Nicholas Christian Newman

Actor History

Marco and Stefan Flores

1989

Unknown Actor

December 1989

Griffin Ledner

1990 to January 1991

John Nelson-Alden

1991 to 1994

June 1994 to Present; contract

Lifeline

Occupation

Residence

Marital Status

Past Marriages

Relatives

Children

Flings & Affairs

Crimes Committed

Brief Character History

Nicholas was conceived during a night of passion between Victor and Nikki Newman while they were separated and headed toward divorce. Nikki went out of town to have her baby who was born on New Years Eve, 1988.

Nick grew up torn between two father figures he loved, his real father Victor and his stepfather Jack Abbott with whom he lived in early childhood. As a boy, Nick enjoyed soccer and Little League baseball. When he was 10, Nikki sent him to boarding school in Switzerland.

Nick returned as a 16 year old with raging hormones. He dated Amy Wilson, a girl Nikki liked, who was willing to do anything including sleep with Nick to get him. Then he was introduced to Amy's best friend Sharon Collins, a sweet girl who worked a part time job to help her single paraplegic mother make ends meet. Nick fell for Sharon at first sight, but since she was dating Matt Clark, he stayed with Amy. Nick ended up winning Sharon from Matt, who hated Nick. Nick and Matt got into a fight, Matt kicked Nick's butt, and Victor swore he would teach his son to box. To get even, Matt raped Sharon. Sharon told no one but a therapist, who tried to help her deal with it.

Nikki objected strongly to Sharon, believing her to be a gold-digger. Mother and son fought, and Nick moved in with his father. Unlike Nikki, Victor adored Sharon and even paid for an operation for her mother which they could not afford. When Sharon and Nick beat out Amy and Matt as queen and king of the high school senior Polynesian dance, Matt took revenge. He told Nick that his virginal Sharon had given up a baby for adoption when she was 16. Nick didn't believe him, they got into a bad fist fight, and both were injured. Sharon admitted to Nick that it was all true, and Nick understood eventually.

Sharon and Nick were about to get married when Sharon admitted that Matt had raped her. Nick raced to Matt's apartment only to find him on the floor in a pool of blood. The police arrested Nick, who thought Sharon did it. When Matt came to, he said Nick was the one who had shot him. Nick was found guilty and sentenced to 15 years in prison. Sharon and the Newman family were devastated. Victor tracked down Amy who was suffering from a serious trauma. He was convinced it was caused by something that happened the night Matt was shot. Upon seeing Matt, Amy remembered she had shot him after he raped her. Matt fled, Nick was released from prison, and Sharon and Nick married in a small ceremony as a disapproving Nikki looked on.

Not long after they married Sharon "accidentally" got pregnant. Nick wanted to wait and tried to talk her into an abortion, but Sharon couldn't do it. Months later Sharon fell on the ice and went into early labor. When it appeared that their premature baby Noah was going to die, Sharon's best friend Grace Turner and Grace's boyfriend Tony Viscardi tracked down Sharon's first child, Cassie, to help Sharon ease the pain of her loss. They convinced her adoptive grandmother, Millie, to allow them to return 5 year old Cassie to Genoa City to be united with her natural mother. But Noah survived, so Grace decided to keep Cassie until the "time was right" to tell Sharon. Grace fell in love with the engaging child, and kept the child's true identity to herself for over a year.

One night Nick was out partying with friends while Sharon stayed home ill. Grace was helping out by spending the night in the nursery, but actually plotting to steal Nick. Nick came home drunk and made love to a willing Grace, thinking she was his wife. The next morning when Nick realized his error he panicked and swore Grace to secrecy. (Sharon never found out about this.)

When Cassie's true identity came out, Nick had a hard time accepting her. Sharon moved out, but their love for one another brought them back together and Nick began to love Cassie as his own. Cassie went to live with Sharon, Nick, and Noah.

Grace used their sex secret to get a job as Nick's assistant at Newman, and renewed her attempts to steal Nick from Sharon. Sharon was going with Nick on a business trip, but when Noah fell sick, Grace went instead. Nick had been angry with Sharon and allowed Grace to seduce him. Sharon showed up the next morning to surprise Nick, but was stunned and to hear outside the door Grace telling Nick that their lovemaking was incredible. Sharon moved out with the kids and refused to forgive him for his infidelity.

Then Cassie's adoptive mother, Alice Johnson, reappeared and hired lawyer Michael Baldwin to fight for the return of "her daughter." Sharon decided to take back the repentant Nick. Although Alice was about to win custody, Sharon and Nick were able to convince the jobless and flighty Alice that Cassie would be better off with them. Alice gave up her parental rights and Sharon was awarded custody of Cassie. After a waiting period, Cassie legally became a Newman when Nick adopted her. But Grace felt betrayed when Michael won the custody case for Alice despite her efforts. When Victor found out that Grace had come between his son and his wife, he arranged for a job for her at a Newman subsidiary in New York City.

Nick and Sharon bought Crimson Lights Coffee House, the scene of their courtship, to keep it from going out of business and so they would have something to work on together. They later opened a second one in Milwaukee, and had plans for a third. Victor hated the idea because it would take Nick away from Newman Enterprises. But Nick managed to handle both, as well as being a loving husband and father. So Victor came around to accepting it, admiring Nick for not neglecting his family in the process.

In 2000 the Newman's had a scare when Cassie tested positive for tuberculosis, but it turned out be inactive and was cured by antibiotics.

Matt Clark returned to town as Carter Mills, disguised by plastic surgery, and worked at Crimson Lights. He teamed up with Nick's old cellmate Larry "Wartman" Warton, both bent on revenge, plus Matt wanted Sharon for himself. Carter date rape drugged Tricia McNeil into sleeping with him, and used her to help set up Nick and put him in jail for selling drugs. Carter became a trusted employee and Sharon's confidant while Nick was in jail. One evening Carter was invited to dinner at their home, so he arranged for Nick to be very late. While waiting for Nick to arrive, Carter put a date rape drug in Sharon's margarita. Nick arrived just in time as Carter was about to rape the semi-conscious Sharon. Thinking she had drunk too much, Nick sent Carter home and helped Sharon to bed. Weeks later Tricia caught Carter attempting to rape Sharon at a cabin in the woods where he lured her, but Victor arrived and sent him running. Tricia picked Carter up and drove off a cliff expecting to kill them both. She survived with cuts and bruises, but the evil Carter/Matt had severe injuries and was not expected to live. Carter deliberately pulled out his breathing tube, committing suicide to make Nick look like a murderer. With his dying words, he viciously told Nick that he had raped Sharon on "margarita night." But Nick was exonerated by the testimony of Tricia and Larry Warton.

Nick, finally out of jail and without the threat of Matt, lavishly romanced Sharon to help her get used to normal life again. Months later Sharon realized she was pregnant. Both knew that if Matt had told the truth, the baby could be his. Nick demanded a paternity test, but Sharon decided the risk before birth was too great, so was willing to trust that it was Nick's and have her baby no matter what. During a fight about this, Nick knocked over a chair, slammed out the door in a huff and drove off, creating a loud bang as his tire exploded against the curb at high speed. Fearful for Nick, Sharon ran for the door, tripped over the chair, and landed on her stomach. Her baby girl was delivered prematurely and later died. A paternity test showed the baby had indeed been Nick's, but the couple split up when Sharon was unable to forgive him for more or less killing their unborn child due to his attitude.

Just as there appeared to be hope that Nick and Sharon would get back together, Sharon caught Nick kissing another woman in the office at the coffee house and turned to her friend Diego, but he rebuffed her several times. But once too often, and Diego succumbed and made love with a needy Sharon who was jumping to conclusions that Nick was having an affair with Grace whom she happened to see passing through town. Instead, Nick whisked her away on a second honeymoon, sure that once they were alone they would reconcile. Reconcile they did, but the guilty Sharon had a hard time enjoying herself.

Sharon admitted her dalliance with Diego to Nick. Nick took it very badly, beat up Diego, then called up Grace and let her sooth his bruised ego in bed. All the Newmans found out and took sides with Nick or Sharon as they told the kids they were separating once again. Diego explained to all that would listen that it was only one time, it meant nothing, and he was not the aggressor.

After much soul-searching Nick decided to give his marriage another chance. Bringing flowers and a present for Sharon, he paused at the window of their home to see Sharon kissing Nick's father Victor. Furious, Nick called off any idea of reconciliation. When confronted, Victor took the blame, although Sharon was once again coming onto any man who was nice to her. Sharon decided her life was a mess and left town. Cassie felt betrayed and angry with her parents after Nick brushed her off, being more interested in berating Victor than comforting his daughter. She wandered off and fell through the ice on the ranch pond. Nick finally realized she was missing a long time later, jumped into the pond and rescued Cassie. She was Care-flighted to the hospital and was in a coma for days. Meanwhile in the waiting room, Victor confessed to Nikki that he was caught by Nick kissing Sharon. Slap! "How COULD you?" Cassie eventually recovered, Nikki went to war with Sharon, but forgave Victor. Nick made up with Sharon, though still had not forgiven Victor. Sharon came home with a new resolve to not be trod on by any Newman again. But Cassie had not forgiven Sharon for abandoning her. Suddenly Cassie's father Frank Barritt came to town and began trying to see her. Cassie wanted to know who he was, but her parents would not tell.

Several months later, the Cosmetic Wars began, and tensions were high as nearly everyone's mate was the enemy. Victor was CEO of Newman and wife Nikki worked for Jabot. Jack was CEO of Jabot and wife Phyllis worked for Newman. Neil worked for Newman and then-fiancé Dru worked for Jabot. Not to mention Victoria and Nick whose parents were on opposite sides. Plus Victoria was resentful that Victor passed her over and mentored Nick to take over Newman one day, even though Nick was unable to forgive him for being too close with his wife Sharon. Newman Enterprises outbid Jabot to buy out Satine Cosmetics for Women of Color due to inside information that Dru let slip to Neil. Jabot decided to resurrect a similar shelved project of Ashley's called Tuvia to compete. Payback was had when Dru found out that Newman was trying to woo Satine creator, Damon Porter, as their chemist for the newly named Safra line. Dru stole him away to work for Jabot during Ashley's maternity leave. Jabot was still hurting financially, but saw Tuvia as their savior, depending on their reputation and fine product to put them back in the black. But Victor could not let Jabot win the war, so blackmailed Michael Baldwin into paying off large retailers to give them the prime shelf space normally held by Jabot. Nick found out about Victor's dirty tricks, and turned him in to the Feds. Victor felt Nick had betrayed him and disowned him. Victor was found guilty and in a last ditch attempt to keep from going to prison, offered Jack $75 million to settle - if they would fire Jack, which they accepted. Victor was sentenced to do some major community service.

After Nick and Sharon were kidnapped and nearly killed by Cameron Kirsten, it was easier for Nick to forgive her, but it didn't take long for Sharon to become bored again and wanted to be a stripper, but once Nikki and Nick found out, they tried to point her ambitions in another direction to save her children embarrassment. Nick helped Sharon get a job at Jabot as Spokesperson through Jack, and since Jabot was still in a bad financial situation, Nick paid her salary under the table. Victor named Nick CEO of Newman, and Neil became Chief Operating Officer and Right Hand to the CEO. Victor left town on another quest, leaving Nick in charge. A few weeks later Victor returned to find that Nick had let the power go to his head, cancelled Neil's pet projects and refused Neil's advice, causing Neil to quit. Afraid his sister Victoria would return and demand her former position, Nick hired Drucilla Winters as Head of the Cosmetics Division, and Neil was rehired to mentor her. Nick also hired Sharon away from Jabot to be Spokesperson for the Newman Cosmetic Line.

Cassie turned 14 and had a crush on 16 year old Daniel Romalotti. All of the older crowd was going to secret party to be held in a park, and Cassie just had to go too - especially since Daniel said he would be there. She managed to talk Nick into un-grounding her for the evening so she could "go to a movie" with her longtime friend Ali. Cassie found Daniel at the party, drunk on beer. The party ended late, and everyone left. Cassie, who had not been drinking, assured her friends she had a way home, then found Daniel passed out in the back seat of his convertible. Deciding he was too drunk to get home, Cassie took his keys and started the car even though she hadn't a lesson or learner's permit, and crashed the car. Since both were thrown from the car, and neither remembered a thing, no one realized that Cassie had been driving. As soon as a bruised Daniel was able to leave the hospital, he was arrested and spent the night in jail. His mother Phyllis bailed him out. Back in ICU after brain surgery, Cassie was fighting for her life. There was hope, so long as infection didn't set in. Suddenly, Cassie sat up and remembered SHE was driving. Daniel was in so much trouble, but she had caused the accident. After attempts to tell her mother or to use the phone failed, she staggered out of the hospital intent on finding and telling Daniel.

