Lily met Wes at the coffee house to catch up. Wes had just returned from checking in with his hospital in Paris, and asked Lily what was going on in her life. After a while, she opened up and started complaining about her parents, saying they argued constantly about their careers and how they interfered with one another. In fact, she said, it is miserable to be around them. She used this opportunity to tell Wes her parents weren't meant to be together and if he was still interested in Dru, now was his chance. He put the brakes on that topic, which sent Lily into a fury, and she stomped out of the restaurant.
Excited after their fun night together, Neil didn't want it to end.. Seeing how soundly Dru was sleeping, he turned off her alarm to let her continue sleeping. She woke up well rested and delighted to see that Neil had cooked a nice breakfast for her...that is, until she saw the time on his watch. She got up and screamed at Neil that she had a very important meeting that she was now a half hour late for. Neil apologized, saying he just wanted them to spend the morning together, but Dru accused him of sabotage. He tried to woo her back into the bedroom, but she wanted no parts of him after that. Just then, the doorbell, rang—it was Olivia. Dru opened the door, greeting her by saying, "Oh great, what do you want?" Olivia facetiously asked if she had come at a bad time, and Neil took the opportunity to slide out the door. Olivia looked at Dru and gave her a piece of advice: quit your job at Jabot before it's too late. Since she was having issues with both Ashley and Neil, Olivia advised she cut her losses before it was too late. Dru only received this advice with anger, and was pushed even further over the edge when Olivia asked how Wes was doing. Dru told her she needed to go to him directly if she wanted to know how he was, and Olivia sheepishly admitted she hadn't heard from him in over a week. Dru decided to make fun of her, saying if she hadn't slept with someone she hardly knew, he probably would be returning her phone calls. This, of course, rubbed Olivia the wrong way, and called Dru "nasty." She went on to tell Dru she just wasn't ready to let Wes go, even though she was involved with Neil. The comment infuriated Dru further and she told Olivia to leave. She got up to leave, and when she opened the door, Wes was standing there about to ring the bell.
Mac and Billy talked about how Raul had been moping around and wondered what they could do to help him. While they were talking, Raul came out of the bedroom, and surprised them by having a pep in his step. Billy asked why he was in such a good mood, and got his answer when Brittany appeared in the room. After hugging her and welcoming her back, Billy asked if she was really pregnant. Brittany calmly told him yes, she was fairly sure she was. They decided to tell her about their engagement, and her response was obviously only lukewarm. She asked how their parents reacted and sympathized when she found out Billy's family wasn't being supportive. Billy and Mac left for school and Raul left alone to go get Brittany a pregnancy test. Once he returned, she admitted how afraid she was. After all, she had spent the last couple of weeks holding on to the fact that there was a chance she wasn't pregnant...now she was about to find out for sure. He reassured her they would get through whatever came their way, and told her they needed to start thinking about their future. In fact, if they found out she was pregnant, he wanted them to get married. She sort of balked at the idea, saying they should just take one step at a time. After she left the room to go take the test, he just smiled to himself.
At the Newman ranch, Nikki came downstairs to find Victor sleeping on the couch. He woke up a bit disoriented and said he must have fallen asleep down there after his talk with Nicholas. Nikki said she hoped things would still turn around, but Victor was not as hopeful. He told her Nicholas was in terrible pain, which had gotten worse, thanks to Sharon. After telling Nikki about the letter situation, she became sad. He also told her Nicholas told her he no longer had a son, and she hugged him, telling him how sorry she was that he said that.
Vicki tried to talk to Nicholas, telling him he should cut Victor some slack. All he wanted, he said, was to get Sharon home, for the kids' sake. He told her that Cassie cried herself to sleep, clutching Sharon's letter. Vicki's response was that she hoped Sharon didn't come back—she had caused enough hurt and pain to their family. She urged him to try to move on with his life and not dwell on anything bad. He told her Victor said Nicholas was the one that drove Sharon away, not him, and that was eating away at him. He said he would do his best to forget about her.
Raul paced around the apartment, waiting for Brittany's pregnancy test results. After a few awkward moments, she came out and excitedly announced she wasn't pregnant after all. She expressed a great deal of relief at the news, but Raul did not. He told her he was truly committed to marrying her and raising the baby, and that yes, he was a little bit disappointed. She was touched by his sentiment, and told him she would never forget how supportive he had been. She apologized again for putting him through everything, and told him being away from him made her realize how much she loves him. She decided it was time for her to go see her parents, and declined his offer to go with her. He kissed her and wished her luck.
