Nikki seems upset when Victor tells her that he's worried that Ashley won't let him see Abby. She tells him that she has other things on her mind, things he cannot help her with. She hints that he might as well go see Ashley, considering that is all he has on his mind lately.
After Victor goes to see Ashley, Nikki sits by the pool. She hears children laughing and has a vision of herself blowing out her candles on her fifth birthday in the water. She tries to erase the picture in her mind. She shivers and runs into the house.
J.T. tells Paul that he is bored because Raul is gone. He needs something to do now. Paul asks him about the case. Paul thinks Nikki has a lot to do with it, but wants to protect her from getting hurt. They suggest talking to Nikki more about the investigation. Suddenly, Paul gets a fax. It's from the police station. The skeleton they discovered is the body of a boy. He was shot in the head.
Sharon is relived to finally have Cameron out of their lives. She is still in shock. Nick says that the kids have planned to let them have another evening to themselves. After they go for a night swim, they relax by the pool. Sharon is reminded of the wonderful time her and Nick shared on the island by themselves. Nick says that seems like a long time ago. They think about what the future will hold for their lives, and hold each other closely.
Gloria is on the phone trying to set up escorts to play her "sons" for her date with John. When Kevin comes home he finds out from Gloria that her sons will be on her date, but that he doesn't have to worry about anything. Kevin wonders how Gloria will pull this one off. Michael comes home and is irritated when he discovers that Gloria is going on another mysterious date. He thinks she is in love with some loser, but Kevin says that's not true. When Michael asks if Kevin knows who Gloria's date is, he tries to change his story, but Michael can tell that Kevin is lying. Once Kevin leaves, Michael starts to get ready for his date. When Gloria asks who he is going with, Michael won't tell. He asks her if she likes how it feels.
When Gloria's "sons" show up they think they are there for Gloria's behalf. She asks them if they know how to act, because they are in for the best acting part of their lives. She needs them to play her sons for the evening. The men look at each other.
Michael shows up for his date with Lauren. He seems nervous when she asks if they are on a real date together. They begin to enjoy each other's company, and Lauren tells him that she changed her mind about him when she saw what a good brother he is to Kevin. Michael teases her and asks if a certain private investigator would approve.
Kevin goes to visit Daniel, who has just asked his mom for 20 bucks. She gladly gave him 50. Kevin explains that he hitchhiked to get there. Daniel wonders why he didn't just ask his brother for money. Kevin says it's too hard already living with Michael. They discuss Kevin getting a new place, and implementing their plan to change everyone's opinion of Kevin.
Jack goes to visit Ashley and can tell that something is weighing on her mind. When he hears that she is worried because Brad has left with Abby and not dropped her off at daycare, Jack says they are probably just having a good time at a park somewhere. Ashley can't shake her fear that the situation may be much worse than that. Jack continues to taunt Ashley about how and why she got pregnant with Victor's child. Ashley doesn't want to hear it. She asks Jack to leave.
When Ashley comes home, she is frightened because Brad and Abby are still not home. She calls Damon, hoping that he has heard from Brad. Damon says he hasn't been in the office, but if he hears from Brad he will tell her. The doorbell rings and Ashley runs for the door. It's Victor.
Victor is upset; he thinks that Ashley is trying to keep Abby away from him. Ashley says that she will not let Brad's feelings get in the way of their relationship. Victor isn't convinced and he tries to pry more information out of Ashley. Ashley finally breaks down and admits that she doesn't know where Abby is. She corrects herself, saying that she knows that Abby is with Brad, but that she doesn't know where the two of them are.
At his apartment, Kevin talks with Daniel about things looking up in his life. He admits to having romantic feelings for Lauren Fenmore. Daniel recognizes the name as an ex of his father's and promptly tells his friend that it's twisted. Kevin flies into a rage and demands Daniel take that back. Daniel calms him down and they talk about his feelings for her. He plans to make her fall in love with him. Kevin later speculates as to the fruits of their scheme. He's also thinking of going into therapy for Lauren.
At a nice restaurant in town Michael and Lauren enjoy their pseudo-date. Meanwhile Gloria and her hired 'sons' prepare for her date with John. Michael crosses paths with his replacement. He tells Lauren about the new addition to his firm (Paul). Lauren is stunned at this development, especially since she wasn't told about it by Paul. She's irritated that Chris and Paul are still close. Michael takes her mind off it by taking her to the dance floor. Gloria meets John but is thrown when she spots Michael. John meets Gloria's faux sons and "Ben's" out of state's law practice and "Stephen's" company and his sudden promotion even though John understood that he was in between jobs. "Ben" asks John about finding a place to live for Gloria since she's been staying with him and his brother. "Stephen" excuses himself and "Ben" and they say their good-byes. It turns out the hour is up and she can't afford another. "Ben" offers his 'services to Gloria anytime.
