1987 (#26) - The end of the relationship with Ellen and John's interest in Joanna

It's been a year now since John met Ellen and started dating her. There is great harmony and esteem between the two; however, it is clear that love has never really blossomed. John and Ellen come from two completely different worlds and they seem to be only two very good friends. It is natural, therefore, that in the end the two decide to break off their relationship. But if a love that has never truly blossomed, a new one immediately appears for John. After Neil's death, in fact, John reconnected with Joanna, his old schoolmate, as well as Neil. The two spend a lot of time together and pleasantly remember the past and the times of youth. Each time, however, Joanna ends up feeling sorry for Neil, whom she feels guilty about being absent from him for so many years. To hearten her, as well as Lauren, is then John, who suddenly feels feelings for the woman and kisses her. It doesn't take long before the two of them start dating. When Joanna informs her daughter that she is seeing John, Lauren does not hide her doubts about the relationship, although in the end it is Brad himself who convinces her about the goodness of John's intentions, a reliable and respectable man. Lauren then informs her mother to willingly accept the fact that she is seeing John, only wanting her mother's happiness at the end of the day.

1987 (#6) - Ashley's research in New York, John's deal with John and Steve's treatment

Ashley, after the violent quarrel with Victor who had not accepted the woman's decision to have an abortion without warning the man, had decided as we know she would disappear. She took the first plane leaving for Genoa City, casually destined for New York, and soon found herself wandering around the city, without a specific goal or purpose. Days and days spent in this state deteriorate not only the woman's physical strength, but also her psychological and mental state, with recurring nightmares, hallucinations and visions of her unborn baby crying. It is the police, suspicious of the woman's condition and recalled by passers-by, who intercept her and admit her to a mental institution, where she is being treated by Dr. Steven Lassiter. Several months have now passed since the day Ashley entered the institution, but Steven still cannot give an identity to his Jane Doe, the name given to the missing persons, nor have any information about her. Nikki's obviously not the only person trying to locate Ashley. In Genoa city, in fact, John has been searching for her daughter for some time. Helping her, of course, is his partner Ellen, who contacts all the other homeless shelters in and around the city, without success. In the end, John sets in motion a sweeping search in all the cities connected by means of transport from Genoa City and only after countless calls and reports comes an answer that gives hope to the man: he comes from New York. Arrived in the Big Apple, John goes to the mental health institute and can finally embrace his daughter again, still incredulous for the joy of seeing her alive. As soon as she sees him, Ashley recognizes him and shows that she can remember much of her life, which is quite astonishing to Steven, who has rarely seen such sudden improvements. In agreement with Steven, then, John decides to take the woman to Genoa City to stay in the places she knows, protect her around the family and speed up the recovery process. John, moreover, asks Steven to follow him, promising to pay him generously in case he decides to follow the woman personally; Steven, who knows the Fairview Institute in Genoa City, willingly accepts; he also agrees with John on keeping the hospitalization secret, to give Ashley the chance to recover with all the peace, tranquility and serenity she needs.

1986 (#32) - Sven's escape to Mexico and Jack's reintegration into the company

Back at the police station, Carl immediately draws up a report of what happened, which, in fact, raises all charges against Jack, who is therefore exonerated. In the meantime, the search continues for Sven, but he has already lost track of him, having boarded a direct flight to Mexico, where he finds salvation. Jill, although sorry for not having had the satisfaction of seeing her attacker with justice, thanks Jack for the beautiful gesture and the sacrifice made to maintain the dignity of the Abbott family. So does John, while admitting that he is not yet ready to forgive his son. Finally, Jack returns to the homeless shelter thanking Ellen for making him understand the important things and for making him appreciate life more. Ellen embraces the man who is happy that the truth has come out, a truth she never doubted. The two of them exchange one last kiss, even though they agree to end their relationship here, belonging to two worlds that are too distant and different. It is not long, as it happens, that John tries to take one more step towards Jack's forgiveness by deciding to reintegrate him into the company, even if he has a low qualification so that he can gain experience and gain the job he wants to do with his own hands. John's decision to take Jack back into the company was also supported by Ellen, who becomes a valuable confidant of John's. John is in fact fascinated by Ellen's work at the shelter of the poor and decides to help financially with the project, soon finding himself in a relationship with the woman.

