Barbara was stunned when Mick offered her a diamond necklace that James Stenbeck had once given her following one of his "indiscretions." She had returned it to him, and called it a "meaningless gesture." Mick put the necklace on Barbara, but she said he was wasting both his time and his money. Mick assured her that he was James, and he wanted a second chance. Barbara said he was not James, but she was obviously distracted about Meg's escape. She was worried for her granddaughter's safety.

Lily imagined a knife-wielding Meg outside her front door, while Damian questioned Paul and Emily at Fairwinds to see if Meg had asked them for help. Neither of them said a word about the fact that both Meg and Eliza were hiding downstairs in the wine cellar. Damian pushed the couple for information and tried to impress them with the seriousness of the situation. He claimed that Meg had made threatening calls to Lily's house since she escaped. He left, warning Paul and Emily that Meg was a dangerous woman.

Emily told Paul that the situation had to stop immediately because Damian was already suspicious. They argued loudly, and Meg joined them to apologize for causing so much trouble. Paul assured her that Damian was no threat to her, and he warned Emily to relax. Paul told the women to stay put while he ran an errand, and he went out. Emily said that Meg's "playing house" had put them all in jeopardy. She called Paul's ex-wife "pathetic," and she said that she felt like calling the cops herself. Mick walked in, and Meg challenged him by asking who he was and what he wanted.

Damian returned to Lily's and found his new wife very frightened. He picked up the phone to complain to the police, but Paul knocked on the door. Paul said not to call the police or Damian would have to answer to Paul. Paul also swore to Lily that Meg would not hurt any of them, but he asked for time to find her and get her the help she needed. Paul thanked them and hurried away.

Damian attempted to comfort a distraught Lily, who was focusing on Meg's accusations that Damian knew that Holden was alive when he began courting her. Damian said they needed to set that aside, and they kissed. Then Damian asked Lily to get a nice bottle of wine, and they began to relax.

Mick told Emily that he had dropped by to see if she was having any adverse reactions to her treatment. Meg jumped right on that and demanded to know what kind of "treatments" Emily was receiving. Emily told Meg to mind her own business. Paul returned and told Mick it would be "great" if he weren't there. Mick immediately excused himself, and Paul explained to Meg and Emily that Lily and Damian had agreed not to involve the police. Paul invited Emily to have a relaxing dinner with him, and he also warned Meg that she needed to stay down in the cellar.

Instead, as soon as Paul and Emily were gone, Meg took her daughter up to the living room. Meanwhile, Mick went to Old Town and made a call to the Oakdale Police Department. He pretended to be an upset woman. "She" reported that there was a "crazy woman" at Fairwinds and the caller feared for her life. The police sent several cars to Fairwinds, but Meg heard them arriving with sirens blaring. She picked up the car seat and diaper bag, and she and Eliza took off.

Paul and Emily went to the Lakeview for dinner, and they ran into Barbara in the lobby. They were chatting when Paul took a call from Liz, the housekeeper at Fairwinds, who reported that the cops had shown up looking for Meg. Liz also said that Meg had run off with the baby. Paul and Emily rushed home, and Liz explained that the car seat and diaper bag were also gone, so it was obvious that Meg had skipped out. Paul immediately jumped to the conclusion that Emily had called the cops on his ex-wife.

At the Lakeview, Mick found an upset Barbara still in the lobby. She told him what had happened with Meg, and she was frantic that something awful would happen to the baby on the icy roads. She was also irritated with Mick, and she stormed out just before Mick sneezed and suffered another gushing nosebleed.

Lily and Damian moved their "celebration" up to the bedroom, and they fell together on the bed. Damian looked up and noticed that someone had slashed their pillows into ribbons of feathers. He jumped up and called the police to report that they had an intruder, and it was most likely Meg Snyder. The cops told him that they had an earlier lead on Meg's whereabouts, but she had evaded them. Damian demanded that a squad car spend the night in front of their house. After talking to the police, Damian also told Lily to pack a bag and take the kids out of town for a while.

