Neil was shocked to finally see Malcolm alive. Malcolm gave Neil a cold stare, but Neil hugged him, anyway. Neil thanked God for bringing Malcolm back to them. Malcolm said that it was no thanks to Neil. Neil said that he understood from Drucilla that Malcolm blamed Neil for a lot of things. Malcolm thought that Neil had left him for dead. Neil tried to explain that the search party had gone on for days before he had been convinced that Malcolm was dead. He then told Malcolm about his alcohol addiction and how he'd almost lost everything.
Malcolm clapped sarcastically, and Neil said that no matter how Malcolm felt about him, he was Malcolm's brother, and he loved Malcolm. When Lily returned from the bathroom, she was pleased to see her father and uncle talking to each other. She tried to get Neil to sit down with them, but Malcolm was ready to go. He told Lily that he would be sure to say goodbye to her before he left for good. Lily wondered why Neil didn't make much of an effort to keep Malcolm around.
J.T. watched Brittany and Bobby go upstairs together at the Athletic Club. He started to leave, but a girl named Robin, who he had met recently at a party, stopped him. Robin was pleased to see J.T. and asked if he would like to sit down with her for dinner. J.T. agreed. They started talking about a class they had together, and J.T. teased her about her knowledge of Neil Armstrong.
Mac entered the Athletic Club, and when she saw J.T. and Robin, she walked over. Mac and Robin had a class together, and Mac was surprised that Robin knew J.T. When Robin ran off to get a call, J.T. told Mac that he would rather be alone. Mac looked embarrassed and went off to sit at the bar.
Brittany wondered what Bobby was up to when Gina escorted them to a private room at the Athletic Club. Bobby told Brittany that he wanted to do something special for her. He suddenly got a call and had to leave. Brittany was disappointed once again. When she went downstairs, she ran into Mac and was surprised to see J.T. sitting with a girl nearby. Brittany tried to convince Mac that J.T. would never change. He wouldn't be able to have true love with anyone. When Mac disagreed and mentioned Colleen, J.T. looked up and saw Brittany.
Kevin apologized to Michael for going crazy on him. Michael thought that the fight had helped Kevin deal with his past. Michael thought that Kevin had had an amazing breakthrough, and he felt that Kevin had changed.
Nick went to see Nikki because he was worried she would feel all alone, since his father had taken off. Nikki was just about to leave to help with the business at Marsino's. Nick didn't approve, but Nikki said that she was doing it for herself. She congratulated Nick on his position at Newman and left.
Detective Weber thought that Phyllis and Damon had planned to kill Dominic. Damon realized that Weber had probably already spoken to Dominic and believed his story. Phyllis and Damon tried to explain their story, but Weber was skeptical. He tried to use past knowledge of Phyllis' relationships against her. She explained to Weber that he had been wrong about that story, and he shouldn't go there again with her. When Weber left, Phyllis told Damon that she was afraid that the truth might not set them free.
Phyllis imagined killing Dominic in his hospital bed. When he woke up, she promised that, unless he told Weber the truth about what had happened, she would kill him someday, and he wouldn't even see it coming. She vowed that she had nothing to lose. She later went to see Christine at the Athletic Club and explained that she was in trouble. Christine listened to the story and said it didn't look good at all. Phyllis should have stayed out of it from the start. She told Phyllis that she wouldn't be taking the case. She didn't need that headache in her life.
Bobby was surprised to find Nikki in his office first thing in the morning. She had been there all night, since she had nothing to go home to, since Victor was away. She congratulated him and Brittany on their marriage. She was surprised when Jack showed up. He had heard that Victor had taken off. He asked her about her job there at the club and thought it was a good substitute for Victor. He asked to be invited over to the ranch to spend time alone with Nikki, which they hadn't done in a long time. She thought it was a great idea and promised to do so soon.
Neil, Dru, and Lily went to the rec center to see Devon off before he went to the foster home. He wanted nothing to do with them, as his life had only gone downhill after meeting their family. He said he had never been part of their family, which hurt and angered Lily and Drucilla. He was even more bitter than he had been before. Neil tore into him for speaking to Lily and Drucilla that way and called him out for being an ungrateful punk. Neil said he would teach Devon how to appreciate good things and told him to "grab your bags" because he was moving in with them again.
Brittany showed up at the loft to get a bag and was surprised to see that J.T. had an overnight guest. She told him that Mac was interested in him, but he didn't buy it. He reminded her of the time they'd spent together, but she didn't think about that anymore. Mac arrived home, conscious of the fact that she had interrupted something. Brittany left, and Mac questioned J.T. He assured her he hadn't told Brittany about his feelings for her but also said that Brittany suspected Mac was interested in him. Mac laughed it off, but it seemed like she was holding back.
Neil decided to take Devon home to the Winterses' house because he said he was tired of Devon not appreciating friends who cared about him. Neil wanted to help him get that chip off his shoulder. When Jamal went to call Mrs. Davis and tell her, Devon said he wasn't going because Neil was just trying to prove something to Dru and Lily, but when Neil got tired of him, he'd be out again. He insisted Neil didn't even like him. Neil denied it, saying he intended to help Devon grow into the man Neil knew he could be.
