Young and Restless Recaps: The week of February 20, 2006 on Y&R

Comprehensive daily recaps for The Young and the Restless, dating back to 1996.

Monday, February 20, 2006

by Isaac

Kevin Frazier of Entertainment Tonight reported on John and Ashley's arrest -- that John had been arrested and charged with first degree murder in Tom's death, that Tom was the ex-husband of John's wife, and that Ashley had been charged with obstruction of justice and as an accessory. He reported that ET's sources in the DA's office suggested that blackmail and jealousy were possible motives, and that industry analysts said that with John facing a possible life sentence that Jabot's future was uncertain. Throughout his report, Nikki and Victor, Katherine and Jill, and Phyllis and Daniel were glued to the television watching.

At the Abbott house, where John, Jack, Gloria, Kevin and Ashley were having breakfast, John apologized for humiliating the family. Ashley said that he had nothing to be sorry for and Jack said that he had been talking to some of the best defense attorneys in the country as Jack didn't want Michael handling the case. John didn't think he should change attorneys, and Gloria defended Michael. Jack was hostile towards Gloria and suggested that half of the Abbott's problems were due to Michael.

At the Newman ranch, Victor and Nikki discussed the case. Victor defended John, saying that he was trying to protect his family against Tom's threats. Nikki couldn't understand why Ashley would falsely confess to the crime and implied that Ashley was not a good mother as she could have lost Abby forever. Nikki told Victor she had to see Sharon and left.

Back at the Abbott House, Ashley answered the phone. It was Victor asking to meet him at Crimson Lights. Ashley agreed.

At the Athletic Club, Katherine and Jill discussed the case -- Katherine couldn't understand how John could do such a thing. Jill blamed Gloria, and told Katherine that there were some major problems at Jabot, but she and Jack were working on them to make sure they wouldn't lose customers. Katherine emphasized that she wanted Jabot to survive. Jill got a call about another crisis at Jabot, told Katherine she had to see Jack, and left.

Back at the Abbott House, Ashley was trying to leave to see Victor but was mobbed by throngs of reporters outside the door. Jack pushed them away and closed the door, allowing the arriving Jill to enter. Jill informed Jack that Sanderson's Department Store was removing Jabot products from the shelves and replacing them with Newman products. John was shocked -- he didn't know things had gotten this bad. When Jack said that he and Jill would take care of the problem, John said that he didn't want to be treated like a baby and wanted to be kept in the loop. Standing away from Jack, John, and Jill, Kevin told Gloria that he was concerned about her -- that he was worried about what Jack might do to her if John went to prison.

Jack (on the phone) convinced Sanderon's to keep Jabot products on the shelf for the time being. John left to see Michael. Gloria asked Jill how Katherine felt about all this and Jill told her she was sick about it -- that this was beneath a man of John's class, "but then again, he married you, didn't he?" Gloria glared at Jill and went to check on John. Kevin said that his mother was suffering too and that they shouldn't treat her that way. Jack became angry and told Kevin that Gloria had lied time and time again and dragged the Abbott name through the mud. Kevin told Jack that they had to stick together as a family and Jack said that he needed to save his father's legacy. Jack and Jill left as Gloria returned to the living room. Kevin told her to watch her back -- that he didn't trust Jack, and that she should concentrate on taking care of John while he would work to protect her rights as Mrs. John Abbott.

At Nick and Sharon's, Nick had a flashback of his discussion with Phyllis about whether their relationship was just about sex (Phyllis' wish) or was something more (Nick's wish.) Noah and Sharon came down and Nick told Noah that there had been a basketball schedule change -- that his first playoff game was tomorrow, which is Nick and Sharon's anniversary. They decided to go to Noah's playoff game and then go to some place of Sharon's choosing. Sharon agreed -- but wanted to make sure they got home at a reasonable time as she had a surprise for him. Sharon said that she didn't know where the time had gone, and she didn't know if they could put their marriage together after Cassie's death, but they had. Sharon then walked Noah out to wait for the school bus.

