Victor talked in a vague manner with Nick about charges being leveled against him, and how he had made a serious error in judgment in trusting someone. Noticing Nick was being quiet, he asked why Nick wasn't saying anything. Nick said he didn't really know what was going on and didn't know what to say. Victor explained that Christine had gone to the plane on behalf of the D.A.'s office; Victor wondered aloud who could have turned on him like that. He went on to say while he was preparing Nick to take over the company, there were things he had purposefully kept from Nick to protect him -- and "this" was one of them.
Nick asked if Victor thought the charges against him would stick, and Victor said there was definitely reason for concern. Nick asked who Victor was suspicious of, and Victor said Michael or Phyllis. Nick wasn't surprised by Michael but asked Victor how Phyllis could have gotten involved in the situation, especially considering how difficult a position it would put her in with her family. Victor said to stop worrying about the Abbotts -- it was getting on his nerves -- and that Nick should be worrying about the Newman family.
With that, Victor told Nick that he would be very busy and distracted, and Victor asked if Nick would be willing to take over the reins of Newman Enterprises until everything was settled. Victor said that since the trip, he had felt closer to Nick, stating that he knew he could trust Nick and that Nick would do a good job. He gave Nick a hug, saying he had always wanted the two of them to fight battles together. Nick just looked guilty.
Nikki, Victoria, and Sharon continued to argue in the living room. Both Nikki and Sharon tried to insist things had changed between Nick and Victor, but Victoria was adamant that the situation was quite the opposite. Although never specific, she predicted something ugly was about to happen, and it involved a high level of betrayal on Nick's part. Her words infuriated Nikki, but Victoria kept on. She pointed out things she thought were unusual, like the two of them arriving back from the trip separately, and the phone call Nick had just had to make.
Neither Sharon nor Nikki had explanations. Victoria said she loved both Nick and Victor and hoped she didn't have to choose between the two. Just then, Nick entered the room, asking what was going on. Victoria looked at him and told him she had something to ask him -- and he'd better not lie. She asked what he had done to Victor.
Phyllis continued to question Michael about what was going on with the D.A.'s office. He explained they had gotten the case to handle, and Phyllis concluded with a bit of fear in her voice that their fate was in Christine's hands. She went on to say the whole situation had gone too far and that she was going to tell Jack. Her statement panicked Michael, who begged her not to tell Jack, based on the fact that the case might go away for lack of evidence. He blocked the door for emphasis, but she told him he needed to move. At that moment, there was a knock on the door. It was Victor -- glad to have the chance to talk to both "traitors" at the same time.
Brad went to visit Damon and talk more about the breakthrough they were hoping for with the potential new product. Damon agreed the potential of it was huge, but he didn't want to over-promise. Brad thought it would be a beautiful way to get back at Victor, along with a civil suit; it would be a great one-two punch. Brad told Damon to be very careful while he was gone and to try to be incognito.
Damon sheepishly said he had talked with Dru about it but felt she could keep quiet. Besides, he said, she was on her way to Trinidad. Brad asked about Vanessa, and Damon replied he didn't have anything to worry about with her, either.
Dru and Neil were excited about their trip, and Neil gave her one last surprise: they were taking the Newman jet. He urged her not to tell anyone at Jabot, and in fact, they agreed to not talk business the whole trip. From there, Dru went to see Damon in the lab. He congratulated her again on the impending nuptials, and she told him there was something he needed to know -- they were getting married in Japan. Damon's face dropped.
Meanwhile, Neil went to the coffeehouse and ran into Vanessa, who was understandably chilly. He mentioned he knew "her boyfriend" was going on a trip, and when he saw she was aggravated not to know about it, she was even more annoyed to find out Damon was going to Japan.
Katherine rang her own doorbell, and a manservant answered the door. Jill was rude to her but told him to let her in anyway. Katherine commented on Jill drinking alone, and Jill countered that she didn't have a problem with alcohol. She was more interested in discussing the way Katherine had treated Bobby Marsino when he had stopped by.