Phyllis and Dru continue to have troubles working in the same office. They are reaching the breaking point. Neil interrupts their shouting match and chastises them for bickering over an office. They bicker over Neil's beauty pageant project and who gets control over it. Neil instructs them to keep quiet about it as early word will kill their momentum. He tells them to each develop their own approach and he will pick the best one. He encourages them to work together but quickly realizes that won't fly and instead hopes that the competition will drive them. Dru suggests making the office the prize for being chosen.
Ashley and Victor wait together for word from Brad. They worry that his disappearance with Abby maybe more than temporary. Victor suspects she is hiding something. He demands to know the second she hears from Brad.
J.T. and Paul continue to work on the mysterious dead boy case. They speculate on the boy's identity and the murderer. J.T. thinks it might be Nikki's dad, a notorious abuser and alcoholic. J.T. wants to avoid going to the cops yet. Paul doesn't think they can anymore. They will try to find the boy's younger brother. Nikki stops by to speak with Paul. She is plagued by visions from the past that she can't make sense of. He is hesitant to reveal something he thinks could help but she insists. He tells her about the boy that was found and his connection to her 5th birthday party. She doesn't remember her birthday but the earrings strike a cord.
Gloria frantically arrives at home and invites "Ben" inside. He apologizes for "Stephen's" behavior. She inquires about his services and he opts to show her instead. Michael and Lauren arrive back at his place...
Neil asked Dru if she was up for competing with Phyllis on a project when so much of her time would be used mentoring Devon. The two argued about what Devon needed. Neil didn't think she was up to balancing Devon's needs with the demands of her family and career. He urged her to find out from Mrs. Davis how soon they could get Devon into a group home or another foster setting and Dru promised to look into it.
Mrs. Davis was pleased to see Devon volunteering at the rec center and commended him for his involvement. Later, when she got a call from Dru, she asked that she meet her at the rec center to sign some papers so she and Neil could become Devon's foster parents. Dru promised to come there.
Devon and Lily were having fun talking at the rec center and getting it ready for the opening when Daniel showed up. Lily went to get them all some lemonade. Devon wasn't impressed by Daniel's attempts to convince him that Kevin Fisher wasn't a bad guy so the Winters should could him some slack. In fact, he warned Daniel that if Kevin bothered Lily any more, he'd have to deal with Devon. Daniel walked off just as Lily returned with the lemonade, but Devon didn't tell her what they'd been talking about.
Victor was happily surprised when Nick showed up to help him prepare for the next day's opening of the rec center. He wondered if it was okay to leave Sharon alone, and Nick told him that Cassie was home to keep Sharon company if she woke up. He assured his father that it would take more than Cameron to keep a Newman down, and Victor told him how relieved he and Nikki had been to hear from Nick and Sharon. They would always be there for their son. Nick smiled and told his father that he knew they would. He warned his father about his mother's mood though. He understood why she was upset; Victor was trying to make a new family with Abby and Ashley. Victor denied this but admitted that Abby filled a void in his life left by Victoria and Nick. Nick was disappointed to find out that Victor hadn't heard anything from Victoria.
When Sharon came downstairs to find Cassie, the two had a nice talk. Cassie was proud of the strength her mother had shown in dealing with Cameron. There was something on her mind though. She'd noticed that Nikki seemed troubled, and it seemed to be connected to the earring Cassie had found and put on her necklace. Since her mother and Nikki had gotten closer, would Sharon try to find out if everything was okay with Nikki? Sharon said that Nikki was a very private person. It might not be a good idea for Sharon to approach her. But she seemed willing to at least consider it for Cassie's sake.
Michael and Lauren arrived at his apartment for a nightcap of decaf after their "sort-of" date. He was happy to find that Kevin and Gloria were out. He found a bottle of cognac that he'd forgotten he had, and the two settled on the couch. Just as things seemed to heat up between them, Gloria came running from her bedroom with "Ambrose," whose name she couldn't remember. Once he left, Lauren made a quick exit, too, and Michael lost his temper. He couldn't believe Gloria had brought some gigolo there. She was acting like an alleycat in heat. Although Gloria complained about all Michael's rules, she said it wouldn't happen again. Michael said it definitely would not, because she had twenty-four hours to find another place to live. When he retreated to his bedroom with his bottle of cognac, Gloria appeared to think it over. She speculated that Michael's request was doable.