At the Athletic Club, Phyllis and Daniel were having breakfast and Phyllis said she couldn't imagine what the Abbotts were going through. Daniel wanted to make sure that Phyllis would be there for Jack, mentioning that she had been hard on Jack lately. She told him that it was a two-way street. Phyllis had a flashback about Nick saying that they couldn't kid themselves that their relationship was only physical. Nick called Phyllis on her cell (while Sharon was out with Noah) -- Phyllis was abrupt with Nick and said she couldn't talk now. Nick told her to relax -- that he needed to talk to Daniel. Nick told Daniel about the basketball playoff game schedule change. After getting off the phone, Daniel asked Phyllis if Phyllis and Nick had an argument because of the abrupt way she answered the phone. Phyllis said that she thought that Nick wanted to talk about business and sent Daniel off to school.

Back at Nick and Sharon's, Nikki arrived and suggested to Nick that they have a family dinner to celebrate their anniversary. Nick told her they wanted to celebrate alone -- that they had all been busy lately and hadn't spent much time alone together. Sharon came back and Nick left for the office. Nikki explained that she was there to see what their plans were for their anniversary, and implied that she thought there were still problems in their marriage and suggested marriage counseling, which offended Sharon. Sharon said that everything had been okay since she returned from St. Louis (she thought about her kiss with Brad there.) When Nikki asked what happened in St. Louis, Sharon said that nothing had but that since she got back she realized how committed she was to the marriage. Nikki said she was glad to hear that and agreed to watch Noah for the evening.

On the Crimson Lights patio, Victor told Ashley how worried he was about her and that he would always be there for her. Ashley told Victor how badly she felt for Brad and Victoria, and Victor told her that they had called off their engagement, which surprised Ashley. Victor said that Victoria was concerned about Brad taking care of her and Abby. Ashley mentioned the repercussions for Jabot, and Victor wasn't confident that Jack could handle the situation there. Ashley begged Victor not to interfere with Jack now, and Victor assured her he wouldn't, as he was involved in the wellness spa project with Nikki. Victor left, reminding Ashley that he was always there if she needed him.

At Newman Enterprises, a blas Victoria worked at her computer as Brad entered, telling Victoria that his trip went well. Victoria continued to act distant and cold and told Brad that John had been arrested for Tom's murder. They surmised that Ashley had confessed to protect John. When Brad suggested that this meant that he and Ashley could get their divorce and he and Victoria could get married, Victoria informed him that Ashley still faced criminal charges. He told her he knew how much he hurt her when he put the divorce on hold. She told him not to worry about her -- to worry about Ashley and Abby. When Brad tried to kiss her, she spurned him and he asked her "what is happening to us?" Victoria said at that moment there was no "us."

At Newman Enterprises, Nick stopped by to see Phyllis, who apologized for running out on him. Nick said it was cool and he realized that Phyllis was right -- that their relationship should have no strings attached. Phyllis was pleased to hear this. Nick left the office smiling, telling Phyllis he would see her around. After Nick left, Phyllis said that she hoped so. Back at Sharon and Nick's, Sharon noticed that Nick forgot his cell phone. She opened it and noticed that a call was received from a "blocked number." Sharon had a concerned look on her face. In Phyllis' office, Phyllis opened her cell phone and was about to make a call.

J.T. was playing his guitar at the loft as Mac watched. She thought about Katherine telling her that she needed to tell J.T. that she was pregnant -- that he had a right to know. Mac told J.T. she was glad he was still working on his music. J.T. apologized for running out last night, as it sounded like she had something to tell him. Mac said she did and it might be kind of a shock. J.T. thought she was talking about the situation with the Abbotts. Mac looked at the newspaper and when she expressed concern about Kevin, J.T. expressed concern for Colleen, and that he couldn't imagine Colleen going back to NYU in the foreseeable future. They agreed that they were both okay with Colleen staying in Genoa City for the time being. When Mac again expressed concern for Kevin, J.T. suggested that she not express that concern to Colleen, as she might hate Kevin even more since Tom was Kevin's father. Mac suggested that J.T. tell Colleen to stay away from Crimson Lights as she left. Later, Katherine came by to talk to J.T. about Mac's pregnancy, but quickly discerned that he didn't know about it yet. J.T. told Katherine that Mac had been upset since Colleen came back to town, but that everything was okay between him and Mac. Katherine told J.T. to have Mac call her, and outside the loft door had a very concerned look on her face.