Janet cleaned up Emma's kitchen and found a sprig of mistletoe that had fallen on the floor. She flashed back to her Christmas Eve kiss with Dusty at Metro, as Parker arrived looking for his math book. Janet pumped him for information about Christmas at Carly's house and how his parents had gotten along. Parker assured Janet that his folks were not "hooking up" again. Janet apologized for being nosy, and retrieved his text book. Parker asked about Liberty, but that sent Janet off into another round of "Twenty Questions." Parker finally asked her not to ask him about his parents, and he thanked her for the book and walked out.

At Carly's, Jack found Sage's childhood teddy bear, and he and Carly reminisced. Jack said that he knew he needed to speak to Janet, and he went to shower. Craig, coughing and hacking, appeared at the door and said he needed to talk to Carly about business. Carly was reluctant to let him in for several reasons, but he insisted. He said he had the worst cold ever, but they had to talk about Midnight Sun. Carly said she owed him nothing and asked him to leave, and when Craig refused, Jack stepped in and told Craig to beat it.

Jack and Craig exchanged zingers, and again Craig repeated that he had "business" with Carly. Carly realized that the business also involved Parker, so she suggested that Jack go talk with his wife while she straightened out Craig. Jack took off, and Craig expressed victory. Carly said for him not to get excited because she was totally done with him. She even asked him to sell the vitamin water company so that they would have no further use for each other. Carly set to work repairing the eye on Sage's bear, as Craig said he needed backup from her for a meeting with the ad campaign manager in Chicago.

Parker returned home, and Carly told him that Craig wanted them all to go to Chicago that afternoon. Parker said he didn't need the money from the ads anymore because he had his trust fund, but Craig sweetened the offer by saying that if the ads sold well, they would never have to see Craig again. Parker was all for that, and he agreed to go after hockey practice. Carly assured Craig that it was the last time she would have any involvement with him. Craig left so that Carly could get ready. Outside on the porch, Craig grinned and said, "Not!"

Parker ran into a buddy in Old Town after learning that his hockey coach had cancelled practice because of the "wind chill factor." The friend wanted to get a burger, but Parker said he had to go to a meeting with his mom that afternoon. Just then, Parker got a text from Craig that said the roads were too icy, and they had rescheduled the meeting, so Parker went with his friend to the diner.

Meanwhile, Craig arrived to pick up Carly, who still thought Parker was included in the meeting. She reminded Craig that he had missed the turnoff to the high school, and then Craig "remembered" that Parker had texted him and said that practice would last too long for him to go to the meeting in Chicago. Carly wanted to turn around and go home, but Craig refused. He assured her that everything would be just fine.

Jack arrived at the farm as Janet was about to leave for Metro. She said she could spare him some time, so Jack asked how Christmas had gone for the family. Janet described it as "sad," and she said she was surprised that Jack had left her a gift. She was quite upset, however, that they had missed having Christmas together. Jack admitted that he had seen Brad on Christmas Eve, and his brother had told him to stop blaming himself for Brad's death. Janet confessed that she, too, had an encounter with Brad, and he had told her that she deserved to be happy. Then Janet told Jack that she had kissed Dusty on Christmas Eve, as well.

Jack asked her why, and Janet said it was because of Christmas and because Jack had "dumped" her. Jack was shocked and said that was not what he expected to be talking to his wife about. He said that he would be willing to work on their marriage, but Janet said that was not enough; Jack needed to tell her that he still loved her and wanted to move back home. Jack said he did love her, but his wife said if he returned home and then left again, she could not handle it. Janet asked Jack to leave.

Jack went to Yo's and drank a beer. Dusty walked in, and Jack thanked him for "making the moves" on Jack's wife. Dusty said that Jack was lucky that Janet was still his wife considering how he treated her. Jack told him to "stay the hell away" from Janet, and Dusty ragged on Jack about his drinking.

Janet threw away the mistletoe at the farm and was walking out the door when Jack called. He apologized and asked her to go out with him on New Year's Eve; Janet accepted. Janet went on to Metro and spoke with Dusty. They both agreed to "forget" what had happened between them.

