At the Poolside Café, Lauren and Paul met for coffee. Paul blamed Michael for getting Ashley involved in the mess she was in. Lauren said that she had known that Michael and Ashley had been up to something, but she hadn't known the details. Lauren couldn't believe that Ashley would get involved with the likes of Tom, but she started putting it all together and realized that it had something to do with Tom's getting busted for drugs and Ashley and Michael's involvement with that. Paul touched his nose, indicating that Lauren was right.
Lauren defended Michael, saying that she had known that Tom was threatening John but that Ashley had insisted on being a part of the situation. Paul said he knew that D.A. Bardwell wouldn't try to get Ashley for first-degree murder if he didn't think he could win -- but Ashley had confessed, and Bardwell was an excellent D.A. Lauren expressed her concern for the whole Abbott family and hoped that Michael could "pull a rabbit out of a hat." Paul got a call on his cell phone and told Lauren that business called. As they walked out together, Paul said he hoped that Michael found a way to help Ashley.
In John's hospital room, Jack was shocked to learn that John had confessed to killing Tom. Bardwell didn't believe it, saying it was the desperate act of a father trying to protect his daughter. John became upset when Bardwell didn't believe him. Jack urged John to let it go as Bardwell left. Michael entered the room, and Ashley told him that John had just confessed to Tom's murder, but Gloria said that fortunately Bardwell hadn't believed John. John absolutely refused to accept the fact that Ashley was taking the rap for a murder that he had committed, but the family tried to calm him down and told him that it was best to leave things as they were.
When John asked Michael to help him stop the insanity, Michael explained that the D.A. had not dropped the charges against Ashley because he hadn't believe John's confession, Michael was still legally obligated to Ashley, and he would do his best to defend her. Jack was angry with Michael because Jack believed that Michael had allowed John to go back to the crime scene but learned that John had gone on his own after his memory started returning.
Gloria left to find out when she could take John home. John told Jack, Ashley, and Michael that they had to know that what they were doing was wrong. Ashley said that right or wrong, he should take comfort in the fact that they all loved him too much to let anything happen to him. Gloria returned and told them that the doctors thought John should spend another night, and it was important that he not be under any stress. Jack said he would pick John up in the morning and left. Michael and Ashley also left to allow John to get some rest.
Gloria and John continued to go back and forth over what Ashley had done. Gloria told John he had to believe that Michael would get Ashley off. She said Michael thought that Ashley had a better chance of getting off -- for a woman, the jury would more likely buy the self-defense theory. When John said that he had killed a man, Gloria reminded him that Tom Fisher had been a bad man and that John had done the world a favor. Gloria told John she would spend the night, but John insisted that she go home and get some proper rest. A nurse arrived to give John some sleeping pills, and John popped them in his mouth as Gloria was leaving.
With Gloria out of the room, John spit the pills out and began making a phone call. Moments later, Paul arrived at John's hospital room -- John had called Paul when Paul had been with Lauren. John told Paul he wanted to hire Paul to prove that John had killed Tom Fisher. Paul was stunned.
Outside the hospital room, Jack, Michael, and Ashley talked. Michael said that he thought John might have made things worse for Ashley -- his confession tended to reinforce Ashley's guilt. As he left, Jack told Michael it was Michael's job to undo the damage. Ashley agreed that John wouldn't go along with the scheme unless Michael could guarantee he could get her off. Michael couldn't guarantee it but thought they had a good case for self-defense.
Ashley asked Michael what his strategy was, and Michael told her that he was going to make Tom look like the scum of the earth, which wouldn't be hard. Since Tom's kidnapping of Lauren had been publicized, Michael was going to get twelve sympathetic people on the jury -- parents who would understand that Ashley would do anything she had to do to protect her child. Michael said he was going to introduce Tom's history of violence, abuse, stalking, and blackmail, as well as reminding the jury that when Tom had been killed, he had been a fugitive -- wanted for what had been believed, at the time, to be Lauren's murder.
Ashley thought that all sounded good but was concerned that they not find out that she and Michael had set Tom up on the drug charges. Michael said they had covered their tracks, and no one would find out. Ashley agreed they had a good case, but Michael warned her about Bardwell -- it was a high-profile case, and many a D.A. had made their careers winning high-profile cases. He said Bardwell would do anything he could do to win.