At Crimson Lights, Lily and Colleen discussed the situation with John, and how upset Colleen was. Lily told Colleen she was going to try to cheer Colleen up by suggesting ways to get J.T.'s attention. Lily suggested a "wardrobe malfunction" at the Athletic Club, or Colleen fainting in front of J.T. so that he could administer CPR. Colleen didn't like the suggestions, but told Lily she still had feelings for J.T., as he was her first love. Mac entered and spoke to Dylan as Colleen glared at her. Daniel entered and went over to Lily and Colleen's table. Mac was observing the situation from the cash register area, and Colleen told Daniel to sit with her so as not to raise Mac's suspicions. Colleen slipped Lily a napkin she had been writing on. Lily said that she hoped Mac didn't blow the "Colleen is dating Daniel" act. Colleen told Lily to be quiet as Mac was nearby. Daniel told them he needed to get going and gave Colleen a kiss "in case anyone was watching." As he left, the napkin that Colleen slipped to Lily fell on the floor. Mac told them she would get it, and Mac looked at it with a shocked expression on her face.

Tuesday, February 21, 2006

by Isaac

In Victoria and Nicholas' office at Newman, Brad and Victoria were arguing about whether they could reinstate their engagement -- Brad thought he could divorce Ashley now that she was no longer charged with murder; Victoria disagreed, saying that he couldn't divorce himself from her problems. They told each other they loved each other, but Victoria said that now it was his turn to wait for her to be ready. Nicholas stood at the doorway and overheard the end of the conversation where Victoria said that if Brad really loved her that he would be around when she was ready. Nick came in and told Victoria that their meeting on the Wellness Spas was about to begin. Brad told Victoria to let him know when she changed his mind and left, not even looking back when Victoria called his name.

Brad went to the Abbott house to see Ashley. He was furious at her for having lied for months about being the person who shot Tom -- how it had terrified Abby and ruined his relationship with Victoria. Ashley said she was trying to protect John and to protect Brad. Brad said he was sick of her excuses. She told him she would divorce him now so that he could resume his relationship with Victoria. Brad reminded Ashley that she could still go to jail for obstruction of justice and that he wasn't going to do anything to make Ashley or the Abbott family look bad or hurt Abby. Ashley thanked him but released him of any obligation to her. Brad told her that Victoria was tired of waiting and didn't want him back. Ashley apologized, but Brad said it looked like, as usual, everyone's life had taken a back seat to hers, and then left.

In the Wellness Spa office at Newman, Nikki, Victor, and Phyllis were having a meeting about making Newman Enterprises cosmetics the exclusive partner of the wellness spas. Phyllis said she had nothing against this, but that Nick did. A few minutes later, Nick and Victoria joined the meeting, and Nikki gave Nick his cell phone which he had left back at his house. Everyone except Phyllis was excited about the joint venture between Newman and the Wellness Spas. Phyllis questioned Nick as to why he had changed his mind about the venture and Nick said it had been out of stubbornness. Phyllis then said she didn't think it was such a great idea -- that they might not want to limit themselves to one cosmetics line. Nikki, Victoria, and Nick assured Phyllis that the Newman products were top of the line and that Newman Enterprises wasn't trying to take over the project. Phyllis then agreed with them. Nick and Victoria left. Victor was angry with Phyllis for trying to torpedo her own team. Phyllis said she was just playing devil's advocate and assured them it wouldn't happen again. Nikki told her it better not, or she would be off the project. As Phyllis left, Victor and Nikki discussed whether or not they could trust Phyllis -- Victor was concerned about her ties to Jack Abbott, and said he was going to keep an eye on here. Nikki suggested they celebrate the agreement, and Victor said he could help with that as they embraced and kissed.