When Dru and Neil walked away to give Devon time to think it over, Lily told Devon that when her father made a promise, he kept it. Devon would be crazy not to take advantage of that offer. Dru watched them from a distance and told Neil how much she wanted to make a difference in Devon's life. When Dru and Neil returned to Lily and Devon, Devon agreed to stay with the Winterses. Neil talked a little about Devon's responsibilities to the family then he hugged him. Later, at Newman Enterprises, Dru and Neil agreed that what they'd been through with Devon had made their marriage stronger. From then on, they just needed to take things one day at a time.
Sharon went to see Nikki at Jabot on her first day of work. Nikki had assumed that Sharon wouldn't take the job, since Nick had been appointed CEO of Newman and she had children at home who needed her. Sharon said that she'd rehired their old babysitter; she needed to do it for herself, but she wasn't abandoning her children. Nikki reminded her that she'd done that before. After the two exchanged harsh words, Nikki told Sharon that she, not Brad, would be at Sharon's side when Sharon had her first meeting with reporters as Jabot's spokeswoman. Sharon reminded Nikki that she'd once been in Sharon's shoes, and no one had thought she could cut it, either. As Nikki watched, Sharon deftly fielded the reporters' questions, including their curiosity about how Nick felt about Sharon working for the competition.
Ashley packed all her things so she could move into her father's house. She asked Brad if he was going to tell Abby all of it was her fault. Brad said that Abby didn't need to know what had happened between them; the only thing that was important was for Abby to feel secure, know she was loved, and know that none of it was her fault. Ashley said that maybe the two of them should live in the house together for Abby's sake.
Brad said no; he wasn't going to play house with Ashley, even if he was still in love with her. He would never forget that when push came to shove, Ashley had put Victor before him. Ashley said she'd made a mistake, but Brad wouldn't back down. As much as it hurt, there was no going back. When the two of them talked to Abby, Abby was crushed. She didn't want to go to school, and Brad told her she could spend time in her room. Abby hugged Ashley and ran out. After Brad left, Ashley sat on the couch alone, crying.
Arthur was surprised when Katherine approached him at the Athletic Club restaurant, especially when she said that she wanted to take a leap of faith and set a date for their wedding. Arthur wanted to know if she was ready to ignore all the newspaper clippings that Harrison had shown her. Katherine said she'd discarded all her doubts, and whatever had happened in Seattle was no longer an issue for her. Arthur said he wasn't going to move back into Katherine's house until they were married, which he hoped would be soon.
From across the restaurant, Jill watched Katherine and Arthur while she was having breakfast with Jack. When Jack tried to talk about his personal life or the situation at Chancellor Industries, a distracted Jill wondered if she knew the real Arthur Hendrix. Jack was shocked to hear the whole story and asked what her gut was telling her.
Jill said she loved her father and wanted the accusations to be the rantings of a bitter man. However, she was desperately afraid for her mother and wanted Jack's advice on what she should do. As they were talking, Arthur and Katherine walked over to tell Jill that they were definitely getting married. While Jack congratulated them, Jill stared into Arthur's eyes, wondering if she was seeing something sinister.
Ashley and Jack talked about her moving back into the Abbott home. Jack tried to make her feel better by saying that he'd never left and that he knew Brad still loved her. He said if she had only stayed away from Victor, their marriage would have been saved. Ashley disagreed but said that she was happy to have him as a brother. They were interrupted by an enthusiastic Gloria and John, who had just returned from their trip.
John wondered what Ashley was doing home. She explained that her marriage with Brad was over, and she would be staying there for a while. John told her that she was welcome there as long as she wanted, and he hugged her. John didn't understand how it could have happened. He wondered who was at fault.
Ashley said she had made a lot of stupid mistakes, but she didn't want to get into it. She said that there was nothing she could do to change it; she just had to make the best of the situation. Abby was going to be staying with Brad for a while until Ashley could get herself together. Suddenly, Gloria ran downstairs to tell Jack and Ashley that while they'd been away, she and John had gotten married.
Nick talked to his secretary about his business meetings for the day. The secretary explained that a man was waiting for him downstairs. Nick said he was too busy. Suddenly, Michael walked in nonchalantly. Michael seemed surprised to see Nick there. Nick explained to him that Victor had left town, leaving Nick as head of Newman Enterprises.
Nick said he would rather not have someone like Michael involved in the company and that he didn't want him in the building. Michael explained to Nick that he worked for Victor, and Nick shouldn't shun him so quickly. Nick would never know when he might need someone like Michael.
Phyllis was none too pleased when she found out that Nick had been named CEO of Newman Enterprises. She told Neil that she would probably be getting her pink slip soon. Neil didn't necessarily think Nick would fire her. Nick knocked on the door and said hello to Neil and Phyllis. Phyllis congratulated him. She told Nick that she had really been pulling her weight around the company. Neil stuck up for her, too.
Nick sarcastically asked Neil if he was Phyllis' agent. Then Nick told her that she had nothing to worry about. He was keeping her on at Newman. Suddenly, Phyllis got a phone call from Daniel. He seemed really worried. Nick understood and let her go.