Frederick was on the phone talking with an attorney when Anita walked in. She wrongly assumed he was talking about getting a divorce, but he was actually trying to find a private investigator to find Brittany. Anita told him that perhaps they should have been more strict in raising Brittany, and maybe then her life wouldn't be such a mess. He commented that their lives were a mess, too. She asked him if the sex with Jill was so much better than with her, which made him angry. He denied sleeping with Jill, and Anita retorted she wasn't quite as gullible as he thought. She told him she didn't want to discuss Jill, she wanted them to focus on Brittany.
Just then, Brittany walked in, stopping their argument immediately. She asked why they were fighting, but they ignored the question, and just hugged her and told her how glad they were to see her. Anita, trying to comfort her, told her she understood about her pregnancy, and they would decide how to handle it together. She went on to say Brittany couldn't raise a baby at this age and they could "take care of it." Brittany told her she didn't have to worry about what the women at the country club were thinking, or do anything sad or horrible—she was not pregnant. After the shock wore off, the conversation turned to Frederick and Anita. She asked what they were arguing about, but Anita wouldn't really say. Frederick told her they had raised her in a way that would make her independent, which may have come across as their not caring about her. He repeated how much they loved her and they weren't a family without her.
Wes was at Dru's door and noticed the tension between Dru and Olivia. Olivia quickly told him he had disappeared without letting anyone know where he was, and that he could've called. He told her he had been in Paris and only told Lily where he was going. Olivia replied that since he obviously came to see Dru, she was leaving, and slammed out the door. He looked at Dru and told her he was sorry she and her sister weren't getting along. He asked how things were going and Dru painted him a picture of bliss. He asked her if she was sure about that, and she told him everything was going well. He asked why, then, was Lily rooting for the two of them to get back together? He told her he had seen her earlier that morning, and she told him the tension between Dru and Neil was really getting to her. He got up to leave, telling Dru he was only trying to help. She stopped him, sweetly asking in French how Paris was, and reminded him how much fun they had there together. He gave her a kiss on the cheek and told her to take care before leaving.
Over at Neil's office, Lily wanted to tell Neil what was on her mind. She expressed her anxiety about all of the arguing going on in their home. He told her he didn't realize it was all so upsetting to her, and that couples have issues all the time. She told him she didn't have the expectation that they would suddenly become compatible, and that it was time to just cut their losses and move out. He spoke to her very gently, telling her they were all adjusting and working through their issues. He reminded her how deep their feelings were for one another, and that he would never allow business issues to undermine the family. He held her and told her he expected beautiful things for their family.
Olivia went to Crimson Lights and ran into Ashley. She told Ashley she looked great, and hoped she didn't think she was avoiding her. Ashley asked her to join her and they sat down to talk. Olivia asked about her health, and Ashley told her she was a bit stressed, but otherwise, just fine. Olivia commented it probably wasn't helpful to have Dru around Jabot and expressed surprise that they hired her. Ashley told her the Victor-boardroom incident, and Olivia was mortified by her sister's behavior. She told Ashley whatever she was talking about with Victor was none of Dru's business. This surprised Ashley, and she thanked her for saying it. Olivia also reminded her she meant what she said earlier about rebuilding their friendship, and Ashley told her that she believed her. They wished each other well, and parted ways.
When Olivia got home, Wes was there waiting for her. She was mad at him for going to visit Dru first, and he told her he had actually come by her place first, but she wasn't there. He told her he went to see Dru to tell her about his conversation with Lily, and that's it. He went on to say he understood about her being upset that he hadn't contacted her, and she told him she had survived just fine, thank you. She asked why he went off, and he told her it was to give her some space. During the time he was away, he said he got some perspective on his life, and all he could think about was a woman he left behind in Genoa City. Olivia immediately assumed he was talking about Dru, but he told her he was talking about her. He asked if that honest scared her, and she answered by grabbing him and kissing him.
