between her three children. Kyle was left her extensive art collection, and requested he please don’t sell all of it. Abby received Dina’s Paris apartment When Theo discovered that Jack had individual jewelry pieces made for family members out of Dina’s large emerald, excluding him, he sued for Dina’s entire estate. It was settled out of court after Summer convinced Theo to accept Jack’s offer of Dina’s thriving boutique company in Paris. Following a touching scene with Jack wishing him well, and telling him not to screw it up, Theo quit Chancecom and left town.

Billy and Lily named Traci head of serialized online fiction Family Division at ChanceComm, which later was bought by Newman-Locke and merged with Newman Media.

It was discovered that Jack’s long-lost son Keemo had a daughter in her 20s named Allie Nguyen who lived in Los Angeles. Jack convinced her to visit Genoa City. Traci and Ashley welcomed her into the family. Ashley gave her a tour of the Jabot lab, and Allie considered working there.