Paul showed Nikki the film of her fifth birthday party, and she began to get upset. She recognized herself and the boy at the party; Joshua, who'd been her little boyfriend in kindergarten. But as Paul began telling her the details of how Joshua had come up missing and began to connect it to the skeleton at the rec center, Nikki insisted she didn't want to hear any more. She was surprised that Paul was going to give the earring to the police, and he said it was still an open case. Nikki said she didn't want to talk to anyone but Victor and left.
When Nikki got to the rec center, she received a call from Brad on her cell phone. She was shocked to hear that he was somewhere out of town with Abby without Ashley knowing where they were. She tried to reason with him, but Brad disconnected their call. She went into Victor's office. Her happiness at seeing Nick and his father working together faded after Nick left and Victor began raging about Brad's actions. As Victor went on and on, Nikki began flashing back to her fifth birthday, until she finally broke down. Victor was concerned, but she said she'd made a mistake by coming there. She couldn't talk there and wanted to know if Victor could please take her home. Victor said he was too busy at the rec center, but before he could get any answers from her, Nick came in because a delivery man needed to talk to Victor. Victor left the office with a last concerned look at Nikki, who stumbled toward the door in tears after Victor left.
Michael waits for Kevin to return home so he can grill him about Gloria's mystery man. Kevin is surprised to hear that Gloria was there with a young man named "Ambrose." Yet when he finds out that Lauren had been there to witness the scene, Kevin wonders if Lauren had showed up to see him. Michael tells Kevin to stop fantasizing about Lauren, that the only way she cares about him is in some "save the whales" or "stray puppy" kind of way. Kevin isn't happy about this assessment and leaves to see Daniel.
Daniel sees Kevin and tells him that they will go through with the plan tomorrow. Daniel promises Kevin that things will go smoothly and he will end up looking like a hero in the end.
Phyllis is staying at Newman Enterprises late to work on the Beauty Contest. Neil walks in and tells her that the contest is more about generating ideas than competition. Phyllis asks Neil how to handle a teenager. Neil warns Phyllis that teenagers have raging hormones and their feelings are all over the place. But he says to be a good parent is to listen and respect them, but make sure they know who the adult is. Neil talks to Phyllis about his current situation with Devon.
Drucilla sees Victor and he asks her how things are working out for her working at Newman. She tells him that things are wonderful. Victor tells Drucilla that although things haven't always worked out for them in the past, he respects Neil's decision. Drucilla tells Victor that her daughter had a wonderful time working at the Rec Center this summer. She tells him that her and Neil have taken Devon in. Victor thinks she is making a wise decision to help the boy. Afterwards, Drucilla goes to see Miss Davis. Miss Davis tells Drucilla that her and her husband had better sign the papers soon, because time is running out. Devon will have to go to a level 12 group home if Drucilla and Neil don't take immediate steps to become his foster parents. Miss Davis explains that a level 12 group home is one for problem teenagers. Drugs are sometimes given to calm them down. Drucilla thinks this would be horrible for Devon. She tells Miss. Davis that her and Neil will sign the papers immediately.
Lily and Devon are watching a scary movie. The movie gets really scary and Lily grabs Devon. He holds her hand and asks her if she feels better. Neil comes home and quietly enters the living room. He sees them holding hands. When Neil says hello, Lily jumps off the couch. Devon says he has to go to bed. When Neil asks Lily if she has something to say to him, she says she has to go to bed too.
Chris comes by to see Paul and brings him dinner. She tells him that she has convinced Michael to work alongside them. Paul decides to join in the partnership. As the two are flirting, Lauren walks in. Chris leaves them alone and Lauren asks Paul when he was going to tell her about the partnership with Chris and Michael. Paul says he just made the decision minutes ago. He thinks she is jealous of the situation.
J.T. practices on his guitar and Brittany comes in and teases him. She asks him to play for her because she knows about music. When he is finished with his song, she says it's okay, but the lyrics are too sad. J.T. says that some songs are about real life, not just flowers and balloons. Brittany asks if J.T. is sad because he's lost his best friend Raul so quickly after he lost Colleen. J.T. doesn't want to hear her.
On the morning of the rec center opening, Victor went first to Ashley's house to learn that Brad still had not returned with Abby. Ashley had checked with the police and area hospitals and knew there wasn't an accident, but she wasn't ready to report them missing. Once she did that, everything would be out of her control. Victor said he could use some other people to try to track them down, and Ashley told him to do whatever he needed to do. At that moment, Brad came in with Abby. Victor waited long enough to find out that Brad had taken Abby to the Wisconsin Dells for the night, then left.