Katherine said she had simply been trying to protect Jill and that she only wanted the best for Jill. Jill said she understood and that she probably should be appreciative, but at the same time, it was a little bit late for all of that. Sighing, Katherine got up to leave but told Jill not to make friends with the bottle -- that would ruin her. After Katherine was gone, Jill took another swig of her drink.
Victor stormed into Michael's office, accusing Phyllis and Michael of turning him in to the Feds. They denied it outright, but he accused both of turning against him for loyalty to the Abbotts and implied that it was because Michael was a snake. Michael pointed out that neither had a motive to do it, since Jack would dump Phyllis if he found out she had known, and Michael would lose his license no matter what kind of deal he could make.
Phyllis let it slip that they suspected someone else of telling on Victor. When he pressed for a name, she meekly answered: Nick. Victor was outraged they would dare accuse his son. They pointed out that Nick had been on a tear about the Safra sales, but Victor couldn't believe his son would turn against him.
At the ranch, Victoria was convinced that Nick had done something against Victor. She could sense it and thought Nikki and Sharon were blind. She pressed Nick for details, but he refused to answer. He took Sharon and headed out for dinner.
In Christine's apartment, Mary tried to warn her that Paul was moving on with Lauren. She mentioned catching them making out on the couch at her place. Christine didn't want to hear about it and asked Mary to leave.
At Crimson Lights, Neil pressed Vanessa for details on why she was in town, visiting Damon. She kept mum but was bothered by the news that Damon was going to Japan and that he hadn't told her.
In his lab, Damon couldn't believe that Dru had moved her wedding to Japan. He demanded that she change the location for fear it would expose what he was looking for in Japan. She told him no one would figure it out. She also offered him a cover story: he could say he was in Japan as a guest at her wedding. He didn't think it would work, especially since he had already told Phyllis he was going. He worried that she'd tell Neil. Vanessa stopped by later and revealed to Damon that she was going to Japan.
Paul and Lauren met for drinks at the Athletic Club. They talked about the fun they were having. Lauren wanted to step things up a bit. Paul did, too, but not so far as to move in together as she had suggested earlier. She knew he was not in a position to promise anything. She hoped, though, that it was not just a rebound.
Nick and Sharon had dinner. He finally told her what he had found out about Victor. She couldn't believe it and tried to see it from Victor's perspective. She wondered how far it would go. Nick told her the Feds had been tipped off and that Victor could go to jail. Sharon thought jail would destroy Victor, but Nick thought he deserved it. He could never work at a company that was corrupt. Sharon thought they should pull together to support Victor and was shocked when Nick told her that he was the one who had turned Victor in.
Sharon was horrified to hear that Nick was the one who had turned in Victor to the authorities. When Nick explained that he had been following his conscience, Sharon ran out of the private dining room at the Athletic Club. Later, she returned, and Nick again tried to convince her that his motives weren't personal. Regardless of his feelings for his father, Victor wasn't above the law, and what Victor had done had inflicted serious harm to the Abbott family, especially Ashley.
Sharon worried about what their children would think if they saw Victor being led away to jail. She also felt sorry for Nikki, who'd had such high hopes that the Canadian trip had helped father and son bond. She realized Victoria was right; something terrible was about to happen. Nick was tired of talking about it and reached for Sharon, but she pulled away from him.
Gina told Danny that he didn't have to stay in Genoa City on her account. She was still coping with the loss of her restaurant, but she had a new job and a good friend in John Abbott. She'd be fine. Danny reminded her that he had other friends in Genoa City, including Cricket. He'd decided to stay around for a while. Gina was relieved to hear his decision, because she hadn't really wanted him to leave.