After several hours of worry by her family and friends, and searching by the police, she somehow found her way to Crimson Lights. Lily and Daniel rushed to her as she was near collapse. Exhausted, Cassie attempted to tell Daniel the truth, but all she could get out was "crash." Nick arrived shortly before the paramedics, and he accompanied her back to the hospital in the ambulance. Anxiously, her family held vigil while Cassie's fever rose and Newman-financed specialists arrived too late to help. Victor, Nikki, Victoria, brother Noah, and Grandma Doris who arrived from her home in Eau Claire, sadly said their goodbyes and I love you's, and left her alone with Nick and Sharon. One last whisper in Nick's ear that it wasn't Daniel's fault, as he chokingly sang her a lullaby while Sharon hugged her, viewers saw flashbacks of the adorable child Cassie, the light of their lives, Cassie slipped away.

The memorial service was touching with memorial speeches given by Victor, Nikki, and Sharon. During Nick's speech, which was more a threat against Daniel, Nick spotted Phyllis who had snuck in the back, spoke right at her, then marched to her afterward and demanded she leave. Jack ushered her out in embarrassment.

Sharon handed her loss, mostly just feeling responsible for letting Cassie go out that night and regretful for all the things Cassie missed out on in her life. Meanwhile Nick was angry, refused to accept any responsibility, and was out for revenge against Daniel. Nick took a leave of absence from Newman, putting Victor back in charge. Daniel was charged with vehicular manslaughter, but when he didn't show up for his arraignment, a warrant was issued for his arrest.

Victoria accepted the position of Acting CEO at Newman, and Nick took it amazingly well when he returned from successfully tracking down Daniel. Nick insisted on firing Phyllis, but after telling Nick off, she retorted, "You can't fire me. I quit." Sharon was thrilled to welcome Nick home. When Christine came to them asking for the clothes Cassie was wearing the night of the car accident, Nick withheld the evidence. Nick was too caught up in rage and vengeance to worry about Newman Enterprises, his family, or the defendant's right to a fair trial, only intent on seeing Daniel pay. Daniel went on trial for vehicular manslaughter where Christine and Paul failed to prove that Cassie was driving the car. But in a last minute save, Nick turned over the clothes Cassie was wearing that fateful night. Because the boot she was wearing matched a piece of a heel found under the accelerator, the judge determined that Cassie was driving and let Daniel go free.

While Nick was still angry over his daughter Cassie's death, Brad made plans with Sharon for her return to Newman working with him on the Beauty of Nature project. Nick and Sharon grew further apart while both were haunted by apparitions of Cassie. When Nick decided to return to Newman, Victor made him and Victoria Co-CEO's.

Nick and Phyllis Summers became attracted to each other, and began a steamy affair. Sharon found out, she and Nick separated. Sharon went to Brad for comfort, and they ended up having sex on a business trip to New York City. But after Daniel walked in to find his mother and Nick half-naked on the couch, the couple decided to call off their affair. After Nick had a vision where Cassie showed him how he imagined life would be had she not died (including a new baby girl named Faith), Nick showed up at home, and Sharon took him back. Nick and Phyllis continued to be thrown together by business, and they ended up stranded in New Mexico. They stopped at a Pepe's Roadhouse, danced and had a great time. The attraction was still great but they resisted and spent the night separately. Then Phyllis turned up pregnant, and broke it to Nick that it could also be Jack's, so Nick took a paternity test. When he received the test results he disappeared to think about his options. He returned a few days later, informed Phyllis that he was the father, but that he intended to stay with his family. Phyllis was disappointed, but insisted she could raise their child alone.

Nick told Sharon the pregnancy news. She decided she didn't want Nick to stay out of obligation, ran out of the office screaming divorce and ended up in the parking garage pounding the steering wheel of her SUV. Brad discovered her there, and his consoling turned to heavy making out. Sharon saw Nick watching them, but continued on with Brad. Nick told Victoria that he caught her husband making out with Sharon. Nick and Sharon told Noah about the divorce and Nick left to move into the Newman executive suite at the Genoa City Athletic Club, but turned up at Phyllis' door instead, and they made love. The next morning Phyllis and Nick showed up at Newman together and told Victor and Nikki about his divorce and the pregnancy. Nikki was appalled, but Victor congratulated them.

Nick and Sharon divorced with joint custody of Noah, and Sharon received their house on Newman ranch in the settlement. Nick and Phyllis moved into the tack house at the ranch so Nick could be close to his son. Nick and Phyllis became engaged, and Nick threw Phyllis a fun engagement party hoedown style modeled after "their place "Pepe's" in New Mexico which included a visit from Rocky the dancing cowboy from there and a ruby engagement ring. After an attempt to get married prior to the 6 month waiting period was turned down by the judge, Nick and Phyllis eloped back to New Mexico at Pepe's, and returned to Genoa City married, and looking forward to the birth of their daughter.

Victor and Sharon were scheduled to fly to Clear Springs, then Jack was going in Victor's place, but had to cancel. So Sharon and Nick ended taking the trip instead. On the return trip the Newman jet went down in Lake Michigan with no survivors. Sharon surprised everyone when she walked in on the Newmans and Jack just after they'd gotten the news. She was just as shocked to hear that her taking another flight had saved her life, and that Nick was missing and presumed dead. (It was suggested that the jet may have been sabotaged.) Noah and Nikki were devastated, but Nikki carried on with her State Senatorial campaign, and Victor abandoned them in their grief after Hope called, by taking off for Sri Lanka to search for their missing son Victor Jr.(Adam). Nick turned up lost in the woods, found by internist Logan Armstrong and brought back to Genoa City and his family. But Nick had lost his memory of the past two years of his life, including his marriage to Phyllis and their baby Summer. Remembering only his love for Sharon, Nick tried to win her back even though she was married to Jack, but Sharon though tempted, wasn't interested. Nick began seeing Phyllis, curious as to why he ever hooked up with this person he remembers not even liking very much. When Noah started acting out for Sharon, Nick agreed to move back in with Phyllis so Noah could come live with them. Nick did not regain his memory, but it didn't take long for him to fall in love with Phyllis all over again. Then Phyllis was tried, found guilty of extortion, and went to prison. But Michael got her off after serving only a few months.

One day everyone in town seemed to be at Clear Springs when its underground parking structure and casino collapsed, trapping several of them inside. Sharon, Jack, and Nick had been there to scout for a photo shoot. Nick was knocked out, and Jack pinned by debris, but Nick awoke and got Jack free. Sharon's leg was sprained, but they managed to find an opening in the rubble. Jack levered it open so that Nick and Sharon could escape, leaving him there still trapped. Nikki and others stood vigil on the outside, waiting while rescuers cleared rubble and tried to get to the victims. Phyllis, still in prison, heard about it on TV, got no answer on Nick's cell phone, and was told the news when she called Victor. Sharon and Nick walked out of the rubble, asking rescuers to go back for Jack. The rescuers said it was too dangerous, that methane was escaping and about to blow up, so our hero Victor, went in and rescued his worst enemy. Sharon and Nick were relieved when Noah came out on a stretcher. Noah later had his spleen removed as a result of his injuries. Other than the construction foreman who died, everyone else got out safely or with minor injuries.

The investigation into the Clear Springs disaster disclosed the cause was Victor Newman's mining of the methane underneath it. It didn't take long for Victor to alienate everyone around him, including Nikki. Victor called in Nikki's loans for NVP, fired and bankrupted her, giving him full control of NVP. He also fired Nick as Co-CEO of Newman and replaced him with Neil.

Jack and Nick decided to start a new Internet and print magazine. They asked Phyllis to join them, and Sharon requested to work with them later. They named it Restless Style. Nick bought a dilapidated warehouse which was turning into a money pit, and was financing it and his share of the venture on money borrowed from his trust fund, which he could not receive until he was 40. They hired Daniel as a photographer assistant and general go-for, and Amber begged to be hired as receptionist. Victor labeled it foolhardy, and was sure it was going to fail.

Victor's son with Hope, Victor Jr., suddenly showed up in Victor's office, accepted a job, and asked to be called Adam so there would be less confusion. His first assignment was to work with Victoria on the Beauty of Nature project. He flaunted his Harvard education and superior work ethic in Victoria, Nick and Neil's faces, going over Victoria's head with decisions, and hitting on Nick's wife Phyllis, leaving everyone guessing at Adam's agenda. Victoria eventually quit Newman due to the friction with her father and with Adam usurping her position, and went to work for her mother at Jabot.

As the launch date for Restless Style approached, the foursome began having problems getting along and determining who would make the needed decisions. Then, last minute, Jack hired Jamie Whitfield as a consultant who hated everything and convinced them to change it a lot. After several averted disasters, the magazine was launched in time, just as the website crashed due to a virus. As Victor predicted, the first edition of Restless Style magazine/webzine did not do as well as expected, so the second had a hipper cover featuring hot singer Katy Perry. Then Adrian Korbel was hired to do an article on Victor's new wife Sabrina and the Newman Gallery for the 3rd issue, to which she and Victor had approved, and Victoria stepped up as a last minute replacement for the cover which was done in a Hollywood retro style. Though Adrian stumbled upon a rumor that Sabrina had wrangled an exhibition for her lover Phillipe when she was Art Curator at the Pompidou Museum in Paris which could shed new light on the latest Mrs. Victor Newman, he decided not to make a big deal about it. Jack did some further research and turned Adrian’s article into a scandalous one that upset everyone, but the magazines sold into a fourth printing. Jack had sent Adrian off to Australia to do another article, so he was furious when he returned. Victor assumed Nick was in on the scandalous article, and for Victoria’s turning against Sabrina for marrying her father, Victor cut them both out of his will as he added Adam and Sabrina.

After Sabrina's death in a car accident, Victor disappeared, leaving his cell phone, wallet and epilepsy medication buried on Sabrina's grave. In Victor’s absence, the Newman stockholders voted Victoria back in as Co-CEO.

Paul traced Victor to Bucerias, Mexico, where he had been searching for Walter Palin, the man he held responsible for Sabrina's death. Paul and Nikki arrived, but the authorities told her that Victor had been declared dead when his fishing boat broke up in a storm. Later a body washed up onshore, but Nikki did not let on that she recognized him as Walter, not Victor.

Adam reacted to the news by requesting the Mexican government FAX him a death certificate. Michael took charge and read the will which gave Newman Enterprises and the ranch to Adam. Nick was given the Restless Style building free and clear, and Victoria the Newman art collection. Abby and grandchildren Noah and Summer and any future grandchildren were given a percentage of the estate. Letters written to his children were later read in private. Victor wrote to Nick that he was a disappointment, but that he was hard on him to make him tough. Victor apologized for not being a good father, saying he was proud of Nick who was the best father Nick's kids could hope for. Victor wrote to Adam that he was most like himself and encouraged him to make him proud but to be generous to his brother and sister. To Victoria he wrote of love and adoration, that she was best parts of him and the very soul of Newman. Adam threw away his letter, declared himself Victor Newman Jr., and took charge at Newman.

Not long afterward Victor returned alive and Michael filled him in on what had happened in his absence. Victor summoned his children and Neil to the ranch. First he fired Adam and made Neil CEO of Newman, then told Adam to live elsewhere and his things would be sent to him. Neil later asked Victoria to return to Newman at her father’s suggestion. Nick and Victoria were thrilled to see their father alive, but although he forgave them for their treatment of Sabrina and thanked them for their actions when they thought he was dead, he was still cold to them and asked them to leave him in his seclusion to heal. To revive confidence in Newman, Neil hired Nick back part time as an advisor. But neither Phyllis nor Jack were none too pleased when Nick's first act was to rehire Sharon as their Beauty of Nature Spokesperson.

Jack's success-by-any-means business style with Sharon's undying support was making it impossible for the two couples to co-exist at Restless Style, so they let a coin flip decide who would buy out the other. Jack and Sharon won, giving Nick and Phyllis a price to buy them out or take the same price to leave. Knowing Nick didn't have the funds, Sharon visited Victor asking him to give Nick his job back at Newman. But Victor surprised them all by giving Nick a line of credit for the buyout instead. Knowing they needed someone with contacts in fashion, and with Nikki now out of a job and full of great ideas, Nick and Phyllis took her on as interim editor in chief. Nikki got Ruby Aldridge for the cover of their first magazine on their own and Phyllis was in charge of the farewell letter from the editor. She avoided the urge to trash them and wrote something nice. But after Nick spent a little too much time with Sharon resolving a problem with Noah, she changed it back to trash. After a little loving, Nick forgave her.

Nick arrived in Paris and ran into Sharon who was there to also meet Noah on his class trip, so he showed her around Paris. Phyllis arrived in Paris to surprise Nick, but he was off with Sharon. So Phyllis supervised a Paris photo-shoot for the magazine, then went sightseeing - one of the sights being Nick and Sharon kissing on a bridge. Phyllis took the next flight home and did not mention to Nick that she had even been there. But Phyllis was forced to admit to Nick that she'd been in Paris when the Paris photo-shoot came out in print, and she told him what she had seen there. Nick apologized and assured Phyllis that it was just a moment between them, and that Phyllis was still the only woman for him.

In late January of 2009, Sharon went up to the Abbott cabin at Twin Lakes to be alone and think about what to do with her life after divorce papers were served on Jack. Brad showed up and declared his love, but Sharon sent him away. On the drive home, Brad had car trouble, got out, and heard the screams of Noah who had gone skating with Eden and fallen through the ice. Brad died a hero after he pulled Noah from the hole in the ice, when he fell through himself and drowned.