Back in Victoria and Nicholas' office, Nicholas wanted to know what was going on with her and Brad. Victoria explained how Brad had waltzed into the office expecting her to agree to get back together now that Ashley was no longer charged with murder. Nick said that she shouldn't kick Brad out of her life because of injured pride, and that if she loved him she should give it another shot. Victoria was surprised at Nick's attitude, knowing that Nick hates Brad, and told Nick that she must have had blinders on, as she didn't see or recognize all the problems they had. Nick told her that sometimes one just had to follow one's heart. Victoria said not this time, and as she hugged Nick she told him how much she envied his marriage to Sharon -- that he had married his first love and they were still together.

Nick was looking at a velvet bag and a fancy keychain as Phyllis rushed into his office and asked him why he had changed his mind about the Wellness Spa project. Nick said that if it meant so much to her, that it probably was a good idea, and questioned why she had changed her mind about the joint venture. Phyllis told Nick that she almost text messaged him earlier, but was glad she changed her mind, as he had left his cell phone at home with Sharon. She noticed the fancy keychain and Nick told her that tomorrow was his and Sharon's 10th anniversary and he was giving her a hybrid SUV as a gift. Phyllis got a call from Jack who wanted to see her. She said she would be right over, and then told Nick that 10 years of marriage was impressive. As she started to leave, Nick asked her if she was going to see Jack. When Phyllis said that Jack was going through a tough time, Nick sarcastically said he hoped she could make him feel better. Phyllis left.

At Crimson Lights, an ill-looking Mac picked up the napkin which fell from Colleen and Lily's table -- on it was scribbled things like "I Love J.T." and "ways to get J.T. back." Colleen "accidentally" spilled her drink to draw Mac's attention away from the napkin. Lily and Colleen smiled as Mac went out to the patio. J.T. came in and told Mac he knew there was something wrong with her and that she should see a doctor. Kevin came out and they both encouraged her to go home and get some rest. J.T. offered to take her home, but Mac said she wanted to be alone.

J.T. walked into the main room and Colleen and Lily were loudly staging a ruse which made it sound like Colleen was being stalked. J.T. came over to find out what was going on, and Lily left. J.T. expressed his concern about the stalker to Colleen, who asked J.T. if Mac would be upset that he was talking to her. J.T. told her that Mac didn't decide who he could talk to, and when out to look for the "stalker." He went out to look for the "stalker," then returned and told Colleen there wasn't anyone out there. Colleen offered to hire him to "investigate," but J.T. refused to take money from her as he started to ask questions about possible stalkers. Colleen said she knew of no enemies or threats other than Kevin, and J.T. asked her a lot of questions about guys she might have dated in New York. She wanted to know if J.T. was more interested in finding the "stalker," or getting information on her love life. J.T. told Colleen that usually a stalker was someone that a person knew. She said this was the last thing she needed now what with the Abbott family's problems. He told Colleen that Tom Fisher had hurt a lot of people and that he was sure John acted in self-defense. He then came up with a plan where he would follow her and wait for the "stalker" to show up -- that he wouldn't let anything happen to her. Colleen hugged J.T. and told him she felt safer already.

Kevin stopped by the loft to check up on Mac, who informed him that she was pregnant, but hadn't told J.T. yet. Kevin was surprised, but was sure J.T. would be okay with it, reminding Mac how J.T. took to Brittany's baby. Mac was afraid that J.T. would view her as an obligation, and that she never wanted to be an unwed mother -- for the first time in her life she didn't know what to do. Kevin assured her that no matter what happened, he would be there for her and see her through the situation.