Nick talked to Neil about a business deal that he had decided not to go through with. Neil didn't think it was a good idea and was upset that Nick was going over his head to make a decision. Neil said that Victor had told him that Nick wouldn't go against him on his original business dealings. Nick said that he was not trying to undermine him.
Nick's secretary interrupted Neil and Nick and said that the man downstairs wouldn't go away. Nick said to just deal with it because he was too busy right then. He then turned to Neil and asked that he call the buyer. Neil said that he would, and Nick thanked him. Neil whispered under his breath that Nick was not welcome.
Kevin told Lauren that he felt that he was a changed man. Lauren said that he had said that before. She knew that he wanted that to be true, but violence wouldn't change anybody, and it wouldn't change her feelings about him. Michael showed up, and Lauren rushed to his rescue when she saw his face all beaten up. He told her that all he needed was her.
Kevin watched Michael and Lauren and smiled. He said that it was hard for him to say, but they were a great couple. Michael said that Lauren should have seen Kevin fight. He said Kevin had looked like a real champ during their fight. Kevin thanked Michael and said he had to go.
Jill couldn't wait to discuss Arthur with Katherine when they returned home. She wanted to know why Katherine was in such a rush to marry Arthur. Katherine said that she was tired of all the suspicion surrounding the man who loved her. She would marry Arthur "come hell or high water." If Jill couldn't be happy for them, she didn't have to live there.
Harrison stopped over to talk to Jill at her request. She thanked him for stopping by and said that she was running out of time. Her parents were getting married, and she needed to find out the truth about Arthur very soon. Jill said that Harrison had to be straight with her. Harrison told Jill he had a way for her to find out if his story was true. Arthur might have taken out an insurance policy already. He told Jill to think about it and left. She hoped to God that he wasn't right.
Katherine wondered what was upsetting Jill, but Jill didn't tell her that she'd found an application that appeared to show Arthur was trying to get life insurance on her mother. Katherine went to tell Arthur that she wanted to get married as soon as possible; Arthur hoped that by the time they married, Jill would be as happy about it as they were.
Meanwhile, Jill went to the hospital to confront Harrison. She thought it was a little too coincidental that she'd found the application right after receiving Harrison's warning. He scoffed at her for thinking he had any means of planting the papers to implicate Arthur in wrongdoing. If anything happened to her mother, it would be on Jill's conscience, not his. He'd done all he could to warn her. Jill left and went to see Arthur, asking that he explain the papers she'd found in the back of his desk drawer at the Chancellor house.
Jack and Ashley were dumbfounded by the news that their father had married Gloria. While Jack tried to appear supportive, Ashley insisted that she couldn't live there. She wanted Jack to take her back to Brad's. She couldn't believe that this woman had just swept into her father's life only a few months before, and he trusted her enough to marry her. It made her sick. Gloria pulled John out of the room and suggested that Ashley was causing a black cloud to hang over their heads. She wanted John to agree to tell Ashley it was best for her to live elsewhere.
When John and Gloria rejoined Ashley and Jack, Gloria told Ashley that she and John wanted to be happy in their new relationship, so maybe Ashley's decision not to stay was for the best. Ashley asked her father what he wanted, and he said that Ashley should do whatever she wanted. Ashley hugged him, saying that she'd changed her mind. While Gloria looked on in dismay, Ashley said that she thought it was best if she stayed right there, and she gave Gloria a challenging look over John's shoulder.
Nick asked Michael to return to his office at Newman so Nick could tell him about the threat from Mr. Gunderson. After making Nick eat a little crow for kicking him out earlier, Michael said that there was no evidence that Victor had ever greased Gunderson's palms. He thought it might be an effort to take advantage of Nick when he was new to the position, especially after he made a phone call and found out that Gunderson's community was still thrilled about the plans to build a distribution center there.
With Michael at his side, Nick got Gunderson to return and they bluffed, saying they'd decided to build elsewhere. When Gunderson said they should just forget they'd ever had the meeting, Nick said that the office had a surveillance system. When he saw Gunderson make a public statement about more affordable housing, he'd forget he had the tape. Defeated, Gunderson left. Michael gave Nick an admiring look and congratulated him on how he'd handled things. The two men shook hands with a new respect for each other.
Phyllis tried not to tell Daniel the truth about Hank Weber's investigation, but when Daniel persisted with his questions, she leveled with him. She told him not to freak out, but Daniel asked what he'd do if she was arrested. Phyllis jokingly said she hoped he'd pay her bail. Daniel was upset that she didn't seem to be taking things seriously and wondered if she had an attorney. Phyllis said that Michael was too busy and Christine had turned her down flat.
After Phyllis left to buy groceries so she could cook him a nice dinner, Daniel called Christine. He was upset that she wouldn't help his mother. Christine said that Phyllis was the client from hell and her own worst enemy. After Daniel made a passionate plea about Christine's promise to always be there for him, Christine finally agreed to represent Phyllis -- if Phyllis agreed. However, she asked Daniel to try to keep his mother from reacting emotionally to everything that happened.