Back at Carly's, Jack returned and commented on the freezing cold outside. He found Parker reading a note from Carly. Parker explained that Craig had asked him to go to a meeting in Chicago with him and Carly, but later Craig had texted Parker and canceled. The note was to Jack, and it was from Carly. It said that she was on her way to Chicago with Parker and Craig, and Jack was on his own for dinner. Jack called Carly on her cell phone and explained that Craig had canceled on Parker, and it looked as if somebody was up to his old tricks. Carly turned to Craig and called him "a miserable lowlife." Jack lost the connection then, and he turned to Parker and said he thought that Craig had kidnapped Carly.

Carly demanded that Craig turn the car around, or at least slow down on the icy road. Craig refused, so Carly grabbed the wheel and the car went into a spin.

Jack rushed into the police station and told Margo that he wished to report a kidnapping. He said that Craig had taken Carly to Chicago against her will, after concocting a meeting that had originally included Parker, as well. Jack said neither Carly nor Craig was answering a phone, and Margo reminded him that there was a nasty storm raging across the Midwest. Margo was sure that Craig posed no threat to Carly, and she asked if Jack thought his ex-wife was really in danger, or if he was just ticked off at Craig.

Jack said that Carly had sounded upset when he had spoken to her briefly, and he wanted to track Craig's car through the automatic toll records available to the police. Margo refreshed Jack's memory by telling him that he was no longer an officer of the law. She also thought that Jack was overreacting, but she agreed to allow him to use the toll records if he would consent to rejoining the police force. Jack called that "blackmail," but Margo called it "a Craig-like incentive." Jack said he would consider it, and Margo let him use the database.

In the middle of nowhere, Craig could not get his car restarted, and Carly lectured him about lying to her and getting them stuck in a freezing storm. She told him to get out and push, but he said he had a miserable cold, and it was icy out there. Still grumbling, Craig got out, but he had no success in moving the car. The weather turned even worse, and Craig crawled back into the car and suggested that they both walk back to a camp he had spotted a few miles back.

Craig and Carly trudged to the camp and found a furnished cabin that had electricity. Craig referred to them as "orphans of the storm," and he announced that they couldn't be picky about their accommodations. He talked Carly into "joining him inside," even thought she had vowed not to go into the cabin with him. There was a phone inside, but it was dead when Carly tried it. Craig said they should look at it as an opportunity to "talk things out," but Carly had no desire to spend the night in a cabin with Craig. She called him "a little boy who couldn't make an honest commitment."

Craig begged for another chance, but Carly opened the door and said she was going back to the road and taking her chances. She slammed the door, and Craig murmured that he would give her ten minutes before she returned. He located some candles and a working radio, and he was making things "cozy" when he heard a pounding on the door. He assumed it was Carly giving up on the great outdoors, but instead Jack was standing there in the cold, glaring at him.

Craig let Jack in, and the two began sparring instantly. Jack demanded to speak to his ex-wife, and Craig had to tell him that Carly had walked out fewer than ten minutes before. Jack could not believe that Craig had just let her go, and Jack ran outside to find her.

Meanwhile, Carly had found Jack's car, so she climbed in to stay warmer. For a short while, she amused herself by looking through the family photos on Jack's phone until she found one of Jack and Janet. She then attempted to start the car to get more heat.

Jack returned to the cabin with the news that he couldn't find Carly. He and Craig argued again, until Craig told Jack to go home to his wife who needed him more than Carly did. Just then Carly rushed in and asked Jack why he was there. Jack said he had been looking for her, and he offered her a ride back to civilization, but Carly said that wasn't going to happen.

Then Carly broke the news that Jack had left his lights on in the car, and his battery was dead. Craig asked Jack to go flag down a passing car, but Jack said no car had been on that road for hours. He also refused to leave Carly alone with Craig, no matter what the circumstances. Just then, all the electricity in the cabin failed and plunged them into darkness.