Later, at the Athletic Club, a man handed Bardwell some papers. Bardwell learned that his hunch had been right -- Ashley's fingerprints had been on the bag of chemicals that was been on Tom's motorcycle.
At Newman Enterprises, Nick and Phyllis were making out when Sharon knocked on the door. Sharon called maintenance on her cell phone to tell them she needed the door unlocked, as she had left her keys there. Nick and Phyllis were shocked to hear Sharon's voice outside the door, but then they heard her walk off. A few minutes later, Sharon entered the office and found Phyllis working on her computer.
Sharon was a little confused about why the door had been locked just a few minutes before, but Phyllis explained it away by saying that she'd had to pick up some files, and she liked to keep the door locked when she was out of the office at night. As Sharon got her keys, she discussed her dinner plans with Nick for that night but said that she hadn't been able to find him. Sharon left, and Nick emerged from a back room. Phyllis told Nick that Sharon was looking for him and that he had better go. After they kissed, Phyllis checked to make sure that the hall was clear, and Nick left.
At the Athletic Club, Daniel and Colleen were having drinks as Daniel mentioned that Mac had left in a hurry. Colleen snidely said she didn't know why Daniel was blaming her -- after all, it was J.T. who hadn't told Mac that he was with Colleen. When Daniel mentioned that she seemed to be enjoying the tension between Mac and J.T., Colleen said that there was so much going on with her family at that moment that the last thing she needed was to cause trouble between Mac and J.T. or have any more drama in her life. Colleen asked Daniel why he and Lily had broken up. Daniel admitted that he really didn't know.
Daniel asked Colleen how she was getting away with missing school, and she said it was cool with her professors. They teased each other about Daniel going to NYU and being roommates. Daniel had to leave to do homework and ran into Jack while leaving. Jack greeted Colleen, who he had not seen since she had returned to town. After Jack told Colleen that John was fine and was going home in the morning, Colleen tried to convince Jack that the Fisher family was at the root of all their problems -- and if they could get rid of the Fisher family, all their troubles would be over.
Jack told Colleen that John loved Gloria and that Gloria would grow on her. Colleen said there was no way that would happen. She couldn't believe that Gloria had asked her to give Kevin a second chance and insisted that she would never trust Gloria or Kevin. Jack noticed Bardwell standing at the entrance to the Poolside Café and told Colleen it was the D.A. who was prosecuting Ashley. Colleen reiterated her feeling that it was all the Fishers' fault. When Jack said that John was committed to the marriage, Colleen said that didn't mean that they had to be.
At the loft, J.T. entered looking for Ma,c and she walked out of the bedroom, dressed like Daisy Duke from the Dukes of Hazzard. She feigned a southern accent and flirted with J.T., who enjoyed the whole routine. Mac apologized for getting bent out of shape before. J.T. said he hadn't planned on keeping the fact that he had seen Colleen a secret from her. Mac said she never wanted J.T. to keep anything from her because he was afraid of how she would react. Mac thought that Colleen wanted to cause trouble between her and J.T., but as long as J.T. didn't keep anything from Mac, everything would be fine. They kissed and headed off to the bedroom.
Phyllis arrived home and looked for Daniel, but the apartment was empty. She thought a bit and then decided to play some cyber golf to take her mind off things. Daniel arrived home with dinner for Phyllis. As they engaged in small talk, Phyllis had a quick flash of her and Nick kissing.
When Daniel expressed his hope that Phyllis and Jack would reconcile, Phyllis said there was no way and told Daniel about the injunction Jack had filed against her new business. Daniel told Phyllis about seeing Jack at the Athletic Club and admitted that Jack had seemed bummed. Phyllis explained that Jack's family was going through a lot, but every time she reached out to Jack, he did something else to alienate her. She reemphasized that she and Jack would not be reconciling.
At the Newman main house, Nick arrived. Sharon wanted to know where he had been. She said that she had looked everywhere for him, but he had apparently not been at Newman Enterprises. Nick made up a story about going down to accounting. Nick acted skittish when Sharon said that even Phyllis hadn't known where he was. Sharon told Nick about the dinner she had gotten from Nick's favorite French restaurant and also that they had the main house to themselves, as Victor and Nikki were having pizza with Noah at their house. Sharon said that she felt guilty about leaving Noah and Nick on their own when she went on her business trips. Nick told her she had nothing to feel guilty about.