Ashley turned on Brad in a rage, accusing him of using their little girl to teach her a lesson after Brad said that maybe now Ash understood how he'd felt when Victor took Abby without permission. Brad said that she was irrational; she might think she was doing what was best for Abby, but Victor was pulling her strings. She'd lost any sense of the harm Victor had caused her life. Brad, on the other hand, had not. Because of Victor, her father's company had nearly been destroyed. Because of Victor, she'd turned against Jack. Because of Victor, he'd lost his son Robert and any hope of having another child with her. In fact, Brad no longer felt sure that he wanted Ashley to raise his daughter. Ashley demanded to know if he wanted a divorce and a custody fight.
Dru and Lily were having a nice breakfast when Neil joined them. When Lily went to finish getting ready, Neil told his wife about finding Lily and Devon holding hands the night before. He thought it would be a good idea if Dru got in touch with Mrs. Davis and they found another place for Devon to live as soon as possible. He didn't trust the two teens together. After Neil left for work, Dru questioned Lily, who burst out laughing. She said she'd been scared watching the horror flick. She'd have held anybody's hand. But Devon was more like a brother to her. She told Dru to be sure and explain everything to her father, and Dru promised to straighten it out.
J.T. found the sheet of paper on which Brittany had rewritten the lyrics to his new song. When she joined him, he grumped at her, but she told him to just try it her way. J.T. began singing the new lyrics, and Brittany joined in on harmony. J.T. finally half-admitted that he liked her version. She wanted to work on it some more, but he had to run errands. As soon as he found out she had an appointment with her plastic surgeon, J.T. told her he'd see her at the hospital. He wanted to be there to celebrate with her. Before he could leave the loft, Bobby arrived. Bobby and J.T. exchanged a few terse words, then J.T. left.
Bobby apologized to Brittany for not being able to make the club into a full-time cabaret. But he assured her that was still the plan. In the meantime, he explained a little of Nikki's background and why she was helping him with the club. Brit was blown away by Nikki's past, but she was glad to hear that Bobby was still trying to make changes. She felt responsible for his financial problems, since he was doing all this for her. Bobby wasn't worried about that. He thought it would work out. He was excited to hear that her bandages were being removed later, but assured her that no matter what, she was still beautiful.
Daniel and Kevin made contact with the person, Alex, who was going to help them put their Lily plan into action, then the three of them avoided each other so no one would connect them. Kevin was happy to see Lauren, who'd arrived with Paul. Lauren wasn't as happy to see Christine. When she introduced Christine to Kevin, Paul walked up. Christine started telling Kevin how grateful he should be to Paul for all his help. Lauren ducked out and called Michael on her cell, saying that Kevin was at the rec center and she thought things might get sticky. She also expressed her annoyance at seeing Christine.
Mac was helping people register to vote and spent some time with Devon, who was a little put out when Lily arrived and was immediately monopolized by Alex. Although Sierra and Cassie didn't know who Alex was, they said Lily was obviously having fun with him. What none of them saw was that Alex slipped something into the orange juice he brought Lily, muttering that he was going to leave nothing to chance.
When Victor arrived to the applause of all the opening's attendees, he gave credit to Jamal and all the others for their hard work in making the rec center a reality. Nick later told his father he deserved their appreciation. He was worried about his mother though. Victor admitted that she was threatened by Abby, and Victor was at a loss about how to reassure her. Nick said it wasn't Abby Nikki was worried about; it was Ashley. Victor insisted that she had nothing to fear from Ashley either. Nick later expressed concern about his mother's moodiness to Sharon.
Paul managed to get some alone time with Nikki and asked if she'd talked to Victor about all the things that were troubling her. Nikki said no; he was too wrapped up in his own life to care about her "little" problems. She wanted to know what other information Paul had, but he said that wasn't the time or the place to discuss it. Nikki said she felt like she was going out of her mind. She stalked away from Paul, but was stopped by Sharon, who asked if she was okay. Nikki took out her frustration on Sharon, saying that at least she looked well rested now that the Cameron ordeal was behind her. Hurt by Nikki's tone, Sharon agreed that she was feeling better and thanked Nikki for all her help. Nikki furiously wondered if that was all she was going to get after all she'd done for Sharon--her thanks--and walked away from her, leaving Sharon bewildered.