Mick stopped a police officer in Old Town and asked if she had seen a woman and baby wandering around looking lost. The cop could not help him, and Mick began to feel woozy. He suffered another nosebleed, as he wondered aloud where Meg might have gone.

In Java, Casey asked Alison why she had decided to marry him, and she said that she had begun walking and thinking, and she had ended up at All Angels Church. She said she liked the old church, and it was a good place to sit and think. Casey said that he had to correct something, and he asked Alison to meet him at the Lakeview in an hour. He gave her a kiss, and they walked outside, and Casey took off. He went home and found his great-grandmother, Nancy Hughes, waiting on the couch.

Nancy thanked Casey for agreeing to meet her, and she congratulated him on his engagement to Alison. She said that she understood from Bob that Casey had not yet given Alison a ring, so she handed him the lovely ring that was her engagement ring from her husband, Chris, when he was in law school. Casey was overwhelmed that his grandmother was so generous, and he gave her a kiss.

Meanwhile, Alison left Java but saw some blood on one of the benches in Old Town. She followed the trail of blood and found Mick Dante, unconscious on the pavement. Alison turned him over, and he awakened. She explained that he had experienced another severe nosebleed and had fainted, and she urged him to seek medical attention right away. Mick said that he had not eaten, so his blood sugar had gotten too low. He thanked Alison for her concern, but he refused to go to the hospital. He stood up and walked away.

At the Intruder office, Maddie questioned Hunter about his first name, and she suggested that it might be "Marion," like John Wayne's real name. She had a book of 1001 baby boy names, and she was intent on solving Hunter's mystery. Maddie asked if she guessed correctly whether Hunter would acknowledge it, but he only promised a "maybe." Maddie made some wild guesses, so Hunter said he would tell Maddie sometime if she promised not to laugh. She continued to pester, but Hunter reminded her that she had a blog to finish. Then Maddie decided that a bribe might work, so she went to get coffee, and Hunter realized that the two of them had been flirting.

Casey entered the office and asked where Maddie was. Hunter said she had gone for coffee, so Casey explained that he was going to be Hunter's brother-in-law. Hunter did not know how to react, so he just thumped Casey on the back a few times. Then he told Casey that Maddie had better hear the news directly from Casey rather than someone else, and he promised not to say anything to her until Casey had a chance to talk with his former girlfriend. Casey walked out, and soon Maddie returned with coffee and cookies.

Hunter went directly for the food, so Maddie grabbed his wallet and tried to read his name on his ID. They tussled over the wallet, as Casey returned. Hunter assured Casey, right in front of Maddie, that he hadn't said "anything about the engagement yet." Hunter realized his faux pas, and made himself scarce, while Casey explained that he and Alison had gotten engaged on Christmas Eve. Casey hoped that Maddie was okay with that, and, before he left, she assured him that she was.

When Hunter returned, Maddie asserted that she was all right. She went back to work on her blog, and out of nowhere, Hunter declared, "My first name is Lyon. L-Y-O-N." Maddie hooted when she realized that made his name "Lyon Hunter," but she declared it "charming." Suddenly the power went out in the building, and Maddie and Hunter were in the dark. Maddie began to freak out and asked Hunter to find a flashlight. He finally located one, and turned it on. Maddie revealed that total darkness revived all the horrible memories from the attacks of the "Oakdale Slasher," several years before. She explained how the killer had slain several of her friends, and that she was a particular target. Then she told Hunter that the psycho killer was her sister, Eve.

Mick walked back to the All Angels Church, and Alison followed him. He held his head in pain, and he became angry when he saw Alison. She lectured him about ignoring his symptoms, but Mick responded that he knew what was going on in his own head better than she did. He said his problem was not something she could "diagnose and fix;" it wasn't that simple. Alison asked if he was on drugs, but Mick said he barely took an aspirin. He promised to see a doctor if she would leave him alone, but Alison gave Mick an ultimatum: either he went immediately to Memorial Hospital, or she would tell Paul and Emily that there was something seriously wrong with him.