At the Abbott house, John was leaving to meet Michael at the Athletic Club to discuss his case. Gloria insisted upon going against John's wishes.

At the Athletic Club, Jack (at a table with Jill) was on the phone asking a congressman to help out with John's situation. The congressman obviously turned down Jack's request, and Jack told Jill he was sick and tired of the situation and the media and people staring at him and his family. He yelled at people in the Club to stop staring, and Jill calmed him down. Jack told her that even business had to take a back seat to John's situation now. Katherine came over and expressed her sympathy to Jack about what was going on with his family, but it was having a huge financial impact on Jabot, and they needed to do damage control immediately, as she understood that several vendors were already threatening to cancel orders. They told Katherine about their damage control plan -- that the public relations department was working on it, and that Jill had been calling clients to tell them that Jabot was still viable, and was able to persuade most of them, especially since Jabot was now under the Chancellor Industries umbrella. Jack said that there was nothing to worry about -- that everything was under control. John, Gloria, and Michael then entered the Club mobbed by reporters, who were ejected by Gina and staff. Katherine expressed her doubt that everything actually was under control.

A few minutes later, Michael told John that he had put in a call to the DA about a plea bargain. Gloria did not like the idea of John pleading guilty, but John assured her that Michael knew best. Michael said that if John were found guilty he could get a life term, but that if he pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter he would get a much lighter sentence -- maybe even a suspended sentence or probation. Jack came over and asked if probation was the best that Michael could do. John asked Jack to stop making things worse, and went to talk to Jill and Katherine. John apologized to Jill and Katherine for the humiliation he had caused the company, and said the only way to calm things down was for him to resign as chairman of the board. Jack disagreed, but Jill and Katherine agreed. Gloria walked over and was not happy with John's decision, but he assured her that they wouldn't suffer financially -- that he would still retain his shares in the company. Gloria said it wasn't about the money -- it was the fact that he built the company from the ground up. Jack glared at her and she told him not to look at her that way -- that this was about his father. Jack said no one was suggesting otherwise and went to talk to Michael.

Jack blamed Michael for everything that had gone wrong -- that if he hadn't kept the secret that Tom was in town none of it would have happened. When Michael said he was trying to protect Gloria, Jack said that he was trying to protect himself and although Michael may have convinced others that he had changed, to Jack he was still a sleazy scoundrel. Michael actually agreed, and said that he had been looking for revenge against Tom, and that he couldn't feel worse about himself. He assured Jack that he would do the best that he could for John, as he wanted to make up for what he had done.

With Jill and Katherine gone, Gloria and John sat alone where John reassured her not to worry about his resignation -- that when all this was over that Jack would reinstate him. He expressed his hope that the DA would cut a deal. Gloria said that when John got a suspended sentence they could finally put all of this behind them.

Michael was on the phone with DA Bardwell, who told a shocked Michael that he wouldn't accept a plea -- that he was still charging John with first degree murder.

Wednesday, February 22, 2006

by Citrine

Ashley sat alone at the athletic club restaurant and brooded about what was going to happen to her father and her. When Victor came in, she told him how foolish her actions had been. She'd risked never seeing her daughter again to protect her father, and Brad was furious with her. Victor told her that anyone should understand how desperate she'd been to keep her father out of trouble and out of prison. Ashley pointed out that in spite of all she'd done, now not only would her father serve jail time, but she was probably going to serve time, too, for her false confession.

Michael assured John that the D.A. would listen to his case for a plea bargain. Bardwell met them in the courtroom, and Michael outlined his defense of John. He could make Tom look like a monster and John look like Tom's victim. No jury would ever blame an upstanding man like John Abbott for defending himself against a suspected murderer and convicted felon who was threatening his life. Bardwell finally agreed to accept a plea for involuntary manslaughter, but he couldn't guarantee John wouldn't serve at least two years. John then spoke up and offered to agree to voluntary manslaughter, with a possible nine years in prison, if the D.A. dropped all charges against Ashley. Although Michael begged John to reconsider, John and Bardwell made the agreement, and Bardwell said they could see a judge for sentencing the following day.