Nick made it through the snowstorm to the Abbott cabin to let Sharon know what had happened to Noah. Just as Phyllis had suspected when she begged him not to go, Nick and Sharon ended up stranded there together, reminiscences got the best of them, and they made love in front of the fireplace. Nick admitted it when Phyllis guessed. He thought about his options for a few days, but decided that Sharon was his past, and Phyllis was his future. Jack and Sharon reconciled, and Sharon moved back in with Jack. But Nick and Noah were both perplexed with her flakiness when only days later Sharon inexplicably decided to move back to the club.

Eden and Noah took off together to the Abbott cabin to be alone and have sex for the first time, but they reconsidered and had left by the time both Sharon and Nick got there to stop them. Once again, Sharon and Nick fell back into the old attraction and had sex there themselves. Nick admitted to Phyllis what had happened and suggested they separate until he could decide who he really wanted. Phyllis went crazy in Sharon's hotel room, screaming and cutting up her clothes. She discovered Sharon's stash of stolen items, and notified the police. When Sharon returned to her room, she was arrested for theft. Jack bailed her out, Nick accused Phyllis of setting her up, and Victor decided it was time Noah came to live with him. Nick and Phyllis split up for a time from the fallout, then just as they got back together in time for their anniversary, Phyllis was caught on hotel video tape and arrested for trashing Sharon’s room. Sharon had a confession written up ready to give to Assistant D.A. Heather, but thanks to Phyllis’s plea for Noah’s sake, Lauren dropped shoplifting charges against Sharon, so Sharon dropped the charges against Phyllis.

Sharon told Doris that she was pregnant and there were three possible fathers. Sharon tried to tell Nick that she was pregnant but was interrupted, then told Jack, who confided in Billy not realizing that Billy was the third possibility. Jack told Sharon he wanted her back and the baby, no matter who was the father, so they reconciled.

Adam was angered after overhearing Victor talk Nick into coming back to Newman as full time COO, and that he wanted to leave Newman to his kids – Victoria and Nick. This left Phyllis alone running Restless Style.

Memorial Day 2009, the anniversary of Cassie's death, found Sharon and Nick still grieving, and Nick finally feeling remorse for not being there for Sharon. Sharon tried to avoid Nick, but they ended up running into each other at Cassie's grave where emotions ran high. Nick referred to Cassie's prophecy of another baby girl, causing Sharon to admit that she was pregnant and it may be his, or Jack's, or Billy's. Nick admitted to Phyllis that Sharon was pregnant, and it may be his. Phyllis reacted calmly and accepting, but gave Nick an ultimatum to choose between her and Sharon. Sharon made an appointment for a paternity test. Nick remembered the wonderful parts of his life with Phyllis, comparing them with the memories with Sharon. Sharon walked in and they kissed passionately, with Nick saying he was leaving Phyllis, and wanted to be with Sharon. But Sharon turned him down, saying she and Jack were back together and would be raising the child. Despite this, Nick went home and told Phyllis that it was over. Later at the Athletic Club Nick came out of his room, caught Sharon coming down the hall, convinced her that they were meant to be, and they again made love. Meanwhile Phyllis was pouring her heart out to Jack, and they ended up making love as well, with Jack's girlfriend Mary Jane scowling through the window. Then after Jack left Phyllis's, he went to Mary Jane, and they made love too. Now that Nick and Sharon seemed to be getting back together, Mary Jane was working on getting Phyllis out of Jack's life so she could have Jack to herself. Nick told Phyllis to go ahead and file for divorce, that he would not fight her on anything, and Phyllis replied, “You want it so bad, get it yourself!” After Nick left, Phyllis told Summer that her daddy was not going to be living with them anymore.

Sharon and Nick went house-hunting and found the perfect one on Rampart Lane. Sharon got the paternity test results back and was ecstatic that she and Nick were expecting Faith, the daughter that Cassie predicted on her death bed and in Nick's dream. Mary Jane befriended Phyllis, and once she had her trust, she caused her daughter Summer wo have an allergic reaction and go into a coma by kissing her with peanut butter on her lips. Mary Jane then led Heather to believe that Phyllis did it intentionally. After seeing Nick so distraught over his daughter Summer, Sharon realized that he needed to be there for Summer and Phyllis, and not run off with her like he had done over Cassie, so she told everyone her baby was Jack's. Phyllis was later exonerated when it started looking as though Mary Jane had something to do with it, and had disappeared. Summer came out of the coma, but with brain damage affecting her speech. Summer’s obsession with watching the video of her parents' wedding made Nick realize how much he really loved Phyllis and wanted to stay together, even marry her all over again.

Meanwhile Sharon admitted to Jack that Nick was really the father of her unborn baby, and Jack refused to forgive her for lying to him. Sharon watched from the bushes as Nick and Phyllis renewed their vows. Later Sharon walked out of the jewelers in a daze with a duplicate of Phyllis's new wedding ring, was arrested, and institutionalized for 30 days for mental observation. Her mother Doris visited her and questioned why Jack, the father of her baby, had not been by to see her, causing Sharon to admit that Nick was the real father. Later as Doris left, Sharon opened her door and cautioned Doris not to tell anyone, but Nick was outside and overheard. After Doris was out of sight, he returned, confronted Sharon with the truth, and she admitted it. Nick told Sharon he could not walk away from his child. Jack told Phyllis the truth about Mary Jane, that she was rally his ex-wife Patty. Phyllis confronted Victor, asking if he had brought Patty in and set her up to get back at Jack, causing Patty/Mary Jane to hurt Summer. Victor avoided the question, claiming he would never intentionally hurt a member of his family. Then Phyllis left to take Summer to Switzerland for expert help with her recovery from her disability.

Dr. Taylor delivered Sharon's baby girl, then delivered the news to Sharon that her baby had been born malformed and had died. By the time she told Nick, the baby had been cremated. Sharon decided it was time to move on and began renting Brad and Colleen's now vacant house from Jack.

Victor made a rather quick recovery from heart transplant surgery and a divorce from Ashley in time to arrive on Nikki's arm for his daughter Faith Colleen Newman's christening where Traci and Adam were godparents. Victor insisted Adam have a place at Newman under Nick's purview as a Junior Vice President. On Adam's first day on the job he gave the SEC an anonymous tip that Victoria had not disclosed to the recently acquired Savaneur company stockholders the gravity of Victor's condition, and they began investigating.

Billy made a surprise move by resigning as Co-CEO of Jabot and buying Restless Style magazine/webzine from Nick and Phyllis using a loan from Ashley. Phyllis was reluctant, but decided that it was no fun anymore without Nick, and she could spend more time with Summer if she went back to work at Newman. In retaliation for Colleen's death, Billy's first issue became an exposé of Victor Newman's role in her death then to be kept alive by the donation of Colleen's heart, plus Victor's part in the failure of a bank in Grand Cayman. Victor took it rather calmly, while Ashley was livid when she realized he had spent her money to vilify the father of her children. Meanwhile Billy discovered Victoria's affair with Deacon and exposed it on the website. Nick tried to kick the magazine out of his building, but it was illegal. The SEC investigated and ordered Victor to repay the Cayman bank depositors for their losses, including Jill, Gloria and Jeffrey.

Adam and Sharon became romantically involved and impulsively flew off to Lake Tahoe on the Newman jet, and got married. The jet crashed on the way back, and as they were going down, Adam showed Sharon a note that said that her baby was still alive. They survived the crash, but Sharon suffered a head injury and didn't appear to recall the note. Nick punched Adam when he found out about their marriage, accusing him of taking advantage of Sharon to get back at Nick.

In January 2010, Victor returned from Belgium with Nikki on his arm, just in time to catch Adam and Nick in a fist fight knocking his portrait from his office wall. Victor declared he was back in charge and everything either of them had done would be undone.

Phyllis did some investigating of Adam and Dr. Taylor's past in Boston, and found out about Dr. Taylor's sexual assaults of his patients. Victor and Nick began having second thoughts about trusting Adam, after he came to them threatening to expose them if they screwed him over. Then Sharon began to realize that her baby had not really died at birth, and was determined to get her back. Jack joined forces with Victor to get Sharon to lure Adam to the Abbott cabin, and with all he had wronged in attendance, they confronted Adam with what they knew. Adam played innocent even after Phyllis arrived with a deathbed letter Dr. Taylor had dictated to the ambulance E.M.T. meant for Ashley. The letter told Ashley that she had had a miscarriage months before and a hysterical pregnancy afterward, so never gave birth that night. Everyone realized that Ashley's baby Faith was really Sharon’s. A DNA test later proved it, and Ashley reluctantly gave Faith to Sharon. Everyone went home leaving Adam with Victor, Nick and Jack, but fearing they would kill him, Adam escaped into the woods and fell down a ravine. He was hospitalized and arrested claiming insanity, but he escaped.

Adam showed up in Sharon’s room at the Athletic Club in costume while the annual charity masquerade ball went on in the dining room below. Sharon got him to admit to accidentally causing Ashley’s miscarriage and getting Dr. Taylor to switch their babies, then Nick arrived, and Adam escaped out the window. Sharon and Nick rushed in to the ball telling the police that Adam had just been there, as Sharon got a call from Adam demanding to meet her in the basement or “people would get hurt”. Victor, Nick, Jack, Rafe, Heather, Paul, Ashley and Patty went to the basement in search of Adam. Then an explosion rocked the building sending everyone running for the street. Victor and Jack rescued Jill and Kay who were trapped in the restroom, and Nick rescued Phyllis, then Sharon and Faith who had gone back upstairs. It was revealed that a gas line had been cut and a body burned beyond recognition found nearby. The body was later identified as Adam by DNA, and lack of smoke in the lungs proved that he had been murdered before the fire. Suspects were Nick, Jack, Victor, Phyllis, Sharon, Victoria, “Emily”, Ashley, Rafe, Heather, Billy, and Nikki.

Evidence collected by District Attorney Owen Pomerantz included blood on Nick’s suit coat (which Phyllis and Sharon had connived to hide from the police), and Victor’s broken watch stained with Adam’s blood. Victor told Pomerantz that he had backslapped Adam in the basement after Adam taunted him about losing another child in Faith, sending his watch flying, but he had not killed Adam. Nick cautioned Victor that they were “both involved in what happened” when he had not mentioned that Nick had been there too. A homeless person found Nick’s suit coat in a dumpster, Billy and Mac got him to give it up, turned it over to the police, and Nick was arrested. Nick explained the blood on his coat by admitting he was there when Victor struck Adam. But Victor intervened and confessed to killing his son. All charges were dropped and Nick and was released from jail, but Nick was arrested again after Adam’s last cell phone message was retrieved. Adam had set them up saying the family had him trapped in the basement and he doubted he would get out alive, then screamed, “No don’t Nick!”

While in jail, Nick was attacked with a hypodermic needle by Adam’s former cohort Frank Ellis which led to Nick’s being allowed out on bail for his own safety. Victor discovered that Adam had disappeared for a week shortly before his death, and Paul uncovered that a man in Minneapolis named Hightower had gotten a bone marrow transplant to treat his leukemia from Adam instead. Nick put it all together, the resemblance between the missing Richard Hightower and Adam, how the bone marrow which was used for the identification could have the same DNA, the body burned beyond recognition, and realized that Adam had probably killed Hightower and faked his own death. He and Phyllis shared their theory with Victor and Nikki, and Sharon produced a letter from a bank confirming that Adam had withdrawn all his cash on the day he supposedly died. Viewers saw a bearded Adam lounging on a beach with a drink in his hand. Victor, Nick, and Jack dug up Adam’s grave, and an expert took dental impressions of the body to be compared to Hightowner’s while the three were arrested. Meanwhile, Sharon and Phyllis found a mask in the cornfield where Adam’s cab had dropped him the night of the ball. But a crop duster dumped pesticide on them causing Sharon lung poisoning. Nick arrived and got her to the hospital in time to save her. The dental records confirmed the body was Hightower, so Pomerantz decided to arrest Nick for his murder.

Victor tracked Adam to São Paulo, Brazil, where Adam and his old girlfriend Skye Lockhart, who supposedly had been murdered and dismembered two years prior, were running a poker scam. Because Nick was out on bail and could not leave the country, Jack helped Victor set up Skye and Adam posing as high rollers who were losing millions. Nick’s trial began with Michael as his lawyer, hoping to prove that Adam had set Hightower up to fake his own death by killing him and blaming Nick. Meanwhile back in São Paulo, Skye and Victor were the final players a high-stakes poker game – winner take all, including Adam. Victor won, and Skye led him to Adam.

Victor forced Adam to return to Genoa City with him and Sharon, leaving Skye behind with a briefcase full of cash. Victor interrupted Nick's trial, expecting Adam to confess like Victor had coerced him after finding Adam alive, but instead Adam faked a mental breakdown and was taken to the same mental facility as Patty Williams. He tormented Patty by entering her room through the air ducts and made her believe that she had killed Hightower. Patty confessed to the staff. In his room down the hall, Adam was arrested for conspiracy to commit murder.