Brittany and Anita continued to talk after Frederick left them alone. Anita speculated on how and where her daughter had been living over the past few weeks. Brittany explained that she'd cashed in some bonds, and though that wasn't much, she hadn't exactly been living high on the hog. She resented her mother's relief about the fact that she wasn't pregnant, but she said she understood it. A long time ago, she'd done the math, and realized that she was born only six and a half months after Frederick and Anita married. She knew the reason she and Anita had never been close was because Anita resented her and felt she'd always been in her way. Anita denied it, and Brittany wanted to know what was going on with her parents. Anita dodged the question, saying that she understood Brittany better than her daughter thought. Although Billy and Mac might be living in a romantic fog, and Raul had no doubt been eager to be a proud papa, Brittany was a realist. She didn't want the kind of life early marriage and motherhood would give her. In fact, Anita was sure that it wouldn't be long before Brittany began to feel claustrophobic with her living arrangement. Brittany said that Raul's support had been a huge comfort to her. It was nice to have someone love her unconditionally. At that point, Raul called her cell phone to tell her that he loved her, knew she was probably having a tough time with her parents, and wanted her to hurry home. After Brittany hung up, Anita gave her a knowing look.
At Jabot, Jill and John bickered over Billy's planned marriage. Although John agreed that he was disappointed, he didn't see any way they could stop the teens from making a mistake. Jill said they had to; John shouldn't just accept it. There had to be a way to stop this marriage. When she said that Billy should have learned something from his mother's experience of being an unwanted child, John told her this wasn't about her. If they wanted to stop the wedding, they were going to need a lot of help. He asked how things had gone with her birth mother, and Jill admitted that Charlotte might have a drinking problem. At that point, Charlotte came in and was introduced to John. He left to get the two women some coffee, and Jill realized that Charlotte didn't remember all the details of their first meeting. She tried to gloss over that, talking to Charlotte about Billy's decision. Charlotte said maybe he should have a talk with his grandmother. At that point, John returned. He thought the name Charlotte Ramsey was familiar and began to question Charlotte about her background. Charlotte was obviously uncomfortable, and Jill asked if they could have some time alone. After John left, Jill caught Charlotte pouring the contents of her flask into her coffee cup. She suggested that maybe Charlotte should stop drinking, and Charlotte said she'd put it away if it made Jill uncomfortable. She could always have some more later. Jill said that she meant maybe Charlotte should stop altogether, and she'd do anything she could to help her. Charlotte reacted angrily, wondering why Jill thought it was any of her business or even assumed Charlotte wanted to stop drinking.
Mary came into Crimson Lights and saw Isabella and Ricky sitting together. She went over, at first trying to be friendly, but couldn't resist making snide comments about Isabella's shopping bags and how she couldn't have found anything on sale for summer yet. Isabella asked how Mary was going to like spending so much time in the air. When she realized Mary didn't have a clue what she was talking about, she told her that she and Paul were moving to California. Mary was furious, accusing Isabella of manipulating the entire situation. Isabella said it had all been Paul's idea. When Mary started to say something rude, Isabella threatened to keep her from being able to see Ricky unless she could keep a civil tongue in her head. Mary warned Isabella against becoming too smug, and left vowing to have a talk with Paul and stop the move from happening.
Paul furiously chastised Lynne and Marisa for going on a fishing expedition with Isabella and pretending they were at odds. He wasn't fooled. Furthermore, he was tired of their meddling and had a way to put a stop to it. Andy Richards was going to take over the detective agency, and he and Isabella were moving with Ricky to California. Although Lynne and Marisa had been trying to find proof of their suspicions about Michael and Isabella's past, they knew they no longer had the luxury of time. Lynne tried to tell him what they'd found out, and Paul began yelling at them. He wasn't interested in hearing more of their theories and accusations. He had a strong marriage that he intended to keep. The two of them needed to get the hell out of his life and his office, because they were wasting his time. After they left, Lynne assured Marisa that she had to find a way to stop this from happening and left the office.
Brock wondered why Billy had asked to meet him at Crimson Lights. He suspected that his daughter and her boyfriend had found that their living arrangement was not working out, just as he'd predicted. Billy denied it, saying that it was the exact opposite. Being with Mac so much had made him realize how much they loved each other and wanted to be together for life. Thus he'd asked Mac to marry him. Brock was not happy and wondered how Billy's parents had reacted. Billy admitted that they weren't happy either, especially his mother. But he'd hoped to have Brock's blessing, because he respected him. Brock said he couldn't give them his blessing yet. He thought they were making a mistake. Billy looked crestfallen as Brock left him alone.