Daniel came home to find his mother getting ready to go out. Phyllis said that Jack had called and was upset about his family's situation, so she was spending the evening with him. She wasn't sure if she'd be back that night. After Phyllis left, Daniel called Lily, who was having dinner with her parents and Devon. The two agreed to meet at Crimson Lights.

Neil noticed how attentive Devon was to Lily. When Lily left to take her phone call from Daniel, pretending it was Sierra, Devon excused himself to use the restroom. Neil told Dru that he thought Devon had feelings for Lily. Dru thought Neil was misreading things. When both teens came back, Dru and Neil agreed that Lily could meet Sierra to help Sierra with her schoolwork. But when Devon said he was going to go with Lily, Neil and Dru asked him to go with them to Newman Enterprises instead.

Phyllis was worried about how hard Jack was taking the Abbotts' problems. She was sure that Jabot would weather the bad publicity, and she also thought John was probably stronger than Jack realized. Jack was sure his father was going to prison, and he couldn't believe John's entire life's work had come to this because of one mistake. He said that he wished Jabot had someone like Sharon, a spokesperson who could represent the company to the public and rebuild good will. In fact, he thought it would be the ideal job for Phyllis. Sharon had nothing that Phyllis didn't have. Jack was a little surprised by Phyllis's intense negative reaction to his suggestion.

Lily and Daniel met at the coffee house, and when she found out his mother might be out the entire night, she asked why they couldn't have just met at his apartment. Daniel said he didn't want to assume anything, and Lily assured him that she'd dreamed of finally being alone with him again. They left Crimson Lights separately, and met up at Daniel's apartment. Lily was a little nervous that Phyllis might come home. Daniel called his mother and asked if he should order her some food. When Jack heard, he shook his head, and Phyllis told Daniel she'd probably be out all night. After he hung up the phone, Daniel locked the door, and he and Lily embraced to begin a night of passion.

At Newman, Drucilla left Neil alone with Devon so Neil could talk to their foster son about Lily. Devon admitted that he had feelings for Lily, and Neil encouraged him to squelch them. Why risk the friendship that he and Lily had built? Devon said that he didn't think Neil was really worried about Devon's relationship with Lily. Although Devon understood why Neil and Dru hadn't wanted her involved with Daniel, in this case, Devon simply thought Neil didn't want his little girl to grow up. No boy was ever going to be good enough for her in Neil's eyes. But Devon wasn't willing to just step away, and if he had to move out of the Winters' house in order to see Lily, then that was what he'd do.

J.T. and Colleen arrived back at Crimson Lights without his having spotted anyone following her. But Colleen pointed out a man who was on the patio as being the one she'd seen. J.T. went to the patio to check him out, and came back with a theory about why he might be following Colleen. The two of them went to the athletic club, and when the man came in, he removed a camera from his backpack and began taking pictures of Colleen. J.T. grabbed the camera, deleted the pictures, and told the guy to get lost. After he left, Colleen hugged J.T., called him her hero, and asked if she could buy him dinner. J.T. agreed. While he went to reserve a table, Colleen stepped outside to where the "photographer" was waiting for her. She paid him off for pretending that he'd been after her to take pictures for the tabloids.