Mick got visibly upset when he heard that, and he began shouting at Alison. He collapsed again, and Alison asked why he was so terrified to get checked out by a doctor. Mick said he didn't need to, and then Alison realized that Mick already knew what was wrong with him. She asked if he had a brain tumor or cancer, but Mick said no. He did admit, however, that he knew what was wrong. Alison begged him to tell her, but Mick said that Alison wouldn't understand. "Try me," she said.

Mick asked if Alison knew what it was like to have two different opposing forces battling it out in her head. She said that, indeed, she did know, because "Bad Ali" and "Good Ali" used to fight all the time in her. Mick understood and blamed all his nosebleeds and headaches on those battles. Alison encouraged him to concentrate on the good side, because that was what had saved her. Her phone rang, and the caller was Casey. Alison told him that she was at All Angels Church again, and she would see him soon.

Alison looked at Mick, and he asked what was stopping her from leaving. He thanked her for taking care of him, and Alison said that she hoped that Mick could get control of his demons. She walked out of the belfry, but she could not find an outside door that was unlocked. Mick, whose features had changed to ones more frightening, sneaked into the vestibule of the church just as Casey opened an outer door. Alison hugged Casey, as Mick watched. Casey had been worried about her on the icy roads, so he had decided to get her himself.

Suddenly the power went out in the church, but Casey thought it was a romantic sign telling him to stay there with Alison. He dropped to one knee and declared his love, and at the same time he presented Alison with Nancy's ring. He asked her again to marry him, and she said yes, and they kissed, while Mick stood watching in the doorway.

At the Lakeview bar, Janet, who was excited to have a "date" with her husband, was surprised to see Dusty walk into a competitor's bar on New Year's Eve. He said he had been on his way to Metro when the lights went out all over town. Janet said she was meeting Jack, but he was evidently running late. Dusty complimented her on her dress, and the two of them wished each other a happy new year. The manager offered Janet a free bottle of champagne to compensate for the blackout, and Janet accepted it, as her phone rang.

The caller was Jack, but Janet could hardly hear him. He said that he doubted that he could make it back to Oakdale because of the storm. He apologized, and in response to Janet's question, he said he was stuck in a cabin with Carly and Craig about 40 miles from town. Janet said she was trying hard to believe him, but then she lost the phone connection. She helped herself to the complimentary champagne.

Dusty returned to the Lakeview and saw that Janet was still alone i n the bar. She told him that Jack had been held up at a cabin in the woods with his ex-wife, so Dusty took a glass of champagne to keep her company. When the bubbly was gone, Dusty said that he should go up to his room, but then he grinned and said that he never did what he should. The two of them continued drinking until Janet decided it was time for her to go home. Dusty said that the traffic lights in town were all blinking, and he couldn't let her drive because she had been drinking.

Janet stood up and almost passed out, but fortunately Dusty caught her. He took her to his room and helped her lie on the bed. She felt uneasy about being in his room, and she tried to get up, but Dusty said that Janet needed to stay. Janet did admit that darkness throughout the whole town was "creepy." She nodded off, and Dusty covered her with a blanket, and then he sat on the couch and watched her sleep. The fireworks at midnight wakened her, and Janet wanted to go home, but Dusty said the power lines were down and driving was too dangerous.

Janet worried that she had no business being with Dusty on New Year's Eve, and he told her that the cops did not want people out in such hazardous conditions. Janet got up and put on her shoes, but at the door, Dusty kissed her. Then Janet kissed him back, and they moved to the bed.

Craig and Jack argued incessantly at the cabin, and Carly implored them to stop. Craig kept sneezing and claimed that his ears were clogged, so Jack was the most likely candidate to fetch firewood. Jack went outside and found a woodpile behind the house with a good supply. Jack took in logs, and Carly quipped that it was "so good to have a man around the house with survival skills." Jack lit a fire, but the flue was clogged, and Carly had to open the door to clear the smoke. Jack then offered to go back to the road to flag down a passing car, but surprisingly, Craig also volunteered because he had gotten Carly into their mess.