Later, Sharon told Nick that she had thought about taking Noah skiing and that she wanted to ask Daniel along, as he had promised to teach Noah to snowboard. As Sharon talked to Nick, she "morphed" into Phyllis in his mind then "morphed" back to Sharon. Sharon received a phone call, and she learned that she had to go on a quick business trip, if it was okay with Nick. Nick said it was fine, as her business trips increased sales. Sharon left to tell Nikki and Victor that they could return to the main house. As soon as she left, Nick called Phyllis and told her that he had to see her the next day -- at the same place -- the hotel room.
Paul visited John in his room at Genoa City Memorial, and John reiterated that he needed Paul to prove that John had shot Tom Fisher. Paul at first refused, saying that he didn't believe that John had fired the gun. John got exasperated with Paul as he explained that he remembered everything about shooting Tom. When Paul asked John where the proof was, John said it was going to be Paul's job to prove it.
John insisted he wasn't making anything up and that he couldn't allow Ashley to pay for something he had done. He told Paul that if Paul didn't take the case, he would find someone who would. Paul finally agreed to help out but said that it wouldn't be easy -- he had already interviewed everyone in the steakhouse that night. When he asked John if he remembered anything at all that might be helpful, John remembered that Tom had stumbled against him. Paul said that that contact might be important -- and that he would check it out and get back to John.
At Michael's office, Lauren asked him to be honest about how he and Ashley had been involved with Tom's drug bust. Lauren was angry that Michael had kept the situation secret from her. Michael said that he had done what he'd had to do, and Lauren accused him of going to his "dark place," insisting that Ashley was paying the price. When Michael reminded Lauren that Tom had kidnapped her and held her hostage, she reminded Michael that he had saved her life -- to which Michael replied that that had been due to greed -- he had wanted money and revenge.
Lauren said that it had been revenge against Michael for having set Tom up on phony drug charges, and that no matter what Tom had done, it didn't justify Michael playing judge and jury against him. Lauren told Michael that he still hadn't told her what had happened -- what the whole story about Tom's drug bust was. Michael was saved by the arrival of Will Bardwell, and Lauren left. Michael asked Bardwell if he was ready to drop the charges against Ashley. Michael said that no jury in the world would convict her, and any jury would see that she had been protecting herself.
Bardwell said that Michael's "pillar of society" was not as pure as he seemed to think -- Ashley had been seen on several occasions with Tom, including the night he had been arrested for drug possession. Michael told Bardwell that wasn't a crime. Bardwell then dropped the bombshell on Michael that his theory was that Tom and Ashley had been running a drug ring and that for some reason, things had gone bad, and that was the reason she had killed Tom. Bardwell said that no jury would look kindly upon that.
At the Poolside Café, Brad and Victoria were having breakfast when Ashley walked over. Victoria invited her to join them. Brad told Ashley that he and Victoria were engaged. Ashley seemed truly happy for them and congratulated them, telling them there was no need to keep their engagement a secret, which meant a lot to Victoria, who left for work. Brad asked Ashley if she were truly okay with the engagement, and she said she was. However, she reminded Brad that their divorce would be final that day, and they would have to wait six months to marry. Ashley said she hoped she could make it to the ceremony.
When Ashley told Brad that Michael seemed to think they had a strong case, Brad asked her how she could ever have gotten mixed up with a lowlife like Tom Fisher. Ashley said it was complicated. Brad pointed out that Ashley needed a sympathetic jury, and they needed to get it into their minds that it had been self-defense. He said that the D.A. would try to paint her as a cold-blooded killer and that he was probably digging into her background already. Brad told Ashley she had his 100% support as he gave her a peck on the cheek and left.
A few minutes later, Leanna Love arrived with a cameraman. Ashley was not particularly happy to see her. Leanna asked if Ashley was still upset about Leanna's book Ruthless and told Ashley that she had changed and didn't want to report tabloid news anymore, Leanna insisted that Ashley's story was legitimate front-page news, and it would be Leanna's chance to repair the damage she had done to Ashley's reputation with Ruthless. Ashley said she would grant an interview if Leanna promised not to edit what Ashley said and if Leanna wouldn't ask any questions that made Ashley appear unsympathetic. Leanna agreed, and they began the interview with Leanna asking Ashley what her connection to Tom Fisher had been.