As Adam's bail hearing began with him acting as his own lawyer, Skye waltzed in with famous lawyer, Vance Abrams, who got Adam released on bail. Skye paid his bail in exchange for becoming Adam's wife. Pomerantz refused to exonerate Nick, but proceeded with the case against Adam. As Phyllis had promised herself, once it was over, she left Nick due to his inability to let go of Sharon. She kicked Sharon out of her penthouse and moved back in.

When Adam found out that Patty was telling everyone she was sure that she did not murder Hightower, he helped her escape through the air ducts, and sent her in a nun’s habit to Canada. Adam discovered that Sharon had taken Faith to get away to the Abbott cabin. He attempted to get in, scared her, and she shot him in the arm with a gun that Nick had left for her protection. Nick arrived, called an ambulance, and Adam was taken to the hospital where he recovered and exonerated Sharon as having been understandably scared, not knowing it was him.

One stormy night in July, Phyllis had a blowout as she drove out to the Abbott cabin to see for herself if Nick had gone running to Sharon’s rescue again. Determined to change the tire herself, a car stopped and Deacon Sharpe got out. Finding her spare to be flat, he left to get another tire. Nick came upon the still stranded and wet Phyllis, but she sent him away. When he returned later, Phyllis grabbed Deacon and kissed him to make it look like they were necking, which sent Nick away angry. When Nick came to see her the next day, she let him know she was done being his doormat, and was leaving town for a week with Summer. Upon her return, Phyllis stopped at Jimmie’s Bar and spotted Nick necking in a booth with Christine Blair.

After Victoria moved in with Billy, and because Adam would not stop pursuing Sharon, Nick asked Sharon to move back to their former house at the ranch. Phyllis and Nick divorced, and Nick began spending a lot of time with Sharon and their baby Faith. But Sharon and Adam became close after Adam had saved Faith's life during a tornado.

Once Phyllis and Nick’s divorce was final, Nick and Sharon became lovers again. After spending a few days alone with Sharon, Nick decided to move back into their former home with her. He asked Sharon to marry him again, giving her the engagement ring from the first time they were engaged in their teens, and she accepted. But after Sharon discovered a bracelet in her purse that she had apparently stolen from Fenmore’s, she began to have second thoughts. Sharon returned the bracelet to Lauren, and left town to think things over.

Sharon ended up in New Orleans with Adam following her, Nick and Michael following him, and Phyllis following them. Sharon strolled the French Quarter, had her fortune told at Marie Laveau’s, and ran into Adam as she toured a cemetery. Sharon was swept away by Adam again as he romanced her with dinner at Oak Alley Plantation, where they ended up spending the night making love. Sharon was convinced that she was meant to be with Adam, until the next morning when they came upon a carousel that reminded her of Cassie. She told Adam that the night the spent together was just a fantasy, and that she belonged with Nick and their children. Then Nick and Michael arrived with a Marshall who took Adam into custody for questioning in the murder of Skye. When Nick discovered that Sharon was with Adam by choice, and was still defending Adam, he broke things off with her. After Nick heard that Adam and Sharon had spent the night together it only confirmed his decision.

Phyllis published a cover story titled ‘Sharon Newman the Heroine Addict’, which exposed Sharon's penchant for always doing crazy things to mess up her life, then needing to be rescued; the latest being her love for Adam who had deceived her, kidnapped her baby Faith, and told her that Faith was dead. Even Noah had to agree that the story was pretty spot-on. Because Nick was concerned about Sharon’s lack of good judgment, her being with Adam, and her arrest for the murder of Adam’s wife Skye, Nick won sole custody of Faith.

Nick ran into Diane Jenkins at the Athletic Club, they had dinner together, then he took her back to the ranch where they made love in front of the fireplace. But when Victor returned from his trip unexpectedly, Diane sneaked out the back door. Later Diane accepted a job from Victor as in-house architect for Newman, her first project to be the renovation of the ranch house. She also accepted Victor’s invitation for her and Kyle to move into the carriage house, and carried on with Nick after hours. But after Diane was caught by Victor too often at Nick’s, Nick told Diane he wanted to be just friends. Later the same evening, Diane and Victor became lovers again. But unable to resist Nick, she often returned to his bed as well. Victor spotted Diane necking with Nick, so Victor called her away to the Valentines benefit at Gloworm, where he presented a large donation to the puppy love fund and declared Diane the woman in his life while Nick, Nikki, and Deacon looked on. Meanwhile, across the room, Adam proposed to Sharon and she accepted. The next day, Diane apologized to Nick and informed him that she had been asked, but was going to refuse Victor's offer to move in. But Nick had seen Diane's true colors, and told her not to refuse on his account, so Diane accepted Victor's offer and moved in with him. Afterward, Christine who was in town, shared a beer and commiserated with Nick about people they trusted who had let them down.

Phyllis showed Nick a video of Skye falling to her death while Victor looked on, and Nick confronted Victor, calling him a damn liar, and Victor still claimed that he was not involved. Bad timing for Victor, as Nick then decided to join his sisters in their lawsuit against Victor for mismanaging their trusts. So Michael attempted to pressure Abby to drop out of the lawsuit while Victor worked on Nick. Victor told Nick that if they won their lawsuit, Victor would be forced to take Newman public, and they would only get a one-time settlement with no future profits, and they would no longer be a part of the company. Victor threatened that their legacy to their children would be that they destroyed Newman as a family business, and that hundreds of people would lose their jobs because of the greed of his children. Desperate to make sure he did not lose the lawsuit, Victor made a deal with Adam. Adam was to claim that he had forged their new trust agreements during the time when Victor was supposedly dead and Adam had control of Newman. In exchange, Victor drew up a new trust agreement for Adam, and Victor guaranteed Adam that he would not be prosecuted for the forgery, and that Sharon would be freed from the murder charges.

Adam testified at the arbitration hearing, but Sharon later talked him into backing out of the deal. When Victor found out, he threatened to expose that Adam had been making it look like Skye was still alive in an attempt to clear Sharon. Then Nick talked Adam into leaving town instead to both avoid Victor, and to reunite Sharon with her daughter Faith.

The next day, Neil testified that when Adam was in charge at Newman, Neil had kept Adam from accessing anything that would have made the forgery possible. The judge awarded Abby, Victoria, and Nick five hundred million dollars each, and ordered Adam arrested for perjury. Victor left with Michael, demanding that he find a way to overrule the judge's decision. The Newman children left to celebrate, but found it difficult when they realized and felt guilty that the verdict had come down on their father's birthday. Victoria and Nick both went to Victor and tried to make amends, but were rebuffed. After Victor quickly married Diane, and a few more altercations with his father, Nick decided to join Victoria in acquiring and running Beauty of Nature.

Instead of accepting his children's settlement offer, Victor held a press conference to announce that he was taking Newman public. The Abbotts and Newmans, plus Tucker and Kay, watched the television at Victoria's house in shock, knowing that Victor had always promised that would never happen. Katherine was there, and denounced them for causing it, saying she was ashamed of them. Nikki just wanted it all to stop, and left too. Billy left for the press conference, and arrived in time to ask if Victor had done this rather than give his kids the settlement they were granted. Victor replied that he loved his kids, but they were influenced by some unsavory characters, and that he was saddened that they were not there to enjoy the new era of Newman.

In the end, Tucker fired Jack for not bringing him Beauty of Nature, as promised, Victoria and Nick were arranging to buy up stock, as were Jack and Ashley. Abby just wanted her settlement in cash, and Tucker asked Kay to buy stock with him to stop the kids from gaining control. Kay called it a scheme, said she was not a fool, and would have no part of it. Then Kay went to Victor offering to pool her funds with his so that none of them could seize control of Newman from him.

Sharon's murder trial began with Vance Abrams as her attorney. Adam returned to Genoa City where he testified about the video that would prove Sharon innocent, but no one believed him, and Sharon refused a plea bargain. Sharon was found guilty, but Adam arranged an elaborate escape for her from the courthouse. But later Sharon's car was found wrecked out, the female occupant had been killed and badly burned, and Sharon's ID was found nearby. Apologetic goodbye notes to Adam, Noah and Faith, were discovered at a nearby hotel.

Meanwhile searching for Sharon and stranded together on a romantic island in a luxury hotel in St. Bart's, Nick and Phyllis made love while agreeing that it was very wrong.

Noah and Doris planned a lovely funeral for Sharon, Nick gave a touching eulogy about her being the first love of his life and said that Sharon was together with her daughter Cassie now. After the funeral, Phyllis confessed about her liaison with Nick and she and Jack broke up.

Doris asked Nick and Adam to help when Sharon's life insurance would not pay due to her suspected suicide, so they went to San Pueblo, New Mexico, to try to convince the authorities that Sharon's death had been an accident. Afterward, Nick and Diane flew back home, while Adam waited for the forensic expert. Nick and Diane made love in her room, but Nick let her know that it was just sex, and he still was not interested in furthering their relationship because he could not trust her.

Nick went to talk some sense into Billy when he left Victoria after they lost custody of their adopted daughter, Lucy, and found him living in his mobile home again, drunk and gambling on horse races. Billy said he was through with being an upstanding husband and offered to sell Restless Style back to Nick. Nick had papers drawn up and bought it back, then offered Phyllis the opportunity to work with him again, and she took the job. Their first article together was titled "Was Adam Newman's love the kiss of death for his fiancée?" It wasn't long before their proximity brought them back to being lovers.

Noah, Nick, Faith, and Doris met on a bridge to dump Sharon's ashes into a creek that she loved. Meanwhile Adam, still trying to clear Sharon's name, found the correct erased memory chip that once contained the video of Sharon attempting to save Skye. That same day, Sharon was recognized and arrested while attending a barn dance with Sam while hiding out in New Mexico. Sharon was extradited back to Genoa City, and her family was shocked to hear that she was still alive. One by one they visited her in jail, Nick told her she was selfish and washed his hands of her. Noah was at first resentful that she could abandon him and Faith, but Eden talked him into going to see his mother where they hugged and reconciled. Adam arrived, elated to see that his Sharon was alive, and let her know that he understood why she let them all think she was dead. But later when Adam returned he caught her and Sam, who had returned with her from New Mexico, in an embrace, realized that Sharon had not been faithful to him. Feeling betrayed, Adam threw the memory chip that would have vindicated Sharon into the creek.

One day Nick walked in on a heated conversation between Phyllis and Sharon's attorney, Avery Bailey Clark, and discovered that they were sisters. Phyllis explained to Nick that she had lied to everyone about her family so that she could forget them. Nick tried to talk Phyllis into getting to know Avery again, but Phyllis refused. In getting to know Avery himself, Nick got her to admit that while growing up Avery and Phyllis tuned out the drama of their parents by playing video games together; just as Nick and Phyllis had done when they had been together.

Nick discovered Phyllis writing another sensational story that practically accused Nikki of murdering Diane Jenkins, so after prior warnings, this time he fired Phyllis. Without Phyllis, Billy and Victoria were successful in talking Nick into selling Restless Style back to Billy. Victoria and Nick decided to start a company of their own. But after Victor confessed to killing Diane Jenkins and was arrested, Nick agreed to go back to Newman Enterprises to keep Adam in line. Nick and Victoria concluded that Nikki had killed Diane and Victor was sacrificing himself for her. Victor had given Adam his blessing to head Newman in exchange for his testimony, so Adam began trying to bribe board members to elect him CEO. Nikki was drinking again and suddenly ran off to Las Vegas and married Deacon. Nick physically attacked Deacon for taking advantage of his mother. A Newman board member saw it all, guaranteeing Adam's election as CEO. After Victor pled guilty and was sentenced to 25 years to life, Adam convened a board meeting to decide the new Newman CEO. When Nick found out that Phyllis and Ronan were digging into the case, he decided to join them in their quest for the real killer, giving them full access to the Newman jets and any funding that they needed. Tucker McCall held the deciding vote on the Newman board, and although both men tried to persuade him to vote for them, Tucker went with the Harvard graduate, and Adam was elected CEO of Newman.

On New Year's Eve 2011, Nick danced with his date Avery, but couldn't take his eyes off Phyllis who was dancing and necking with Ronan while watching Nick. After Phyllis took Ronan back to her place, Avery accused Nick of not being over Phyllis, saying that she had promised herself she would never be second best to Phyllis again, and called off their relationship. Meanwhile Ronan was accusing Phyllis of using him to taunt Nick, and left her alone at her penthouse. Nick arrived at the penthouse, their eyes locked, and he and Phyllis made passionate love.

After confronting Victor about his impending marriage to his former wife, Sharon, Nick quit his job at Newman. Nick approached Tucker about working for McCall, and Tucker hired him.

Nick decided to return to Newman and concile with Phyllis, telling her that it was a mistake getting involved with Avery. Nick promised he would never abandon Phyllis again for Sharon or Avery or anyone, and was ready to make a commitment.