1986 (#29) - Sven's plan and Jill's rescue with Jack and Carl's intervention

Meanwhile, Sven is the only one not happy about Jill's awakening. Afraid that Jill might remember her attacker, Sven decides he can't help but eliminate the woman altogether, who in the meantime begins to see her memories reemerging. When Jill is released and taken home to Michael, Sven decides it's time to take action. Meanwhile, Jack is incredulous when he receives the news that Jill has recognized him as the attacker, or at least doesn't exclude that it could have been him. Ellen thus consoles Jack, assuring him that she has complete faith in him and believes he's innocent. Just as she is in the shelter, meanwhile, Jack thinks and thinks back to the events of that night, and remembers that just before Gina left the hotel and was attacked, she was talking and drinking with a mysterious man, the same man she crossed paths with as he was leaving the hotel. After some research, Jack manages to contact Leonard, the hotel concierge, who tells him that he realized he had found the gun in a different place when he took it to help Gina: it had probably been used before by someone else. Jack then reconnects everything, sensing that Jill's attacker is the man he crossed paths with and that talking to Gina had revealed to him that he was a masseur. Jack, thus, understands that Jill is in great danger and decides to leave the shelter running to Jill and Michael to tell them the whole truth. Meanwhile, at Jill's house there is Sven himself, who convinces Jill to go to him for a private massage; the woman, from Sven's insistence, finally understands everything, including why Jack has voluntarily accused himself, and realizes that she is in great danger. Warned that Jack has violated his parole and left the shelter, Carl and Salena immediately set out to search for him. Both Carl and Jack arrive together at Jill's house, which they find strangely desolate but with the door left open. Entering the house in search of the woman, they find a troubled Sven ready to pack up and leave the country. Between Sven and Carl, a furious fight breaks out, which gives Sven the chance to escape. Jack, meanwhile, manages to find Jill and save her: Sven had tied her up and locked her in a cold room, where she would surely find death. Everyone's overjoyed to see Jill alive again.

1986 (#27) - Jack's probation and Ellen's experience with the homeless

Michael is thrilled when the doctors inform him that Jill is responding to treatment and that her life is no longer in danger; and when she wakes up, the woman sees her man caressing her face. Shortly thereafter, Carl arrives at the hospital to get information from the woman about who shot her. Jill describes the evening of the attack by telling all the details of the scene; however, she confesses that she does not remember who attacked her. When Carl informs her that Jack has been arrested and convicted, Jill cannot exclude that it was not the man, remembering that she saw him at the presentation with a very dark and grudging face. Taken to prison by Carl himself, Jack desperately proclaims his innocence, although no one seems to give him credit as the evidence against him is very clear. Jack and his lawyer Howard Morrison can't make his case in front of the cops, and spends his first night in jail. Here, Jack realizes he can't face a whole trial, since he's sure that sooner or later he'll get out and go public on his night of love with Jill. Determined not to make his father suffer even more and not to cause him a new pain like the one he would suffer because of the leak, Jack the next day rejects Gina's proposal, who intends to testify before Judge Walter Edmonson to exonerate the man, telling how he defended her by driving away her attackers with his own gun. Jack, on the other hand, surprisingly charges himself with the assault and is sentenced to five years on probation, as a reward for spontaneous confession. Jack, thus, is taken to prison and, during the day, begins to frequent the homeless shelter where he has been sent to serve daily. This experience proved to be of great influence on Jack, who began to appreciate the true values of life and to come into contact with the other side of society that he had never known before, that of poverty, hunger and misery. Jack also makes the acquaintance of two volunteers from the center, Ron Clarke and Marvin Hawkins, and especially Ellen Winters, the center's manager, who immediately shows great sympathy for Jack. Impressed by Jack's sweetheart as he takes care of an old lady at the center named Nellie Flint, Ellen soon begins to develop something for the man. A great harmony is born between the two, to the point that they exchange a fleeting kiss soaked in feelings.