Ashley reviewed her history with Tom: she had met him in the hospital when John had been there, he had seemed like a nice guy, and they had become acquaintances although she hadn't know John was married to Tom's ex-wife. Ashley continued by saying that Tom had become obsessed with her, started making phone calls, showed up at her home, and accosted her at work, and that she had been afraid of him. Ashley looked straight into the camera as she said that she knew that every woman could relate to the fear she had experienced. When Leanna asked about the gun, Ashley said she'd had a young daughter, and when Tom had been accused of Lauren's murder and was on the run, she had felt her family was in danger.
Ashley said that she had never meant to kill anyone -- she had just wanted to protect her family. Brad returned at that moment and was shocked that Ashley was talking to Leanna. Leanna quickly changed her tactics and accused Brad of abandoning Ashley in her hour of need -- revealing that their divorce would become final that day. Leanna made it look like Brad wanted the divorce to get away from Ashley's troubles with the murder charges -- and if that were the way that Brad felt, it would make people question Ashley's innocence.
At the Newman main house, Nick walked in and found Sharon, who was making sure that Miguel would pick up Noah after school. He asked Sharon if she was excited about her trip. Sharon said she was, although she was still exhausted from Denver. They discussed how fast Beauty of Nature had taken off and commented on how happy they each seemed as they left for the office.
At Newman Enterprises, Victor stopped by Phyllis and Nikki's office to tell Phyllis that he was going to be working on the wellness center project. Phyllis was surprised -- she had known that Victor was putting up the seed money but hadn't known that he was going to be actively involved. Phyllis was concerned about where that left her, and Victor assured her she wouldn't be a fifth wheel.
When Phyllis mentioned Jack's injunction, Victor told her not to worry about that. He said he would do everything in his power to prevent it, and Phyllis should be happy he was working on the project because of his know-how and business expertise. Victor told her that he would run the financial side while Phyllis and Nikki could concentrate on the creative side. Phyllis asked Victor why he couldn't have just taken up golf.
A while later, Phyllis ran into Sharon and Nick in the hall. Nick and Sharon told Phyllis about Sharon's quick business trip as Dru called Sharon on her cell phone and told her they were downstairs and set to leave. Phyllis wished Sharon good luck with her trip, and Nick hugged Sharon as she left. Phyllis and Nick went into her office, where she revealed that Victor was going to be working on the project with her and Nikki.
Nick was not surprised at all but asked Phyllis why she hadn't just said no. Phyllis said that one couldn't just say no to Victor Newman. Nick said that when his father saw an opportunity, he went for it, and Phyllis asked if that was where Nick inherited that trait. They then turned the subject to their rendezvous that afternoon -- they agreed to meet at 3:00 in the hotel room to have "fun."
Victor arrived back at the Newman main house and found Victoria there. He told her about his involvement in the spa project and how excited he was about it. However, he said that he was concerned about her involvement with Brad Carlton. Victoria told Victor that they were going public with their engagement because Ashley and Brad's divorce was final that day and that even Ashley had said that it was okay to announce it. Victor questioned doing that, wondering if it would be better to wait until after the trial.
Victoria removed the ring from the chain around her neck and put it on her finger. When Victor asked her if Brad had pressured her into the marriage, Victoria defended Brad and wondered why Victor couldn't just be happy for her, at least for "this one time." Victor said of course he wanted to be happy for her as they hugged.
At the Winterses' apartment, Devon walked out of his room and found Neil and Dru had decorated the living room for a surprise 18th birthday party. They asked him to open the big gift on the coffee table first -- and Lily popped out. Devon was thrilled, saying that having Lily there was the best gift possible. He asked how long she would be staying. Lily said it was going to be a short visit, and Neil and Dru implored her to stay away from Daniel. She promised that that was over.
Dru gave Devon a gift that Yolanda had sent -- a sweater. She had also sent a beautiful card telling him how much she was thinking about him on his big day. When Neil referred to Devon as "son," Devon said he liked it when Neil called him that. Devon said that since he was 18, he hoped the Winterses wouldn't kick him out, and they assured him they wouldn't. Neil told Devon he was 18 and legally emancipated and free to make his own decisions, and Devon decided he wanted to stay a part of the Winters family, at least until he was through with college. Neil said those were his favorite words -- family and college. Dru reminded Devon of how far he had come since he had first arrived at the Winters home.