After losing Beauty of Nature to Genevieve and Victoria agreed to become CEO, Victor offered Sharon a job at Newman developing a new organic cosmetics line. Sharon turned it down because she felt that it was not a good idea working with Nick, but Victor talked her into it. When Victor told Nick that they would be working together, Nick refused, saying he was not interested in going to war with his sister. Nick told Sharon that Newman was lucky to have her, to go ahead and take the job, but without him because he didn't want to ruin what he and Phyllis had again. But when the new line and Sharon's position came before the Newman board, the board saw no reason to restart something they had just sold, and nixed Sharon due to her scandalous reputation and lack of experience. Adam arrived late and gave insightful reasons for starting the new line, but the only way to keep the board from giving the line to Adam was for Nick to step in and offer to work with Sharon. Thanks to Adam's vote and some unscrupulous board member manipulation by Genevieve as a favor to Victor, the line was approved and Sharon was put in charge.

Both Jabot and Beauty of Nature became focused on getting an exclusive deal with Mitsukoshi, the largest department store chain in Japan, so Jill traveled to Japan. So did Cane, Victor and Genevieve. Nick and Sharon arrived, and Sharon met with Mr. Mitsukoshi himself and secured the exclusive rights for Newman even though they had no product yet, because of their prior relationship when she had been the Beauty of Nature spokesperson.

Once back in Genoa City, Nick and Sharon began working together on the new product line. Victor managed to secure a deal with Genevieve to buy back beauty of nature, but Nick and Sharon accused him of selling them out once they found out that Genevieve had become head of Newman Cosmetics, and she was their boss.

Nick surprised Phyllis by asking her to marry him again, and she surprised him with the news that she was pregnant. They planned a small wedding at Gloworm with Avery as Phyllis' maid of honor and Noah as best man. When Phyllis did not show up or answer her phone Nick went home and found her in her wedding gown on the floor where she had lost their baby, and he took her to the hospital. The next day, Nick and Phyllis were married by Katherine at the penthouse with only their children, Summer, Daniel, Faith, and Noah in attendance.

During the investigation of Ricky Williams' death, Phyllis' psychiatric file from Dr. Tim including a rental car receipt, was found among Ricky's belongings. Christine realized that Phyllis had been the driver of the car who run them down in 1994. Phyllis was arrested for attempted murder of a federal agent. Phyllis finally confessed to Nick, saying that it had been a mistake which she regretted. Although Nick moved out at first, he moved back when their daughter Summer told him how they needed to stand by Phyllis.

Phyllis was arrested at Crimson Lights in front of her family. Avery, acting as her attorney, offered a deal for aggravated battery with two years probation, but Christine refused to consider anything without prison time, and offered five years. Avery got Phyllis released on bail. Nick, Daniel, Summer, and Noah welcomed Phyllis home, ready to stand behind her, Nick being convinced that she had changed since then.

Phyllis wanted to write a Restless Style article to plead her case, but Billy fired her instead, explaining that the L.A. people would pull the plug on their TV show if she was not fired. They also wanted Phyllis on the next cover, and to be crucified in print and in the pilot show. After hearing about it, Nick slugged Billy, which was caught on tape.

Victor and Sharon eloped on the same day that Nikki and Jack were married, but Victor disappeared later that day, and Nikki left Jack to find Victor. With Tucker's help behind the scenes, Sharon arrived at the emergency Newman Board meeting, and citing a pertinent court decision, used Victor's proxy rights to take over the company as CEO. Nick and Victoria were livid, but they attended the press conference with stoic faces as Sharon announced that she was now in charge. Sharon called off the search for the missing Victor being conducted by Newman security, and Tucker hired Genevieve to find him. Meanwhile Tucker made more plans to take over Newman in Victor's absence, buying up stock at falling prices and continuing to set Sharon up to fail by suggesting she fire Nick.

After a favorable interview of Sharon became a hatchet job in the press, Sharon accused Nick, who called her a brat, and she fired him. An emergency board meeting was held, and they voted to ask Sharon to step down, but Tucker exposed himself as her puppet master by suggesting that the board support the new CEO with their experience.

Sharon began stealing items from stores and from people. Victoria and Nick took Sharon to court to try to convince the judge to remove Sharon as CEO because of her mental instability. The judge made Victoria interim CEO, and gave Sharon 24 hours to go to Fairview and get clean bill of mental health to get her CEO position back. Meanwhile Victoria rehired Nick, and the board approved an agreement that she and Nick could not be fired without board approval. Newman stock began to climb until Sharon was reinstated.

After finding out that Phyllis and Ronan were having an affair, Nick moved out and back to the former tack house at the ranch, and Summer left with him.

Meanwhile in L.A., several workers were injured and the missing Victor had been declared dead in an explosion. As news of Victor's death spread, Newman stock plummeted, family members began to grieve, and Phyllis consoled Nick. Tucker kept buying stock, expecting that he could get Sharon to step down, name him CEO, and Newman and its stock would then flourish. Jack convinced Tucker to buy Beauty of Nature to bail Jack out. Sharon identified the burned body as Victor, and the family was livid to discover that Sharon had sent it to be cremated immediately. Sharon arranged a quickie memorial service and texted his friends and family members to be there. Tucker convinced Sharon to marry him and run Newman together.

Victor suddenly returned from L.A. where he had ended up after being thrown from his horse and without his memory since his and Sharon's wedding night, finding Nikki weeping at his grave, and they reunited. Afterward, Victor walked in on the wedding of Sharon and Tucker, stopped it, and told her to get her things out of his house. Victor's friends and family were thrilled to see him, and he held a press conference to assure the world that he was alive and back as CEO and chairman of the board of Newman.

After Phyllis' case was dismissed on a technicality, Nick told Phyllis he was filing for divorce and Ronan that he could have her. Nick then fell into Avery's consoling arms and they kissed.

Because Sharon had sold a lot of Victor's shares while she was in control of Newman, Victor returned to find the company ripe for hostile takeover. Victor came to Adam asking for his support, but instead Adam gave his support to Jack, who with Tucker's shares was able to take over Newman. Jack fired Victor, Nick and Victoria. After Victor collapsed and was hospitalized, and the ranch house burned down, Victor announced that he and Nikki were getting married for the last time, they were rebuilding the ranch house, and he had decided not to fight for Newman, but to leave it up to his kids to do. Abby offered Jack $500 million to return the company to the Newmans, Jack turned it down, but she became determined to get the company back for her dad. Nick refused to fight and Victor said he expected more of Nick than to give up. Phyllis told Nick about her job offer from Jack, offering to spy for Nick to get Newman back. Nick told her he didn't want Newman back, and to move on with her life. Phyllis finally realized it was over, and there would be no more second chances from Nick.

Known to be quite a klutz, Avery proved to be as proficient in the kitchen as she was in the courtroom, as she cooked for Nick and they enjoyed each other at her apartment rather than appear in public together before Nick's divorce was final. Avery also used "cooking therapy" to get close to Summer who was acting out in retaliation toward Phyllis. Nick and Avery began spending more and more time together and ended up making love again. Knowing Nick was at loose ends about his future, Avery found a basement bar that was for sale, and encouraged Nick to think about turning into an upscale place and running it. Nick surprised her by buying it, starting renovations, and naming it The Underground, intending to run it with Noah. Avery opened up to Nick that she had ruined her marriage by having an affair with a man named Dylan who had died while deployed in Afghanistan. Nick later found dog tags for Dylan McAvoy in a jar in Avery's kitchen. Nick took Avery out for New Year's Eve to his finished club where they celebrated in Avery's personal booth. But opening night for Nick's club bombed when they lost power and had to send the underwhelming number of customers home. Avery hired Tyler Michaelson to do some better marketing for the club and another opening was planned. A man walked into the club calling himself Mack. Telling Nick he was a contractor, Mack had heard that Nick needed help with some troublesome wiring. Nick asked him if he'd ever done any bartending, and hired Mack to help out at least for the new opening.

On opening night, Avery went to the back, recognized Mack as Dylan and cried, "You died, is this real?" Interrupted by Nick, she told Dylan that she needed to be there for Nick, and they would talk later. The next morning Avery showed up at Dylan's motel and slapped him, asking how dare he come back like that, with no warning? Dylan said he had been injured, returned to Chicago to find her, then found her through the Innocence Foundation, and saw a photo of her and Nick. Dylan claimed he didn't want to mess things up, but just wanted to see her, asked if he should go, and if she loved Nick. Avery left, and told Nick the truth about Dylan.

Valentine's Day evening, Avery was stuck at home during a major winter snowstorm, and Nick at the bar. Dylan showed up at her apartment, they reminisced, the power went out, and they kissed in the dark. Nick showed up. Avery tearfully told Dylan goodbye, that she had moved on, and was in love with Nick. Dylan packed and left in his truck on the icy roads, intending to return to Chicago. But Nick's former wife Sharon's car slid on the ice, running Dylan's truck off the road, and he hit a tree, leaving him unconscious. Sharon called for help, and Dylan was diagnosed with a concussion and bruised ribs. Dylan went to thank Sharon the next day and found her place with storm damage and her unable to find anyone available to make repairs. Dylan offered his services, and Sharon accepted.

Nick closed down the club and set it up for a candlelit proposal to Avery. She declined, being afraid of screwing up a marriage again. But after talking with Dylan, Avery said yes to Nick. Nick told Noah, who was unenthusiastic, accusing Nick of being afraid that Dylan would take her away from him. Upon hearing of their engagement, Dylan finally gave up on Avery. After Avery failed at babysitting with Faith, and Nick tried to convince her that she would be an amazing mother to Faith and to their own kids, she left upset.

After Nick overheard Summer confiding in Avery about wanting Kyle to be her first sexual experience, he went ballistic on Kyle. As Summer was telling her mother Phyllis how Nick over-reacts to the very idea of her and Kyle, Nick was pulling Summer's paternity result from a locked box, showing viewers that it had been marked "cannot be verified" due to a damaged sample. But after Kyle and Summer appeared to be getting closer, Nick arranged a paternity test. Later Sharon overheard Nick explain over Cassie's grave that he had lied about the test results because he feared losing another daughter. When they realized that Summer was experiencing some of the same things that had led to Cassie's death, Nick, Sharon, and Phyllis had a heart to heart with Summer. They explained to her, with the help of an email from Daniel, how alcohol and obsession with an older boy had not only led to Cassie's death and had broken up her parent's marriage, but had haunted Daniel, and affected Lily as well when she had been sent away to boarding school.

Nick announced at a family gathering that he and Avery were going to be married and later set a wedding date for August. Soon after, Nick received the results of the paternity test, which stated that he and Summer were not related. He broke the news to Phyllis who flipped out over being betrayed for 18 years, calling him selfish not only toward her, but for denying Jack his daughter's childhood. When the ramifications dawned on her, she tracked down Summer whom she knew was trying to get Kyle to have sex with her that night. It turned out that they had eaten dinner together, but nothing more.

Phyllis and Nick met with Summer and Jack to break the news of Summer's paternity. When Nick started harping on Summer's relationship with Kyle, Summer got upset and went to her room. Then Nick chickened out and left. Phyllis covered for Nick with Jack, then went home and told Nick that she hated him for doing this to them. After discussing the options, Phyllis agreed to wait and sleep on how to do it. But everything she might do would be for her daughter, and she would never forgive Nick, reminding him that neither would Summer or Jack. To give Nick some time, Phyllis left to attend a focus group on eyeliner in Chicago, taking Kyle with her to keep them apart. Phyllis came on to Kyle, and after one kiss, Kyle called things off with Summer.

Avery pressured Nick to tell her what was troubling him, and Nick told Avery the secret, that he was not Summer's father. Phyllis walked in, and Avery turned on her, sure that Phyllis had mislead Nick all these years. But Nick explained that he had withheld the results of the paternity test from Phyllis.

The next day, Summer said goodbye to Faith, texted Kyle, and ran away to Chicago. Phyllis and Nick decided the time to tell her the truth had come, and Nick found Summer at a modeling agency in Chicago. Meanwhile Phyllis broke the news to Jack. Summer took it hard, then realized it meant that she and Kyle were half brother and sister. Summer refused to go home with Nick, so he left when Phyllis arrived.

Back in Genoa City, Nick admitted what he had done to Victor, who reacted thinking only of himself, lamenting that now that his granddaughter Summer was an Abbott, he had been bested by Jack again. Nick told Sharon, who said that she understood, and would always be there for him.

Summer had to be the one to tearfully tell Kyle that they were brother and sister. Kyle walked out upset, unable to deal with it.

Nick went to see Jack who punched Nick after Nick said that he was sorry. Jack yelled at Nick that he not only stolen Jack's time with Summer, but he had stolen Summer's past, and he hoped that maybe there was hope for a future between Jack and Summer.

Summer went to Jack and they both tearfully exchanged their feelings of how much they had always cared for each other, and hope for a future as father and daughter.

The more Avery thought about Dylan, how he had done the best he could under the worst of circumstances, just as Nick had when he claimed Summer as his own to sooth his aching soul after the loss of Cassie. Avery went to Nick, told him she still loved him, and forgave him.

A few days later, Nick and Avery found Phyllis unconscious at the bottom of a stairwell during the MS gala. Later at the hospital, Phyllis was still unconscious when Dr. Costner informed Jack, Nick, and Avery that Phyllis had a blood clot pressing on her brain requiring surgery. The surgery was performed, and was successful. Daniel was notified in Europe and came home. Nick finally found Summer, and had to tell her that her mother needed her at her side to help her fight for her life. While Summer, Avery, and Jack were content to sit by her side and wait months or years for her to wake up, Daniel did some research and found a facility on an island off the coast of Georgia where the best neurologists were having some success reviving coma patients. All were adamantly against it until Daniel convinced Michael, Lauren, and Summer who convinced Jack and Nick, then Nick convinced Avery to allow Daniel to take her there to give her the best shot at recovery.