Carly worried about Craig's getting more exposure to the cold, but he vowed if he had to "risk life and limb" to win her heart, it was worth it. Craig went out into the ice and fog, but Carly was concerned and said she would like for him to see the new year. That comment suddenly reminded Jack that he was missing his "date" with Janet, and he felt terrible.

Jack suggested that he and Carly fill pots with water to boil on the stove for drinking. He also pulled a cover off a piece of furniture that turned out to be an old bathtub. Carly figured out that Craig should have made it to the road, and she wondered if there was any traffic out on such a night. The bathtub amused her, and Carly reminded Jack about the old tub in Montana where Jack had washed her hair just before she gave birth to Sage. Jack said he was partial to the tub where Carly had kissed him when she thought he was Hal. They had a laugh, and then Carly asked Jack why he was really there.

Carly also asked why Jack had left Janet alone on New Year's Eve, and Jack said that he just didn't trust Craig. Besides, he admitted, he doubted that Janet was alone. Perhaps, Jack mused, his wife would kiss Dusty Donovan at midnight as she had on Christmas Eve. Carly was shocked about that, and Jack admitted it took his breath away, too. Jack said he could hardly be angry at Janet after he had abandoned her when Brad died. Carly asked again what Jack really wanted, and he moved closer to her.

Suddenly, the door flew open and a filthy wraith, who turned out to be Craig, stood before them. Craig was wet, stinky, and covered with muck. When Jack refused to touch him to get off Craig's wet clothes, Craig lunged at Carly and tried to kiss her and then passed out in Jack's arms. The two of them finally got him in the tub and poured in hot water. Carly and Jack sat by the tub, and Jack rubbed her back to keep Carly's mind off "Craig's naked body." Carly said if you had seen one, you'd seen them all, more or less .

Craig was delirious and yelled that the boat was sinking and they had to row to shore. Jack laughed and said if Craig began singing "Yo, Ho, Blow the Man Down," he would throw him out, with his mucky clothes, into the snow and fog. Carly realized Craig was running a high fever, so she asked Jack to attempt to walk to the road. Jack, however, said the fog was so thick that he doubted he could find the cabin again. He offered to just kill Craig and get it over with, but Carly was not amused.

Carly hoped that Craig's fever would break in a couple of hours, so they helped him out of the tub and covered him with blankets on the couch. Jack went outside to see if he could unclog the chimney, and Craig had a moment of lucidity and apologized to Carly for putting her in such a bad position. Craig finally said to her that she might think that Jack was the love of her life, but Jack would never accept her the way he would.

Jack walked in and heard Craig's comment. He told Carly that his days of sitting in judgment were over; they had died with Brad. Jack said it would have been wrong for him to stay with Janet, but he thought he could at least save Carly from Craig. He looked at his watch, and it was just seconds before midnight. Jack and Carly counted down the time and stared at one another.

In Old Town, Paul and Emily searched for Meg and the baby with a flashlight. Paul was very angry that Emily had called the cops, but his wife continued to deny it. He was extremely worried about his daughter, and he shouted to Emily to either help him or to go home. They continued searching Old Town, and then Emily suggested that they go back to Fairwinds. She reasoned that Meg would seek shelter for the baby and would not be wandering around outside in the storm. Then she suggested that they also check the hospital, because it was safe and warm, and Meg knew her way around there. Paul insisted on continuing his search outside, but he told Emily to do what she wanted.

In All Angels church, Mick watched Alison and Casey seal their betrothal with a kiss. Alison talked about the history of the ring that Nancy had given Casey for her, and when Casey embraced her again, Alison spied Mick in the doorway. Alison pulled away, but Mick disappeared, and just then Alison's phone rang. The hospital was calling for extra help because of the storm, so both Casey and Alison left for Memorial.

As Alison and Casey walked into Memorial, the generators kicked on the lights in the hospital. They separated to their work stations; however, Alison ran into Emily almost immediately. Emily asked her to check to see if Meg had been admitted, but Alison suggested that Emily ask that at reception, and she would ask around among the staff. Alison went into the stairwell, and, sitting on the bottom step was Meg, holding baby Eliza.