Paul and Lauren continued to talk about Paul's feelings regarding Christine over dinner at the Athletic Club. Lauren didn't mind being a supportive shoulder for him, but Paul said it was time for him to move on, as Christine planned to do. He was tired of discussing his unhappy love life and led Lauren to the dance floor.
Christine was still exasperated by Mary's visit when Lynne showed up. Christine insisted that they not talk about Paul and Lauren. Paul had every right to turn to Lauren as a friend, whatever Lauren's motives were. In fact, she thought it would be good for her to go out for a drink after her long day, and she invited Lynne to join her. They went to the Athletic Club and sat at the bar, where Christine ordered a double margarita.
When Lynne caught sight of Paul and Lauren on the dance floor, she suggested they leave and go see a movie. When Christine turned to leave with Lynne, she, too, saw her ex-husband dancing with his ex-wife. She went to their table and exchanged harsh words with Lauren. Lauren wasn't about to take any of Christine's insults, and when Christine called her a floozy, Paul jumped in, asking Christine where she got off calling Lauren names. She was the one who'd ended their relationship, after all, and it took a lot of nerve for her to interfere in an innocent date between two friends.
When Christine snapped back at him, Danny entered, spotted them, and interceded. Lauren was thrilled to see her old friend, although Paul didn't seem as delighted by the reunion. Danny led Christine and Lynne back to the bar. Paul and Lauren left, as did Lynne, and Danny insisted that Christine not run home. In fact, he thought they should dance together. Christine smiled nostalgically when Danny called her "Cricket," and the two of them held each other close on the dance floor.
Dru was not happy to hear that Neil had invited Phyllis to their wedding. Neil insisted that it was no different from her inviting Damon Porter, but Dru didn't see it that way. Damon had already been planning to go to Japan. When Neil wondered for what purpose, Dru attributed it to his Zenlike interests. Besides, Dru explained, she and Phyllis didn't get along, and Dru didn't want Phyllis to ruin her wedding.
Neil was sure Phyllis would be on her best behavior. Dru finally gave in. Later, when she went to their bedroom, Neil made a quick call to Phyllis, but he got her voicemail. He warned her not to make any plans for the next few days and to call him as soon as possible.
Vanessa called Damon's bluff in the lab, saying that she already knew he was going to Japan. She asked if he intended to edge her out of the research and possible success of her discovery of the hair straightener. Damon insisted that she could trust him. There was no reason for her to go to Japan to keep an eye on him. In fact, he had another reason for going: to attend Dru and Neil's wedding.
Damon said that by no means did he want Neil to get suspicious about why he was in Japan, since Neil worked for the competition. Vanessa said there was no problem; she'd just go to the wedding, too, as Damon's date. She left the lab with an airy promise to see him the next day at the airport.
Victoria couldn't believe that Victor was letting Nick be in charge of the company while Victor dealt with legal issues, especially because she thought that Nick was the one behind her father's problems. She demanded that Nick tell her if he was the one who had lit the fuse. "How stupid do you think I am?" she asked Nick. Nick told her not to shoot the messenger; the one to assign the blame was the judge. Victoria told him that nobody liked a rat.
Sharon went to see Victor at the Newman ranch. Victor informed her that Nick would be in charge of Newman Enterprises while he dealt with some legal matters. Sharon was in shock. Victor asked her if she thought putting Nick in charge was a bad idea. Sharon shrugged and said that was not it; it was just that Nick hadn't told her anything about it.
Sharon asked Victor if he was okay. He told her that he was going through a lot at that time, but that she should think positively. As Sharon was about to leave, she looked at Victor with deep concern and touched his shoulder.
Danny was sitting at the bar at the club, thinking about Cricket, when she walked in. She asked him where he had been, saying he looked a million miles away. Danny shrugged it off and asked her how she was doing. She said she had been looking for him to thank him for being there the day before. He said that everyone had their moments. Christine told him that she was starving, and since Danny was always hungry, they decided to have lunch together. After lunch, Christine told him that she had to go off to work but that she hoped to see him again. Danny agreed.