Devon opened another gift -- a laptop computer that Dru said he could use to write all his college papers on. Devon said it was the best day of his life, particularly with Lily being there. Dru and Neil realized they needed to get going. When Lily asked for permission to go to Crimson Lights, Dru and Neil were hesitant, but Devon said that it would be okay because he would go with her. Neil gave his okay but again reminded Lily not to ruin anything. Lily assured him that all was okay.
Neil and Dru left. As soon as they were gone, Lily asked Devon how Daniel had reacted to her real letter, as opposed to the break-up one that Neil and Dru had made her write. Devon didn't tell Lily that he hadn't given Daniel that letter. Lily started to get ready to go to Crimson Lights with Devon, hoping that Daniel would be there so he could tell her how he felt about the real letter.
Daniel met Colleen at the coffeehouse to get her help filling out applications to NYU. She said that he didn't need to bribe her to get her help, but he offered to take her to a concert that night. Daniel took a break to call Phyllis, asking her if they'd been robbed because some things were missing from the apartment. Phyllis told Daniel that she'd taken the video game player and games for a work demonstration, and he said he didn't think teens were going to be lining up for her wellness centers. The truth was that Phyllis had taken everything for her afternoon playdate at the hotel room with Nick, which she couldn't tell her son. After Daniel hung up the phone, he and Colleen talked about that night's concert. Neither of them was aware that Lily was inside Crimson Lights with Devon.
Devon told Lily that since he was eighteen, he no longer had to check in with his social worker, Lorena Davis. However, she'd sent him a note to go see her anytime. Lily was trying to talk Devon into handing over his cell phone so she could call Daniel. She didn't want to use her own phone because she was afraid her parents would track her outgoing calls.
While Devon was trying to talk Lily out of making the call, Sierra showed up with a birthday present for Devon. It was a guidebook for a college student new to the Boston area. Lily was impatient to know what was going on with Daniel and if they'd taken care of him, and Sierra and Devon exchanged an anxious look, since they'd never given Daniel the letter from Lily.
In Michael's office, D.A. Will Bardwell laid out the case he had against Ashley. There were witnesses who could testify that Ashley had willingly seen Tom on more than one occasion. They'd found Ashley's fingerprints on the bag of materials to make drugs that had been on Tom's motorcycle. Bardwell speculated that Ashley and Tom had been producing crystal meth. Even though he didn't think Tom had the sense to do it, Ashley was a brilliant chemist.
In fact, Bardwell was going to have Ashley's lab at Jabot searched. Michael told him that was ridiculous. He asked why a woman like Ashley would be involved in something like that. The police wouldn't find anything in Ashley's lab, and the rest of the D.A.'s evidence was circumstantial. Bardwell speculated that Ashley could have cleared the lab of evidence, but his thought was that Ashley had gone along with Tom for the thrill then killed him when things had gotten too complicated.
After Bardwell left, Michael wondered aloud what he'd done by setting up Tom for the drug bust with Ashley's help. As he struggled to find some way to defend Ashley, Lauren arrived. She could tell Michael was upset about Ashley's case, and when he told her that Bardwell was going to try to prove that Ashley had been selling drugs with Tom, Lauren again questioned him about what he wasn't telling her.
Michael said that she was better off not knowing, especially since she'd be testifying on Ashley's behalf. Lauren correctly deduced that Tom had been right; Michael and Ashley had set him up. She reminded Michael that she'd told him his rage at Tom was going to lead him into doing something he'd regret. She said he'd ruined everything.
Brad was furious that Ashley had been talking to Leanna Love, and Ashley told him that Leanna had tricked her into doing an interview by promising to be sympathetic and tell Ashley's side of the story to the public. Brad said the only way he could think of to refute Leanna's slant on the story was to postpone their divorce. Ashley refused to let him put his life on hold any longer, and he asked her to talk his plan over with her father. She agreed but still asked Brad to meet her there later so they could go to the courthouse together and sign their divorce papers.
Gloria took John home from the hospital. He assured her that he wasn't going to pursue the D.A. and try to convince him of the truth -- that it had been John, not Ashley, who had shot Tom. When Ashley arrived at home, he told her the same thing. After Gloria left them alone, Ashley asked her father what was really going on. John didn't tell her that he'd asked Paul to help prove John's guilt.