Katherine was pleased to hear that Mac would be making the Dean's List and was happy at the loft. She'd wanted Mac to enjoy being independent. When Mac shared the news about Billy's proposal, Katherine was stunned. She wondered how John and Jill had reacted, and how Brock would take it. Mac said that Billy was talking to Brock. As for the Abbotts, John had been disappointed, but Jill had freaked out. She made it clear how much she hated Mackenzie and thought Billy was ruining his life. Katherine was furious to hear how badly Jill had treated her granddaughter. Although the idea of a marriage next month was a bit shocking to her, too, she only wanted Mac to be happy. Mac was thrilled when her grandmother embraced her and wished her the best.
Jack asked Nicholas about Cassie when he saw him waiting on customers at the coffeehouse. Nick had good news in that area, but indicated his total disgust with his father. Jack dug in to find out what happened to get things to that point, and Nicholas admitted that he saw his father kissing his wife. Jack tried to get him to see reason, but Nicholas wanted to know if he could come to work for Jabot. . .
After her visit with Isabella about their move to California, Mary rushed into Paul's office to confront him about it. She wondered when he was going to tell her, on his way to the airport? He insisted that it was for the best and that she could still have a relationship with her grandson. She was not convinced.
Lynne paid Christine a visit to try to see if she would do anything about Paul leaving town. Chris didn't want to have any part of it and was ready to move on to her new life with Michael. Despite Lynne's story about Michael and Isabella knowing each other in the past, Chris asked her to drop the subject.
Jill invited Charlotte to her office for a visit. She offered her coffee and soon Charlotte was spiking it with her flask. Jill asked her to stop drinking altogether, and Charlotte took offense, saying that Jill had no right to judge her and that it made her feel better about herself.
Kay was home thinking about what Jill had said to Mackenzie and the possibility of what she may do to sabotage the wedding. Larry walked in and Katherine almost bit his head off, thinking that he was Jill. She decided to go to Jill's office to give her a piece of her mind. . .
Jill stepped away to pour Charlotte some apple juice when Katherine barged into the office, ready to tear into Jill for the way that she was treating her granddaughter. Jill was annoyed with Katherine, even more so when she realized that Charlotte had snuck out while they argued.
Michael and Isabella reviewed their victory over all the odds at his office. Just before they were ready to have one last hug goodbye, Lynne barged in, telling them that the party was over and that she would prove that they had planned the whole thing from the beginning.
Nick continued his appeal to Jack to hire him at Jabot. He reminded Jack that he was good at what he did, and Jack agreed. But he felt that when time passed, Nick would resolve the situation with Victor. He shouldn't walk away from Newman Enterprises, because Jack was sure Victor was looking toward the day when he would hand the company over to Nick and Victoria. Nick said maybe to Victoria, but his father had shut him out more than once. A couple of years before, when Victor was poised to put him on the board, he withdrew the offer because Nick refused to divest himself of the coffee houses. Jack didn't think Victor would still hold that against him, but Nick said Satine was just another example of his father's need to control things and keep Nick on the outside. He'd made a 25 million dollar purchase without even mentioning it to Nick. Jack reminded him that Cassie had been in a coma in intensive care then. His family felt he had more important things to worry about. Nick disagreed, saying he should have been in the loop. He felt his father was up to something else, but he wasn't sure what. He was serious about wanting to leave Newman. He wanted the chance to do what he did best without having his father interfere. Jack reminded him that trust had to be earned, and jumping ship was complicated. But he agreed to think over Nick's proposition.
At Newman, Phyllis briefed Victoria, Neil, and Victor on what she was doing with the web site, including hyperlinks and a chat room. However, Jabot might be responsible for a dark cloud on the horizon. Retailers were reluctant to give Newman's Satine products shelf space. It could be that Jabot was strong-arming them. Victor said that only Jack Abbott would be capable of making threats like that. Phyllis stayed neutral, even when Victor questioned her, and reminded him that she and Jack didn't talk business. She repeated herself when Victoria pointed out that Jabot had already launched full page print ads for their new line, Tuvia, and Victor wondered if Jabot was farther along with their product development than anyone knew. Phyllis wondered if her loyalty was always going to be questioned and if she would be treated like a second-class citizen even after refusing Jack's offer to leave Newman for Jabot. Victor insisted that he was not questioning her loyalty. If Jack Abbott wanted war, that was what he was going to get from Newman.