Avery returned dejected from seeing Phyllis put into the facility, and urged Nick to go ahead with their wedding after all. Noah and Summer agreed to stand up for them. When Faith was asked to be their flower girl, she reacted badly saying that she would not, nor was Nick going to marry anyone but her mother, Sharon, then tore up Avery's wedding planning photos. Sharon was crushed when Nick requested that Sharon help him make Faith understand that her father and mother would never get back together again. Nick and Avery made plans to be married in the newly renamed Chancellor Park. In an attempt to guilt Nick into postponing his marriage, Sharon made sure that Nick found a drawing by Faith in which Avery was scribbled out.

Avery and Nick's wedding day arrived, but Avery did not. The guests left Chancellor Park, leaving Nick alone. Avery finally arrived explaining that just as she had been about to leave, she had found Dylan sitting on the floor in the hallway outside her apartment, and that she could not have walked away and left him there. Deciding that it had become increasingly clear that Avery was still too emotionally involved with Dylan, Nick broke up with her, and left her standing there in her wedding gown as it began to rain. Sharon was only too happy to console Nick later. Later Nick rejected Sharon's help and her admission that she still loved him and wanted to reconcile. Sharon admitted that she needed psychological help. She changed doctors and medications, and convinced Nick that she was getting her life back in order.

Nikki set up a family dinner at the Genoa City Athletic Club, and they all were intrigued about the purpose. Nikki was setting up a revelation by telling how Katherine had been involved, when Dylan and Avery arrived for a romantic dinner. Nick overreacted by accusing Dylan of following him around and throwing his relationship with Avery in his face. They got in a fist fight, and the other Newmans crowded around in an attempt to break them up. Nikki finally was able to do so by shocking them all by shouting that Dylan was her son. Dylan told her that could not be, that Terry and Penny McAvoy were his parents. Nikki explained that Penny had adopted him as a baby in an attempt to hang onto his father who had never found out. Dylan refused to believe it, and left with Avery. Victor reacted by fearing for Nikki's mental health, then as he became convinced, he accused her of not trusting him. Victoria was very understanding, but Nick left in a snit with his father.

Nick refused to attend Thanksgiving at his parents, and ended up with Sharon and Faith instead. Sharon asked Nick to be understanding of his mother, as he was with her similar experience of telling him about Cassie's existence. Dylan requested a DNA test, and it proved that he was Nikki's son. After continual encounters, Nick offered Dylan a deal to both do nothing that would hurt their mother. And later Avery pleaded with Nick to make peace with Dylan for his mother's sake.

Nick was spending more and more time with Sharon, and they even kissed, but told each other it was not right, that they were just friends. Faith's Christmas wish was to spend it with her parents, so Nick went over to Sharon's on Christmas Eve and put together a 500-piece dollhouse kit. Nick and Sharon's New Year's Eve kiss became very passionate, and they couldn't seem to forget it.

One wintry night after Billy had been acting strangely and had not come home, Victoria worried to Nick. Nick discovered that Billy's gun was missing, and when he went to the police station was told that there was proof that Adam had been the hit and run driver who had killed Billy and Chloe's daughter, Delia. Putting together the things that Billy had said, they realized that Billy knew and had gone after Adam. Later Nick arrived at Victoria's, and told her and Chloe how he and Paul had found Adam's SUV upside-down in a ravine, that one man had escaped and disappeared, but the SUV had exploded after they had failed to get the second man out. Chloe left, hoping that Adam had burned to death as he deserved. Victoria was left alone to hope that Billy was the survivor and be found. Hours later there came a noise at the door, she found Billy in a heap at the front door, and was relieved to pull him inside.

Days later Nick and Victoria overheard Jack and Victor arguing, and realized that their father had known that Adam was the hit and run driver, and had been blackmailing Adam. Victoria once again washed her hands of Victor, and Nick walked out.

Concerned about their mother and the fact that she had not told Victor about Ian Ward being in town, Dylan and Nick decided to unite to get Ian to leave. When Faith identified a photo of Ian Ward as Summer's new friend, Nick and Dylan went looking for him. Finding him taunting Nikki, Nick socked Ian in the eye. Paul arrived and arrested Ian for extorting money from Nikki to leave town. Nikki was pleased to see that in coming to her rescue together, Nick and Dylan were on the way to becoming friends.

Sharon had stopped having hallucinations of getting advice from Cassie once she got back on her meds and began to see her new doctor, Dr. Mead. But she confided in Nick when she started seeing Cassie again, and that she had actually touched and felt her. Nick spent the night on the couch and they reminisced about the past and their first wedding. Becoming close again in the days that followed, Nick and Sharon made love. Afterward, Sharon went downstairs and saw and touched Cassie again. When Nick found her, Sharon told Nick she was convinced that Cassie was not dead, and Nick took Sharon to the hospital where she agreed to the electro-convulsive therapy. Sharon awoke with no memory of why she was there and Nick proclaiming his love. Most of her memories returned, but she had lost those about Summer's paternity and Phyllis falling down the stairs and being in a coma. Sharon was allowed to go home, but her doctor suggested someone be there with her, to which Nick volunteered. Nick admitted that he had fallen in love with her again, but that he was afraid their lovemaking would bring back her hallucinations.

Victor threw an engagement party for Abby and Tyler at Newman Ranch, and all the Newmans and Abbotts were in attendance and remarkably friendly. As he was leaving, Nick caught the Cassie lookalike peering in the window at them. Scared, she ran off, packed her bag, and was about to leave, but found Nick at her door, "What's the matter? You look like you've seen a ghost," Nick quipped. Nick asked who she was, and why she looked like Cassie. The girl refused to talk. Nick then found family photos of Cassie in an envelope. He accused her of haunting Sharon, and got her to admit that Victor was behind it. Sharon arrived home to find Nick there with the Cassie lookalike and freaked. Nick explained that she was real, not another hallucination, and what Victor had done. Victor arrived, and fearing him, the girl tried to leave, but Sharon begged her to stay. Victor tried to justify what he had done, saying that Sharon had gone over the edge long before he did this, and that she had a secret that would turn Nick against her. Nick yelled for Victor to get out of his life. As Victor left, he warned Nick that defending that lunatic Sharon would destroy him. Sharon refused to press charges against the girl. The next day, Sharon's doctor verified that she did have a secret, but that Sharon had never told her what it was. Nick told Sharon that he loved her and whatever it was, it would not matter.

Nick went looking for Victor, but finding only Nikki at home, Nick told her that Victor had been gas-lighting Sharon for months. Nikki responded with disbelief that he would use his granddaughter's memory to torture Sharon in a heinous way. Victor arrived, and Nick confronted him. Victor claimed to be protecting him from Sharon. Nick yelled, "You are not my father. I no longer have a father," and left.

After the girl, Mariah Copeland, was extradited to Portland for burglary charges, Nick was upset that Sharon felt the need to go there and help her. Sharon explained that she knew she was not Cassie, but could relate to Mariah since she had grown up under similar conditions. Sharon went to Portland, got the charges dropped, and brought Mariah back to Genoa City. Sharon got Nick to begrudgingly give Mariah a job tending bar at his club, The Underground, and Sharon paid the rent at her apartment. Mariah informed them that it was only temporary, until she could pay Sharon back. Nick convinced Noah to return and train Mariah.

Nick was notified that Summer had apparently run off with fugitive Austin Travers. Summer texted Nick and Jack who were together, "I'm all right. I know what I am doing. Love you both." They tried to track her cell, but she had turned off the GPS. They contacted the police, telling them that Summer was with Austin but not involved. Jack and Nick were sure that the fugitives must be heading for Canada. Later that day, Summer was found at a hotel near the border. As Summer was talking with Nick by phone, Austin was turning himself in, in Genoa City.

Sharon asked Nick to move back in, and he accepted. Sharon convinced Nick to apologize and hire Mariah back. Nick did, but made her agree to give up a portion of her paycheck until her debt to Sharon is paid, then to leave town. He also suggested she stop with the attitude which provoked people, and to make up with Noah.

Later Victor overheard Mariah telling Ian that their plan was not going to work, and Nick saw Ian leaving Mariah's apartment. Nick asked Mariah what her connection with Ian was, and she told how he was the only father she had ever known. Nick warned Mariah that Ian had gone to prison for fraud and had prayed on both his mother and his daughter. Nick then accused Victor of knowing Mariah was connected to Ian when he hired her. Victor assured him that he had only discovered it the day before, and they agreed to work together, finding out more about them both.

Mariah told Nick and Sharon that her room had been broken into again, and she was afraid, so Sharon invited her to stay with them, and Nick surprisingly offered to help her get her things. Mariah declined his help, and returned to get them. Nick then called Victor, telling him that he had found Ian's weakness in Mariah.

Nick found out that Summer had gone on the run with Austin Travers who was wanted for the abduction of Avery and the accidental shooting of Paul Williams, then later they returned married and Austin turned himself in. Nick was disappointed, but since Summer was of age, he accepted it, while Jack spoke to D.A. Christine to arrange for Summer to be arrested for fraud.

Summer decided they should be officially married in a church and invited Noah and Courtney to stand up for them. Sharon said she felt she owed it to Phyllis and helped Summer get ready, and Faith was the flower girl. Sharon convinced Nick to walk Summer down the aisle, but Jack arrived, and they began again with both Jack and Nick walking her down the aisle, and Summer and Austin were married again. Detective Harding arrived to arrest Austin for fraud, but Jack talked him out of it with everyone swearing the couple loved each other and no fraud was being committed.

Nick caught Mariah on her phone angrily refusing to give her mother money, and he reminded her that she had told Sharon that her mother was dead. Cassie told Nick how her mother never loved her, was never there for her when she needed her, so she was dead to her. When Nick asked, Mariah told him that her mother Helen was a nurse in Kentucky, last she heard. Nick tracked down Helen Copeland, and she showed up at his bar. Nick lectured her on child abandonment, to which Helen responded that she did not want Mariah, it had been all Ian's idea. Afterward Helen met Ian in the park. Nick watched, listening, as Ian told Helen not to interfere in Mariah's life. Helen told him that Nick had a lot of questions about Mariah and the two of them, but that Nick had "no idea who Mariah really is."

Nick called Grace Turner, telling her that he needed her help and was sending the Newman jet for her. Later, Nick arrived at Grace's room at the GCAC to find her wearing only a teddy. Nick set her straight, that it was not a booty call, he just needed some information that only she might know. Nick shocked Grace with photos of Mariah and asked Grace to tell him about the day Cassie was born. Grace recalled that Cassie had been born in a hospital, and there had been a nurse named Helen who had kept Doris and Grace out of the delivery room so that no one had ever seen the baby. Nick followed up in Madison with Sharon's former doctor, Dr. Hill, and got him to admit that Sharon had delivered twins, the second one being Mariah, who had been sold by Helen to cover the former doctor's gambling debts. Nick turned him over to the FBI. Nick arrived home to find that Sharon had kicked Mariah out of the house for attempting to seduce Nick. Nick was able to convince Sharon that Mariah was actually her daughter, and Sharon became desperate to find her. Ian called Sharon demanding a ransom in millions equal to Mariah's age, and the police took over the drop.

Nick shocked Victor and Nikki by telling them that he had discovered that that Sharon had unknowingly had twins, and that Mariah was actually Cassie's twin, but Mariah had been sold by the doctor to Ian Ward who had raised her. Telling them that Ian had abducted Mariah, Nick asked Victor for his help in tracking Ian down. Victor had to leave town, but his security team found that Ian leased a storage unit, and Nick, Sharon, and Dylan found a drugged Mariah there dressed in a wedding gown.

Later in the hospital, Nick and Sharon explained to Mariah how he had discovered that she had been born Cassie's twin and Sharon's daughter. Mariah finally believed it, but refused to forgive Sharon for kicking her out, and refused to become part of their family. Nick was able to assure Mariah that the marriage to Ian would be invalidated and talked her into staying in town at least.

Nick surprised Sharon by turning Crimson Lights into a replica of their college freshman Polynesian tiki dance where they had been the king and queen. Reminding her that this was the place they had fallen in love, Nick proposed again, and Sharon said yes. Nick presented her with her original engagement ring with its new larger diamond. They quickly made plans for a wedding with Noah as best man, Summer and Mariah as bridesmaids, and Faith as flower girl. Impromptu bachelor and bachelorette parties converged in a bar, a fight broke out when a guy recognized Michael as the D.A. who convicted him, and they all spent the night in jail. Just before Sharon and Nick were pronounced man and wife, everyone was shocked when Phyllis interrupted the wedding, walked down the aisle, was embraced by Summer, and collapsed. Afraid that she was going to expose her big secret, Sharon ran off, and the wedding was not completed. It turned out that Phyllis had woken up from her coma, stolen a nurse's scrubs, and hitchhiked home from the Georgia hospital.