Once Ashley was convinced that her father was going to go along with her story, she told him that she needed advice about Brad. John thought Brad was right; they should postpone the divorce until things settled down. Ashley told him that Brad and Victoria were engaged. It wasn't fair of her to ask that of Brad, so she was going to stick with her decision to go ahead with the divorce.
Nick ran into Victoria at Newman, and she showed him that she was openly wearing her engagement ring. Nick said that he still thought she could do better than Brad, but he wouldn't cheat their parents out of the pleasure of lecturing Victoria on why she should wait. While they were talking, Sharon walked in. The Chicago airport was snowed in, so she couldn't get a flight out of Genoa City. Her business trip had been postponed. Sharon asked how Abby was doing, and Victoria assured her that Abby was doing well and was back in school. Victoria and Sharon left to reschedule the trip, and Nick sent a text message to Phyllis to let her know that he couldn't meet her.
Later, Sharon went to pick up lunch for herself and Nick at the Athletic Club spa, where she ran into Brad. He told her about the run-in with Leanna Love and his idea that Ashley should postpone their divorce. Sharon wondered if Victoria was pressuring him, and Brad said no. Sharon looked a little sour as Brad praised all of Victoria's best qualities and described how unconditionally she loved him. Sharon asked if he felt the same way about Victoria, and he said yes. His biggest concern was Abby.
Sharon suggested that for Abby's sake, it might be better if Brad put off the divorce for a while, and Brad said he didn't want to give Abby unrealistic expectations that her parents were going to reunite. Their conversation was interrupted when Brad got a call from Will Bardwell on his cell phone. He went to the D.A.'s office and lashed out at him for summoning him there after all the police were putting his wife through. Bardwell said he had some questions that Brad needed to answer.
Phyllis had ordered a pitcher of sangria and set up snacks and video games for her rendezvous with Nick. When she got his message that he couldn't meet her, she seemed to take it in stride. She changed back into her office attire and went to Newman, where she ran into Nick. He explained that Sharon's trip had been canceled. Phyllis pretended that it didn't bother her; after all, they were together to have fun and live in the moment.
Nick promised they'd get together another time. When she got back to Newman Enterprises, Sharon was surprised to find Nick and Phyllis together. She told Nick that she'd picked up lunch for the two of them if he wanted to join her. Nick said sure and walked out, giving Phyllis a furtive look as he followed Sharon. After they were gone, Phyllis' frustration at watching Nick walk out with Sharon was evident by her facial expression.
Paul told John that he hadn't found any evidence on John's car, and Paul asked Gloria what had happened to the coat John had been wearing the night of the accident. She showed him where it was, and even though it had been cleaned, Paul took it to send to his specialist to search for evidence. Ashley entered and was stunned to see Paul turning over John's clothes to the lab.
At the Genoa City Athletic Club spa, Ashley told Nikki and Victoria about what had happened earlier with Leanna. Will called Brad to his office to try to get more information out of him, and Brad realized that he was trying to play hardball. Brad later met Ashley at the spa and suggested that they not divorce right then.
At the Newman ranch, Victoria picked up a bridal magazine and daydreamed about her wedding to Brad. She was taken out of her daydream when Brad rang the doorbell and was devastated when Brad told her that he wasn't going to be officially divorced for a little while longer.
Lauren was horrified to learn that Michael and Ashley had framed Tom for the possession of drugs. Lauren was also worried that Michael might do something drastic, and Michael admitted that he had to tell the truth to the D.A.
At the coffeehouse, Lily excitedly moved to Daniel, but he backed away, saying that he didn't want anything to do with her. Lily was stunned and hurt when Daniel stormed out of the coffeehouse. She followed him, and when she returned to the coffeehouse, she thanked Devon for not giving Daniel her second letter.
Victoria couldn't believe that Brad wanted to postpone his divorce from Ashley. Brad said that on top of everything else Ashley was going through, if he ended their marriage, it would be more tabloid fodder and perhaps even make her look guiltier. He had to consider the effect all of that would have on Abby. Nothing had changed with his feelings for Victoria; he still wanted to marry her. They would just have to wait a little longer. Victoria told him that she didn't feel comfortable wearing the ring of a man who had no idea when he'd be free. She returned Brad's engagement ring to him and cried as he walked out the door.