Gina and Phyllis were at the Abbotts', having breakfast, and Phyllis was in a bad mood. As Jack and John sat down, Jack said things were looking up for Jabot, and Phyllis sarcastically said, "Hear! Hear!" Phyllis told Jack she needed to talk to him, and John got up with Gina, saying they would leave them with a little privacy. Phyllis told John that she wanted him to know that even though they hadn't always seen eye to eye, he was a good person, and she respected him.
When Phyllis and Jack were alone, she mentioned that he had slept in the guest room the night before. She decided to be open and honest and asked him what he knew about Victor. She admitted to Jack that she had known the truth about Victor's illegal activity but only for a short while. Jack told her he wanted to forgive her, but he didn't know if he could. Phyllis said that even though she really wanted it to work, she didn't think they could be together anymore.
Jack wanted to know if Phyllis was talking divorce, but she said that she hoped that it did not get to that. She went to him, kissed and hugged him, and then stepped back. "I will have someone send for my things," she told Jack. As she left, she turned back one last time, and although Jack's back was to her, he looked more miserable than ever.
Nikki went downstairs for breakfast and kissed Victor at the table. She told him that she had heard him talking to someone, and he said that Sharon had stopped by to see him. He said she had been acting very strangely, like she had known something was going on. Nikki said that Cassie had stopped by the other day and said the same thing about Sharon's behavior. She said that she didn't want to talk about Sharon at that moment. She wanted to hear about Victor's trip in Toronto.
Victor thanked Nikki for making him go to Toronto; at least it had drawn him and Nick together. He told her that the trip had made him realize that Nick could handle running the company, and he had decided to let Nick be in charge while Victor dealt with some business issues. Nikki was very happy that Nick and Victor were getting back on the right foot. Victor left for work. Just after Victor left, the phone rang. It was Jack, and he told Nikki he was heading over, and she should not go anywhere. When he hung up, he told himself that it was time for Nikki to know the truth about Victor.
Sharon went to Nick's office to talk to him. She wanted to know how she should be handling the situation with Victor. Nick told her to stay away from Victor. Sharon didn't like that advice, but Nick was busy. He told Sharon that she had to leave. Just then, the man meeting with Nick walked in. It was the man that Sharon had recurrent memories about. Sharon looked shocked, and she left right away.
Outside the door, Sharon spotted Michael and dragged him into an office. She said she needed some legal advice immediately. Michael said he could find someone else, but Sharon demanded that he let her confide in him. She told him that a few months before, when she had left her family, she had been going through a really rough time. She had thought about killing herself, and one night at her hotel, she had gone downstairs to the bar. She had been getting really drunk, and there was a man there that had been nice to her.
Sharon said she had taken the man upstairs, and he had continued to give her liquor. She said the man had continued being nice to her, and they had started kissing and making love. However, suddenly things had taken a turn for the worse. The man had begun to hit her with his fists and choke her. Sharon said when the man finally fell asleep, she had taken off and found another hotel. She had known then that she'd had to go home. Michael asked why Sharon was telling him at that moment, and she told him, "The man is here -- in Nick's office -- right now."
Raul and Brittany both picked on J.T. for getting excited about the winter ball, a yearly dance at Genoa City University that J.T. was taking Colleen to. J.T. insisted that he was excited on Colleen's behalf, because she was really looking forward to going. In fact, he thought Brittany should go, too. Raul pretended not to listen to them as Brittany said she didn't want to go stag. When Raul didn't follow up on her hints, Brittany said she had something else to do that night anyway. After she left the loft, J.T. scolded Raul for the way he was treating Brittany. She obviously still loved him, but if Raul was going to continue to be cold to her, he was going to lose his opportunity to work their relationship out.