Nick was livid after discovering that Victor had been responsible for Phyllis' recovery, putting her on an experimental drug by tricking Summer into signing consent forms. But Victor gloated that he had managed to do what Jack could not, and expected everyone to thank him. Phyllis' memories were still confused, and she could not come up with Sharon's secret for Sharon, Nick, or Victor.

Nick made an appointment with the justice of the peace for Halloween to complete their wedding vows. Mariah had a change of heart after being reminded that Sharon was the only one who had ever believed in her, and took Faith trick or treating after a happy family photo session.

Victor showed the new DNA results he had gotten to Nick which proved that Summer was his daughter after all. Victor, Nick, and Jack went to locate Sharon, finding her in the same stairwell where Phyllis had taken her fall. Phyllis was restraining Sharon by the arm demanding that she remember the secret that Phyllis had known. Jack and Nick were shocked as Sharon was forced to confess that she had tampered with the paternity test, that Nick was actually Summer's biological father, and that she had left Phyllis for dead at the bottom of the stairs. Nick refused to listen to Sharon's excuses, told her they were not getting married, and to just stay away from him.

When Nick showed up to pick up his things, Sharon begged Nick not to move out, to stay and help her, claiming that it was her illness that made her do those things. Nick said that what she had done was unforgivable, she had lied to him, made everyone think he was a liar, and had broken his daughter's heart, plus being responsible for Phyllis losing a year of her life. Nick moved back into the tack house, and took off his wedding ring. Summer having been told the truth by Jack, showed up at Nick's and they hugged. Nick later asked Avery to get him full custody of Faith, that Sharon could not be trusted with her. Sharon hired David Sherman to represent her, the only lawyer in town who was willing to take on the Newmans.

Later at The Underground, Noah told Nick he thought he was being unfair, that he had told Sharon he would forgive her no matter what. Nick said Sharon had gone too far, wrecked too many lives by changing Summer's paternity results. Noah reminded Nick that Nick was the one who set it in motion by not revealing the results of the first test or taking another. Later after hours, Grace came onto Nick, and Nick revealed what Sharon had done. Pouring drinks for them, Nick told Grace that he was done with Sharon this time. Grace kissed him, they tore off each other's clothes, and made out in a booth. But Nick stopped, and told her to leave, that he was finally breaking the pattern, and needed to go away to think about what to do with his life.

Nick arrived at a cabin in the woods, a dog followed him inside, and he proceeded to get drunk. After passing out, Nick was visited by his past loves, Amy Wilson, Grace, Sharon, Phyllis, and Avery. They put him on trial, accusing him of breaking their hearts. Nick accused Sharon of never trusting him, always keeping secrets, her many betrayals, and that her being sorry would not fix it this time. Before Nick awoke, he swore off all woman. Nick followed the dog, hoping to find its home, but fell into the snow in pain, his foot caught in a bear trap which he could not open. Going in and out of consciousness, Nick saw a woman who had found him, and a man who had opened the trap. As the ambulance arrived, they both disappeared into the woods. Nick returned home on crutches, then went back to the woods to find and thank the people who saved his life. An older woman at the only house nearby said she did not know who they could have been. But only days later, the woman who had saved him walked into The Underground looking for a restaurant, and Nick recognized her. Nick eventually learned that her name was Sage, and the elderly woman was Constance, her guardian who had raised Sage after her parents had died. Sage received a call that Constance was near death, and Nick came to Sage's rescue, providing her with a ride.

Faith became resentful that her parents were fighting over her and wanted them to remarry for Christmas, so she ran away, but was found at Crimson Lights by Dylan. The judge cancelled the custody hearing and ordered mediation instead. Sharon and Nick arrived early and were able to work out a joint custody agreement which Sharon's lawyer dismissed, they fought, and were sent back to court again.

At the athletic club, Nick recognized Gabriel Bingham, "The Binger", the boy who had been assigned to Nick to be a "big brother" to when he had attended the Swiss boarding school, Mount Bell Academy. Nick later realized that Gabriel was also the guy in the woods who had helped with the trap and wondered why he would have run off. After Nick read Gabriel's grandmother Constance's obituary, he delivered an armload of flowers to Sage. With Gabriel, they talked about life at boarding school. Explaining that he had returned home before it played out, Nick asked about the outcome of the Juliet situation. Gabriel faltered saying that his grandmother had bailed him out with that girl. Nick reminded him that Juliet was their headmaster's sailboat, and told Sage how Gabriel had rescued it, then at full speed had crashed and destroyed it. Gabriel said that it was something he preferred to forget. Nick looked up the incident online and discovered that Gabriel had been expelled because of it. Gabriel and Sage explained that Constance had kept the expulsion quiet by paying for the boat, no charges were filed, and she had gotten him into another boarding school. Sage admitted to Nick that she and Gabriel had a marriage of convenience in which they were free to find real love.

Faith's custody trial was held and Nick got full custody after it became evident to the judge that Sharon had primed Faith with a story about finding Sage at Nick's with no pants on, and Sharon lost her self-control in court.

Summer was there when a building inspector came by the Underground saying he had been there three times about the building's structural problems, had left word with Austin for Nick to call, threatening to close it down. Summer finally dragged Austin over to Nick's to tell him. Austin claimed it had slipped his mind while he was working on his "real job" for Joe. Nick was furious, reminding Austin that he had hired him when no one else would, and so long as Nick was paying him, bartending was his real job. Nick called a repairman to fix things immediately. Austin was upset with Summer for not defending him, but Summer agreed with Nick, that Austin had messed up, so they fought. Nick returned, told Austin he would not fire him, but his negligence was inexcusable. Austin was angered, quit his job, and walked out.

With Mariah and Noah both attending a party, Nick was left short-handed for Valentines evening. He got Sharon to take Faith, and Sage pulled on a T-shirt and helped him behind the bar. Just before the power went out, viewers saw the ceiling cracking and coming apart. As Nick and Sage turned the power back on in the mechanical room, the ceiling of the club caved in, trapping them inside. Sage lamented that she had waited her whole life for something to begin, and now it may be the end. They agreed they wanted to get to know each other better after they got out, and kissed. Dylan broke through the door and rescued Nick and Sage. Finding the main club completely buried in rubble, they took Sage to the triage at Crimson Lights, where Sage was taken to the hospital to get a catscan for the bump on the head. Nick and Dylan went back to continue searching for Nikki, Victor, Jack and Phyllis. While they pulled Nikki and Phyllis out to safety, the snow-weighted roof collapsed too. When Nick returned to the spot where Victor and Jack were last seen, they found a dead body who turned out to be Derek, a part time bartender.

They finally found Jack alive in bad shape, but no sign of Victor. While the pros searched for Victor, Nick, Abby, and Victoria took Nikki home. They were shocked when Nikki threw down a glass of vodka in front of them. A disheveled Victor walked in, said, "Pour me one," drank it and said he was fine, then collapsed. Suffering a concussion, Victor was put in the same room with Jack, they argued, and Victor reminded him that he had saved his life. Nick felt guilty that his place had caused so much pain, and a death. But Sage reminded him that he had done everything he could to prevent it and rescue the victims. Avery later found out that the contractor who had made the repairs had a reputation for cutting corners, so she felt that Nick would be exonerated. Nick began reconstructing The Underground.

In order to get more visitation with Faith and eventual joint custody, Sharon threatened to dredge up a Newman family secret. It seems that back in their senior year, when Sharon and Nick were broken up, an underage junior named Sandra Allen had attended a pool party at the ranch. After everyone else had left, Nick dared a drunken Sandra to dive off the balcony into the pool to show off her Olympics-competitor skills. Sandra ended up breaking her neck. Nick was shocked that Sharon had known, but she explained that she had been in the bathroom and saw it happen before she left. After dozens of surgeries and years of therapy Sandra finally walked again, but she missed out on the Olympics and a scholarship, and Nick had never been able to track her down. Sharon enlightened Nick with the fact that Victor had covered up everything by paying off the family for all Sandra's expenses and college for her siblings. Nick confronted Victor who admitted he had also set her up elsewhere, saying, "I did it for you, you would do the same for your son too." Noah told Nick that Sharon had told his secret to Austin, and that Austin had later been murdered.

While Nick and Gabriel fought about the way that Gabriel treated Sage, Gabriel called Nick and his family entitled. Nick demanded to know what had happened to the Gabriel he once knew, that this Gabriel was nothing like him.

Nick temporarily lost custody of Faith after socking a reporter who had antagonizing him about Sharon's latest arrest, so he broke up with Sage for Faith's sake. But not long after the grand reopening of The Underground, Sage surprised Nick with news that she was pregnant with his baby. Since she had been told all her life that it was medically impossible, Sage was thrilled with the miracle. Tired of hotel-living, Sage began to look for a house for her and her child. Nick promised that he would be there for her and their baby, and told Sharon the news. Sharon appeared overjoyed for them, hugged and congratulated Sage. Seeing Faith so unhappy being kept from her mother and that Dylan had moved in with Sharon, Nick gave Sharon one night a week with Faith, provided Dylan was there.

Nick asked Victor if he had been the one who shot Jack. Although Victor denied it, Nick was certain that he had done it, and told Victor that he was done with him. After Victor was arrested claiming self-defense, he requested Nick go back to the company and help the family to keep Gabriel from destroying it. Gabriel reminded Nick that he would become what he hated - his father. But Abby took her new C.O.O. position seriously, and hired Nick to replace Neil as C.F.O. after Gabriel refused him. Nick and Victoria began staging friction between them to throw Gabriel off. But Gabriel suddenly resigned, and Victor and Jack both returned to run the company.

Nick found Sage's unopened paternity test results, and guessed that her baby may be Gabriel's. Sage explained it was just the one time, and Nick opened the envelope and revealed to Sage that the baby was Nick's. It didn't take Nick long to get over it, and he arranged a romantic date at his club where he proposed. Together they told Sharon and Dylan. Sharon, already suspicious that Gabriel was the father of Sage's baby, told Nick he was being a fool. A couples baby shower was held for Sage and Nick, and Victor gifted them with Newman stock for Nick's son.

Nick and Sage decided not to wait to get married, and held a small ceremony in Chancellor Park with Kyle officiating. Kyle had become an ordained minister online while living in New York City. Afterward, the family threw them a reception on the GCAC rooftop club.

Sage began having pains, and Nick drove her to the hospital. Sage and their baby were okay, but Sage was given orders for bed rest. When she balked, Nick fired her.

After Gabriel was exposed as being Adam Newman, Nick had to ask Sage if she had known all along. Sage admitted that she had, and Nick blew up at her, wondering if everything she had ever said was a lie. Later Nick received word that Sage had their baby prematurely. He arrived at the hospital and accused Adam of nearly killing Sage who was in surgery for internal hemorrhaging. Then Nick was told that Adam had saved the baby's life by performing infant CPR. Nick and Sage decided to name their still critical baby boy Christian Andrew Newman, Christian being Victor's original name. Sage refused to leave after she was released, and a room was arranged for her to be near her son in neonatal.

The annual Delia Halloween costume party benefit was held at Top of the Tower, and Nick, dressed as a swashbuckler, convinced Sage to put on a pair of scrubs and reluctantly attend. Kevin and Mariah decided to take care of the costumed children on a lower floor. While Nick was there visiting the kids, a fire broke out on the floors between them and their parents. All three heroically managed to walk the children down the stairwell and out the front door of the building with minimal excitement by making it a game. Nick was reunited with Sage at the hospital after she had been helicoptered off the roof. Together, they went to visit Christian, but were told that he had died. (Viewers later saw that Christian had been kidnapped by a nurse, and given to Sharon as her newborn baby.) Sage was inconsolable. Neither could bare to look at their baby's lifeless body. Sage became upset that Victoria was planning the service for Christian, kicked Nick out, and told him he was no longer saddled with her. But after Victoria had chat with her about miracles and deceased baby Eve, Adam convinced Sage to attend the service. Nick broke down afterward, and they both went to a therapist. While there they ran into Sharon's Dr. Anderson. She commented about "the ends the Newmans would go to protect their own, manipulate outsiders, and do whatever it takes to shelter themselves and their empire." Both Nick and Sage were shocked, wondering why the doctor was suddenly so anti-Newman.

Nick was surprised when Victor told him he was depending on Adam to help him run Newman and foil the Abbotts, telling him that it was time for Nick to take care of Sage and go back to running The Underground. With Nick feeling he'd been kicked out of the family business, Sage told him he had ethics and compassion, so he should be grateful his father wouldn't pressure him to do something he would hate. 

Sage blamed Nick for her never getting to hold their baby and getting rid of all his things, which he did to attempt to spare her pain. Sage asked for some time alone. Adam found her in the park, took her home, and she stayed in their guest room. Later she moved into the condo across hall where she and Adam had lived. Nick found himself as a guest at Sharon and Dylan's impromptu wedding when he dropped over to pick up Faith. He left with Sharon's Dr. Anderson who was definitely coming on to him, as she told him her first name was Sandy, and that she was once in love with a man who broke her heart. She advised Nick to stay away from Sage and give her space. But Nick had learned from losing Cassie that the last thing a mother needed was space. He assured Sage again and again that he would do whatever it took to win her back. They ended up going on a trip together, and returned bonded and in love again. Nick and Faith moved into the penthouse with Sage.