Thursday, February 23, 2006

by Soap Central

When Dru asks Lily how her studying went last night, Lily and Sierra play their stories cool. Later, Dru asks Devon if they can talk about how he's planning to deal with his feelings for Lily. Devon becomes upset and storms out. At the coffeehouse, Colleen angrily tells Kevin that because of his father, her granddad could spend the rest of his life in jail. Later, Lily tells Daniel that she believes that before long, J.T. and Colleen will be back together. Daniel says that he never wants to be apart from Lily, and will do whatever he has to do to make that happen. John announces to Gloria, Jack, and Ashley that Traci will be coming home as soon as her book tour is finished. Jack and Ashley demand to know why John pleaded to a higher crime, but they realize that he did it to save Ashley from having to go on trial. John regrets what he did, and knows that he must now take the consequences. At the coffeehouse, Kevin brings Mac some information on how to lessen morning sickness. Mac is appreciative of Kevin's support. Sharon pops into Nick's office, reminding him that it's their tenth anniversary by giving him a kiss. He reveals that he's reserved a private room at the Colonnade for a special dinner later. He gets a call from Nikki and isn't happy. Nick tells Phyllis that Nikki can't make her meeting with a contact for the wellness center project, and asked him to go to the meeting with Phyllis for her. Nick calls Sharon to tell him that there is bad weather where they are, and he doesn't know if he's going to make it home in time for Noah's game or their dinner.

Friday, February 24, 2006

by Citrine

Nick and Phyllis were unable to continue to their out-of-town business meeting because of a snowstorm and a wreck on the highway that had backed up traffic. It also didn't seem like a good idea to turn back to Genoa City because of sleet and ice on the roads. Stuck in a motel room without food, Nick got them snacks from a vending machine, and they had an impromptu picnic on the floor. But their fun conversation turned into an afternoon of passion. Later, Phyllis admitted how strong her feelings were becoming, and the two of them wondered what they were going to do. Nick said he had to do something, because he couldn't go on the way he had been.

Sharon told Victoria that Nick and Phyllis were stuck on the road somewhere. She wasn't sure if Nick would get back in time for Noah's game or their anniversary dinner that night. Victoria picked up a set of keys from the desk. The keychain was a silver "10" surrounded by diamonds, and Victoria said they were for a new hybrid SUV. Sharon was excited that Nick had gotten her a car for their tenth anniversary. Victoria suggested that she use its four-wheel drive to rescue Nick and Phyllis, but Sharon said she wasn't sure where they were. Victoria assured Sharon that she knew her brother well enough to know he'd get back that night to celebrate with her.

Brad took Colleen to the courthouse for John's sentencing and offered emotional support to his father-in-law. After the two men embraced, Brad went to work, where he found Victoria and Sharon talking. Victoria brushed off his request to speak to her and said she had a meeting to get to. After Victoria walked out, Sharon saw that Brad was hurting, and she asked if he wanted to take a ride in her new car. She drove them to her house at the ranch. As they talked, she expressed her confidence that once things were settled with Ashley, Brad and Victoria would reconcile. Brad thanked her for her support and said that if anything made him feel good, it was knowing Sharon was happy now that her marriage was back on track. Sharon said she wanted Brad to be happy, too.

John's family and friends gathered at the courthouse to speak on his behalf. Jill said that Billy wouldn't be able to get back from a project he was working on in Asia, and Traci hadn't arrived yet from Europe. The Abbotts were touched when Victor arrived as a character witness for John, and Paul was also there to help Ashley get through the day.

Jack was still angry with Michael and told him to find a way to keep John out of jail. He felt like all of this was the fault of the Fisher family. Later, Michael spoke to Bardwell and asked the district attorney to recommend the lightest possible sentence. Bardwell admitted that he had a lot of respect for John as a person.

Colleen spoke first for her grandfather, and afterward, Jack asked Daniel to take her out for some air. Jill, Katherine, Gloria, Victor, and Jack all talked to the judge about John's character, decency, and strong sense of morality. Gloria blamed herself for bringing Tom into John's life and told the judge what a horrible man Tom Fisher had been.

Ashley explained that Tom had threatened her family for months, and on the night he'd called their house, they'd all thought Tom had murdered Lauren Fenmore. John was only protecting the people he loved. When she tried to tell the judge that her father wouldn't be there except for her, John and Michael made her stop. John told the judge that he would live all his life with remorse for taking another man's life, and he accepted whatever sentence the judge thought was fair. John then thanked everyone in the courtroom for speaking on his behalf. After deliberating in his chambers, the judge returned and sentenced John to seven years in prison.