Nikki told Victor that Brad and Ashley's divorce was final that day, and Victoria wanted to proceed with making plans for her wedding. Victor accused Brad of being an opportunist and couldn't understand why Nikki was being supportive of Victoria, who could do much better than Brad. Nikki said it was what Victoria wanted. She felt they had no choice but to stand behind their daughter, who was hoping for an August wedding. Later, when Nikki went home and began talking to Victoria about wedding plans, her daughter burst into tears and ran out of the room.
Lily told Devon that she was glad he'd never given her second letter to Daniel. She'd seen a side of Daniel that had changed her feelings for him. As Daniel watched the two of them from the patio of Crimson Lights, Dru and Neil walked in. They spotted Daniel, who turned and left. Lily was annoyed that they were checking up on her, but they reminded her that over the past year, she'd given them little reason to trust her. When Lily walked away to get a few minutes alone, Devon told them that based on what he'd seen, they had nothing to worry about. Daniel and Lily didn't seem to even like each other anymore, much less feel anything deeper.
Nick ran into Phyllis at the rooftop spa on his way to work out and said he shouldn't be talking to her. Phyllis agreed that she needed to get to the office, too. But neither of them really wanted to leave, and Nick sat down at the table with her. She wondered when Sharon was going out of town again or if they could get a hotel room, and Nick warned her that they had to be careful.
For a moment, they held hands, but they broke contact just before Daniel walked in. He told Nick about a basketball camp he'd seen online that Noah might be interested in. While they were talking, the Winterses entered with Lily. Daniel excused himself. Phyllis worried about how seeing Lily was making her son feel.
After Nick and Phyllis went their separate ways, Dru and Neil told Lily how proud they were of her for the way she'd raised her grades. They'd made some calls on her behalf, and if everything turned out the way they hoped, Lily would be staying in Genoa City. Lily was thrilled, but their celebration was cut short when Neil and Dru had to go into the office to handle an emergency. Then Devon remembered that he'd promised some friends to help set up for a tournament. Once Lily was alone, she got a beep on her cell phone, read the text message, put on her coat, and walked away to find Daniel waiting for her. The two of them shared a smile then Lily walked into his arms and kissed him.
Ashley lashed out at Paul for working to find evidence against her father. Going through a trial or spending time in prison was a death sentence for John, and she wanted Paul to stop his search. Paul said that he couldn't do that. He wasn't going to let Ashley go to prison when she was innocent.
Ashley warned him that if he continued to look for evidence or gave any to the police, she didn't want to see him again. Paul said if she went to prison, he wouldn't see her again anyway. Bardwell's case against her was strong, and Paul didn't think Ashley was going to beat it. While they were arguing, John walked out of the study and asked to speak to Ashley alone.
Paul left, and Ashley told her father how angry she was that he'd been deceiving his family. He'd promised to let Ashley handle things her way, but first he'd talked to the D.A. and then he'd hired Paul. John knew Ashley was only trying to protect him and that she felt like his heart couldn't take the consequences of what he'd done. However, he assured her that if she went on trial and went to prison, his heart would be broken. It was time for them to go to the D.A. together and tell the whole truth. Ashley didn't want to, but she finally agreed, and they left the house together.
Lauren was devastated to hear that Michael's potential confession could cost him his license to practice law and land him in jail. Michael said he would do whatever it took to protect Ashley. Lauren begged him to find a way out of it that wouldn't separate them. Later, Michael called Paul at the Abbott house and asked him to go into the office. Once there, Paul said that he hadn't been able to find any evidence of John's guilt yet, but a forensics team was still examining the clothes John had worn the night he had shot Tom.
Michael said he couldn't put off talking to the D.A. any longer. Lauren was down the hall, trying to compose herself, and Michael asked Paul to tell her where he'd gone. After Michael left, Paul received a call from one of his lab contacts. They'd found what appeared to be human blood on John's coat.
Michael arrived at Bardwell's office with no idea that Ashley and John were on their way or that Paul might have evidence proving John's guilt. He told the D.A. he wasn't there to plea bargain for Ashley. He was there to tell the whole truth about what had happened the night Tom had been arrested for possession of materials to make drugs. He could prove that Ashley hadn't been involved with Tom and wasn't part of a drug ring.