Alison approached Meg, who begged her not to tell anyone that she and the baby were there. Meg also said she needed diapers and food for Eliza, and then she planned to keep running. Alison managed to convince Meg that she could rest in an empty room for several hours before heading out. She found a room and put her in it, and then Alison went to find Emily. Emily was grateful to her sister, and she declared she would "take it" from there.

In her room in the Lakeview, Barbara lit candles, and Mick knocked on the door. He waved his hand, and Barbara knew he wanted a cognac, James's favorite libation. She sent him to the bar in her room, and Mick said that he was worried about "our grandchild." That statement shocked Barbara, who was distracted by more knocking on her door. She let in Paul, who asked for Meg. He told his mother that Emily had called the cops on Meg, but she was denying it. Mick interjected that he was sorry to hear that, but he was not surprised because he had noticed a lot of hostility between the two women when he had last visited Fairwinds.

Paul's phone rang, and it was Emily telling him that his ex-wife and baby were safe in a room in Memorial, and no one else knew they were there except Alison. Paul said he would be there as soon as possible. As he was dashing out the door, Barbara warned her son that he could no longer let Meg near the baby. Mick agreed with Barbara, although he admitted it was none of his business. Paul said Mick was right about that, and he closed the door. Barbara looked hard at Mick and accused him of tipping off the police.

Mick did not deny the accusation and only said that he did what was "best for Paul." Barbara said Mick was "acting like James Stenbeck," and he said that with Paul free of Emily, and whiny Meg locked up, their son could reunite with Eliza and resume his role "at the head of the cosmic food chain."

At the hospital, Paul asked Alison and Emily where his family was, and when they showed him, he went in. Meg said that she was sorry for running, and she asked Paul to take her and the baby somewhere safe. Paul said he thought Meg should return to Deerbrook because Eliza could have been hurt. He said Damian had told the police that Meg had broken into Lily's home and slashed up their bed, but Meg strongly denied it. Meg was exhausted, and she finally agreed to try to stay calm and return to Deerbrook.

Barbara and Mick arrived at the hospital, and they asked Emily about Meg and the baby. Barbara lied and said that Paul had asked them both to be there. Mick asked Emily if she was all right, as the doctor from Deerbrook arrived. Emily could not believe that Paul had called him to take Meg away.

Meg handed Eliza to Paul, and she agreed to whatever medications the doctors recommended. The doctor took Meg away quietly, and Emily barged into the room and again told Paul that she had not called the police on Meg. Paul said the only people who knew that Meg was at Fairwinds were Emily, Mick, and Barbara. Emily ran out to confront Barbara and Mick, but they walked out as Barbara remarked offhandedly to Emily that every marriage had its "ups and downs."

Casey and Alison got off duty and discussed what to do with the rest of their New Year's Eve. Casey suggested that they go somewhere private and make their own fireworks, but Alison said that she felt old-fashioned, and she thought that they should not sleep together again until their wedding. Casey thought Alison was kidding, but she said she wanted everything to be "special." She suggested that they get married on Valentine's Day, which was also Casey's birthday, and only six weeks away. Casey said he could wait for that, as long as they had sex every day after that for the rest of their lives.

Due to the extended New Year's holiday, CBS pre-empted As the World Turns for holiday programming. This scheduling change was planned for, so there will be no "lost" episodes as a result of the pre-emption.

Regular programming will resume on Monday, January 4 and pick up where Wednesday, December 30's episode concluded.

I'd personally like to thank everyone who is a part of this site -- the columnists, recappers, message board moderators, and, most importantly, you, the Soap Central reader. Thank you for making 2009 another amazing and successful year. I hope that you have a very healthy and happy 2010 -- and that you'll continue your support of this site.

Dan J Kroll
Founder, Soap Central

Due to the New Year's holiday, today's episode of As the World Turns was pre-empted. This scheduling change was planned for in advance and there will be no "lost" episodes as a result. Regular programming will resume on Monday, January 4 and pick up where Wednesday, December 30's show concluded.