Brittany went to Marsino's to berate Bobby for telling Raul that she'd only quit her job because she was worried about her ex-boyfriend's health. Bobby said he'd done her a favor. Her relationship with Raul had been okay for a high school romance, but she needed to move on. Although Bobby sympathized with Raul over his diabetes, he said Raul needed to learn to live with it. When Brittany turned to leave, after reminding Bobby that she was no longer his employee, Bobby said he couldn't let her go without doing something. He pulled her to him and began to kiss her passionately.
Colleen was dismayed to hear her father's news when they sat down to have a talk. He said she'd have to cancel her plans to go to the winter ball with J.T. He'd talked to Traci, and Traci wanted their daughter to go to New York for a visit. She'd been worried about Colleen since the fire and wanted to see for herself that she was okay. Colleen tried to change the timing of the visit, but Brad reminded her how good Traci had been about letting her stay in Genoa City so she could be with her friends and her boyfriend.
Colleen admitted that was true. She agreed to go to New York as planned before Traci left on a book tour. She went to the loft and gave J.T. the bad news. He was glad to hear that Brad had been saying great things about him to Traci. Even though he was disappointed, there would be other dances, and at least they'd be spending Christmas together. He promised to make Colleen a special dinner that night so they could have a happy goodbye.
At the Athletic Club, a pensive Ashley was surprised to see Victor. They talked about how sad it was that Gina's restaurant had burned down and remembered all the mornings they'd met for coffee there. Victor was glad to see that Ashley was doing better, and he asked about Abby, telling Ashley that he was fond of her little girl and knew she was happy to have her mother at home. He was surprised by the kind way she was talking to him; it wasn't the behavior he was receiving from the other Abbotts. Ashley told him that she was aware of the allegations against him, and she said, "Shame on you," but she said that she didn't blame him for the things that had happened to her.
Victor assured her that he'd never wanted to hurt her, and Ashley pointed out that when he hurt her family, he did hurt her. If she could have one wish, it would be that all of the bad feelings and behavior could be put behind them all. When Victor got up to leave, she told him that she didn't blame him for the death of Robert. Victor said that was the one thing she could have told him to make him feel better. Ashley watched him leave with tears trickling down her face.
Nikki wasn't happy to see Jack at the ranch and hear more of his allegations. When Jack said that he wasn't simply accusing Victor of things, that there was proof that Victor had broken the law, Nikki refused to believe him. Jack said she should ask Nick, who was very upset about the things his father had done, at least partly on Nikki's behalf. Nikki then expressed her belief that Jack had turned Nick against his father because of Jack's hatred for Victor.
Jack told her that it had been Nick who had approached him, not the other way around, and she should be proud of her son for his sense of right and wrong. He also told her that he and Phyllis were separated, as Phyllis had known what Victor had done and had failed to tell her husband. It was obvious that Nikki began to believe him, and Jack tried to embrace her, but she rebuffed him and asked him to leave. Once he was gone, she broke into sobs.
By the time Victor returned home, Nikki was composed and cold. When Victor asked what was wrong, Nikki took a swing at him, demanding to know how he could do what he'd done.
At Newman Enterprises, Sharon and Michael talked privately about what had happened to her the winter before. She had been alone and desperate, feeling like she'd lost her family, and she'd been suicidal. That was the reason she'd ended up with Cameron, who'd brutally beaten her after having sex with her. Following that incident, she'd hit rock bottom and had known she had to return home. She was upset because Cameron was in Genoa City and was in Nick's office.
Michael was sure that Cameron was only there on business and might not even remember Sharon if his behavior with her had been part of a pattern. Sharon was sure that he remembered; she was afraid he'd say something to Nick. Michael said that in that case, she needed to tell Nick the entire story. Sharon panicked and said that she was just getting her life back to normal. She could never tell him the truth.
Sharon also did not want to make personal or legal threats to Cameron. She just wanted the problem to go away. Michael told her to get control of herself and hope for the best. Nick's assistant entered and told Sharon that Nick wanted to see her immediately.