Ashley and Brad questioned why Dru had approved the Tuvia ad. Dru said it was time to build some buzz about their product. Tuvia was Swahili for "fire," and she wanted to get the word out there as soon as possible. Brad and Ashley reminded her they had no product to back up the ads. She could be compromising Jabot, and she didn't have the authority to make such a move. Dru apologized and said she'd follow protocol in the future. In the meantime, she had some ideas for how to get word of their products to potential buyers. Both Ashley and Brad approved her ideas, so Dru began to feel a bit more confident. Brad left for another meeting, and Dru attempted to follow him out, but Ashley told her to wait. She wasn't finished yet.
John was sorry to hear that Katherine's tantrum had driven Charlotte out of Jill's office. He kept questioning Jill about her mother. Had Charlotte and Katherine not actually met? Had Jill learned anything more about her mother's background? Did she have family? What year did she graduate from high school? Jill was bewildered by his questions and insisted that just as she and Charlotte were on the point of having a real conversation, Katherine had interrupted. She hadn't even been able to get her birth mother's address or phone number. She was afraid Katherine's behavior had driven her away forever.
Katherine entered her mansion muttering angry words about Jill, which Brock interrupted. Although he professed to be on his mother's side, he understood Jill's reaction to Mac and Billy's news. They were much too young to be married, and Jill was protecting Billy. Katherine said that didn't excuse the way Jill treated Mac; she wasn't going to tolerate it any further. When Brock figured out that Katherine had given her blessing to the marriage, he expressed his dismay. Didn't Katherine realize they might be making a huge mistake? Katherine said she was a grandmother, not a parent, so she didn't have to look at things that way. She'd spent a lot of time with Mac and Billy and knew how much they loved each other. This should be a time of happiness and joy. Maybe it would turn out to be a mistake, or maybe one day they'd be celebrating their hundredth anniversary. Meanwhile, didn't they all love the two of them? Didn't they want their happiness and want to be a part of it? Brock was moved by her words and said he'd talk to Jill. Katherine, however, needed to tone down her approach to Jill. After all, when Billy and Mac married, his mother and Jill would be related. Katherine walked upstairs, again muttering that she and Jill would never be friends--not in her lifetime.
At Michael's office, Lynne let Michael and Isabella know that she was on to their little conspiracy. Thanks to Isabella's father, she knew about Isabella's arrest and Michael's defense. But more, she knew that the two of them had known each other long before Isabella met Paul. She was sure they'd plotted to keep Paul from following Chris to Hong Kong, thereby breaking up the Williams's marriage. That was the reason Isabella hadn't been afraid of her ex-husband being paroled. That whole story had been a lie to distract Paul and make him protective of Isabella. Sooner or later, Lynne intended to find the smoking gun and expose them for the frauds they were. Michael stayed calm, figuring out that she'd already approached Paul and Christine with her story, and they hadn't cared. He told Lynne she was wasting her time. There was no story to uncover, but if she wanted to continue to be obsessed with him, whatever kept her warm at night. Lynne left in a huff, vowing to get proof. After Michael made sure she was gone, he told Isabella not to panic. Obviously Lynne's accusations hadn't done the damage Lynne had hoped for. Isabella needed to go home, pack, and get Paul and Ricky out of town as quickly as possible. Isabella agreed, reminding him that he needed to make Christine his wife equally fast.
Andy tried to reason with Paul about selling the agency and moving to L.A. If Paul thought the move was his only option, Andy would support him. However, rather than buying the agency from Paul, Andy would rather they be partners. There was no reason for Paul to give up everything he'd worked so hard for. Paul argued, saying he just wanted a fresh start. He was tired of everyone giving him advice. Andy backed off, just urging Paul to think things over.
Christine was not thrilled to see Mary at her door, especially when Mary continued her old song and dance about Christine's obligation to help Paul. Chris insisted that she no longer had any business in Paul's life. Not only was he moving on, but she, too, was planning a new life. Her engagement to Michael was on again. Mary was disappointed. She wasn't just worried about herself, or how this move would cheat her out of time with her grandson. She knew Paul was making the biggest mistake of his life. If Christine had any feelings at all for Paul, she would at least talk to him. After Mary left, Christine went to Paul's office to find him reading a magazine about L.A. while he sat surrounded by shipping boxes. She seemed a little surprised by these signs that he was ready to leave, and Paul said yes, he was California dreaming.