Sharon admitted that Dr. Anderson had encouraged her to go off her meds. Nick was horrified that she would do that again and warned Sharon that Dr. Anderson was overly involved in her life and his and Sage's lives. Nick cautioned Sharon about allowing Sage too much contact with Sully. Sharon told Nick that she was happy to share Sully with Sage to help her get over the loss of Christian. When Dr. Anderson began turning up wherever Nick was, Sage told Sandy to stay the hell out of our lives. Nick finally agreed, and asked Sandy what she was after, that he knew she had an agenda. Sandy just acted offended. Sage asked a nurse for more information on Dr. Sandy Anderson, and was told that Sandy was married. But Sage had no luck searching for Sandy's maiden name.

Nick and Sage decided to get to Sandy by encouraging her pursuit of Nick with dinner and drinks, and Nick asked for help with Sage. Sandy opined that Sage was paranoid and irrational, and should be committed. Sage caught them together, and yelled at Sandy to stay away from her husband, calling Sandy an evil twisted bitch, before Sage attacked her. Sandy made a deal for Sage to get a psych evaluation, and she would drop assault charges. Sage accused Sandy of having no idea what it's like to lose a child. Sandy said that she had had her own dreams smashed, and left. Sage played along and made sure that she was committed to Fairview. While there she searched Sandy's office and found an old book on overcoming paralysis which was filled with personal notes. Meanwhile, Sandy was meeting with Nick, telling him that she knew he was a good man, that she cared for him, and kissed Nick. Back at Fairview, Sage was caught on the phone calling Nick and was sedated by an orderly. Nick went to Sharon for more information on Sandy, then went to see Sage. The recently caught and returned escapee, Patty Williams, wandered in and told them that Dr. Anderson was evil, and that Patty knew all her secrets, telling them that Dr. Sandy Anderson had created some miracles.

Nick finally put it all together, that Dr. Sandy Anderson was Sandra Allen, the girl who had been paralyzed jumping into the Newman pool. Nick and Sharon opened Dr. Anderson's office door to confront her, but found her dead on the floor, a syringe sticking out of her back. Going for help, they ran into Sage who had blood on her hands. But when Paul and Dylan arrived, they deduced that Patty Williams had been the one to kill Dr. Anderson. Nick confronted Victor to accept responsibility for her death and Patty's mental state. Victor answered, "The hell I will!" Sage and Nick wanted to help Dylan investigate further, but Paul closed the case.

Sage continued to have nightmares each night, always trying to find her baby Christian. Sage and Nick got a call that a baby might be available for them to adopt. They met with Shawn, a teenager in her third trimester and entered into a contract to adopt her baby. Shawn's apartment was burglarized, and she was afraid to live there. Sage asked her to move in with them, but Nick foresaw trouble. Chelsea asked Sage to come to work at Chelsea 2.0, but she saw through the offer, knowing Nick had suggested it to get her mind off babies.

They mutually decided to name Shawn's baby David. But after Shawn delivered prematurely on March 31, 2016, and they even had agreed to an open adoption, Shawn changed her mind and decided to keep her baby. Sage was devastated, and went to Chelsea to bury herself in her work.

When Nick found out that Victor had been arrested for kidnapping Jack and replacing him with an imposter named Marco for months, he joined the family in testifying against him, all agreeing that he had gone too far this time. Victor was found guilty and sentenced to 10 years in the state prison. Victor left the courtroom for prison, saying he had no family anymore. They were all dead to him.

Fearing Victoria could not handle being CEO alone against a sure bid from Adam to take over, Nick offered to return to Newman and help her. But Adam declined to step in, taking a job with a New York City hedge fund, and working out of Chicago. But Adam was fired, and Victor seemed to be behind it.

Nick was shocked and burst into tears when Paul called him to the hospital to tell him that Sage had just died in a car accident. Sharon had been the one to find her and call 911, then had been with her when she died at the side of the road. Victoria took over handling the arrangements for Sage. Sharon broke the news to Faith, who had grown very fond of Sage, and insisted on being with Nick. Victoria, Summer and Noah stopped by to help, but Nick sent everyone away, preferring to be alone. Nick went to the accident scene and wept over Sage's car, memories flooding his mind, until he grabbed a hunk of metal and began smashing up the car.

Nick had an outburst at Sage's memorial in Chancellor park, sobbing that he had just lost Christian and now Sage, and no one understood. Victor's prison psychologist, Meredith Gates, attended the memorial service, telling them that Victor loved them and hoped to right things between them. Victoria shut her down and kicked her out. Nick moved back into the tack house.

Nick and Chelsea became close friends after Adam's death, with Nick following Adam's wishes that Nick help her raise Connor.

Nick received a phone call from Patty Williams, telling him, "Christian is alive, Sharon has him." When questioned by Nick, Sharon admitted it, told how Dr. Anderson had drugged her and stolen Christian to get back at Nick. Sharon had not known until Sage figured it out, and that Sage had died driving to tell Nick the truth. Sharon couldn't tell Dylan and break his heart. Nick was both overjoyed and enraged, demanded his son, he said he would never forgive Sharon. Sharon broke the news to Dylan who was devastated. GC Buzz got the story from Patty and announced it to the world. Sharon also did a GC Buzz interview and confessed. Sharon was arrested for kidnapping, but Nick refused to press charges, and Sharon was released. Dylan stuck by Sharon, they sued for visitation, but lost their case.

Nick and Chelsea attended the Abbott/Winters Benefit on New Years Eve and afterward they kissed and started removing their clothes. But Chelsea stopped them, and they decided not to ruin their friendship with sex. Nick asked Chelsea on a date, but she declined because it was Valentines day and Adam was on her mind. Later Chelsea showed up at Nick's club, finding him alone on a busy night with no other bartenders available. Chelsea helped Nick out, amazing everyone with her mad bartending skills. When things quieted down near closing, they danced, and later kissed at home. By their third date, they had made love.

Nick discovered a tracking device in Connor's favorite stuffed animal. Nick suspected Chloe. Chelsea asked Chloe who admitted that she wanted to be able to find her if Chelsea and Adam had run away. Nick decided that Chloe may have killed Adam and put the same tracker on Chloe's car, saw her dump bag in a dumpster which contained a dart gun and a wrench. Nick found out that Chloe's cell records showed she was in the area of the cabin an hour before it blew up. Chelsea refused to believe that her best friend had murdered her husband and asked Nick to drop it. Nick talked to Paul about reopening the case. Paul agreed it all looked suspicious, but they needed more evidence.

Kevin asked Chloe to marry him again, and she agreed. Chelsea whipped up the perfect gown, and a quick wedding commenced with Michael as best man, and Chelsea stood up for her best friend Chloe, with Bella tossing rose petals down the aisle. But when rings were about to be exchanged, Chloe suddenly ran from the room, and Chelsea followed. A while later, Father Todd announced that the wedding was off. Kevin and Father Todd found Chelsea unconscious on the floor and Chloe missing. When Chelsea came to, she told them that she had found Adam's ring in Chloe's dresser drawer and had substituted if for the one Chloe intended to give Kevin, proving Nick's theory that Chloe had murdered Adam. She said that Chloe had admitted it, then knocked Chelsea out and fled. Kevin was devastated and in disbelief. Chloe left a note for Kevin saying she was in trouble and had to leave, that Kevin always brought out the best in her, but she was not good enough for him.

Nick found Chloe using the tracker, and watched her meet Victor at his private airstrip. Victor put Chloe on his jet, and apparently gave her a lot of money. As the jet flew off, Nick emerged from the shadows and broke the news to Victor that the reason Chloe was fleeing was that she was the one who had killed Adam by blowing up the cabin. Victor was shattered, and Nick, Victoria and Nikki were furious that once again, Victor had brought a psycho back to Genoa City to do his dirty work that ended up in tragedy. Nikki laid down the law, that they were to never tell of Victor's involvement or that he had arranged Adam's escape. Nick and Victoria agreed there would be no more scandal to further damage their companies. Victor was cut off from the family, though maintaining a public persona of a loving family for the sake of their companies. Victor was to live in another wing, and the staff signed non-disclosure agreements. Nikki declared family first, no more forgive and forget, and that the days of Victor calling the shots were over. Nick and Victor argued, Nick slugged him, and Faith saw it. So Nick took Faith back home to live with him. Victor started making grand gestures including giving Chelsea half a million dollars for her business in Adam's memory. But Nick was unable to tell Chelsea the real reason or dissuade her from obsessing over finding Chloe and getting her help. Following any lead that might help find Chloe, Chelsea ended up at the last facility Chloe was in, outside of New Orleans. She tracked down her psychiatrist, Dr. Harris, and went to his home, where she was joined by Nick. They were turned away, with Dr. Harris saying he hadn't seen Chloe since she had been released. But Chelsea noticed some sketches obviously done by Chloe. Nick lured Harris away, and Chelsea went inside, finding Chloe unconscious, Harris arrived and pronounced her dead, and both Chelsea and later Kevin were devastated. A private funeral was held with Father Todd officiating. Chelsea was not invited, and when she and Nick showed up, Kevin went off on them, accusing them of causing her death, and turned them away.

Nick was so concerned about Nikki and the MS pain she was hiding from everyone, he sabotaged the sound board and an inspector shut down her benefit concert. But Noah saved the day by bringing a sound board from The Underground. Both Tessa and Nikki were a success, and Nikki was very proud of herself for going ahead with it. Nikki resented Victor who arranged for Hilary to interview Nikki and make her the poster child for successfully living with MS. Nikki was also upset with Nick when she found out what he had done, but more so that Victor and Nick had fought, Victor slugged Nick and disowned him, and Hilary aired footage of the fight with Victor's blessing. Nikki took the opportunity to escape the reception with Jack, who took her away to the Abbott cabin where they spent the night laughing and enjoying each other's company. Nikki returned home determined to make a final break with Victor, moved out, and into the aptly-named Sanctuary hotel. Nick, reveling in his freedom from Victor, joined Noah in his plans to open other Underground bars in college towns. He liquidated some of his holdings to begin buying buildings, but unknown to Nick, it was Victor who kept outbidding him. Then Victor cut him off from the family GCAC membership and kicked him out of the tack house. Nick and Christian went to live with Chelsea. When Faith returned from camp, she was very upset that they had moved without even telling her. Only after Nick found out that Victor had already told her, trying to turn her against Nick, did Nick admit to Faith that her grandfather had kicked him out, and that he and Chelsea had just redone her room for her there. Faith turned on Victor, calling him a liar, and saying she could no longer trust him. Victor then relented and had Faith’s room furniture delivered to Chelsea’s.

Noah and Nick planned to open more Underground bars in college towns. When Victor found out, he did everything he could to stand in the way of his “disloyal son’s” success. But he did help Noah out by expediting the liquor license in the new Ann Arbor, Michigan location. To teach Nick a lesson, Victor coerced Kevin to hack into Nick’s account and drain it. Nick notified the bank, and the money was returned. But Nick, in a surprise move, appeared on The Hilary Hour and announced that he was donating his two and a half billion dollar trust fund to the Abbott-Winters Foundation, part of it earmarked for orphanages as an homage to Victor. Everyone in his family told him he was crazy, but Chelsea understood. Nick said he had all the money he or his children needed, and he hoped this money he was awarded when the children of Victor sued him would no longer come between him and Victor, and Victor agreed to call a truce. That lasted about five minutes as Victor bought the Underground’s liquor distributor, notifying Nick there would be no more discounts. Nick declared he would rather torch the place than see Victor get his hands on it. Later that night, The Underground burned with Reed, Mattie and Charlie trapped inside. They were rescued by Billy, who ended up trapped himself, and was also successfully rescued. The building was declared a total loss. Nick broke it to Noah that after two disasters there where people had almost been killed, he had decided not to rebuild, and was no longer interested in expansion. Pointing out that it was Noah’s dream, not his, Nick suggested Noah use his own money and proceed on his own. Then Victor asked Noah if he would like to manage Top of the Tower. Noah declined, but Victoria talked him into it. The fire was declared arson, and Nick’s insurance refused payment. When an old photo of Brent Davis was found among the ruins of The Underground, Jack spoke to Dina who had Alzheimer's about it, and she realized that she had started the fire. The police did not file charges for the arson, and Nick was finally able to collect on the insurance.

Nick wanted to build Chelsea her dream house, but Chelsea said her dream home was the condo. So Nick decided to renovate the bathroom of the condo, something Chelsea had always wanted. He was shocked to find a quarter of million dollars in cash in the bathroom air vent. Assuming Adam had stashed it there, Nick turned it over to the police who determined that it legally belonged to Chelsea.

After Sharon took in homeless single mother Kathy and her two kids who had been kicked out of the substandard Rainbow Gardens Apartments, Nikki and Nick became partners, bought the place to rehab and rent to low income families. Chelsea offered to invest part of the found money in the building.

After hearing about the found money, Phyllis was bent on proving Chelsea had setup a fraudulent website to steal money from Fenmore’s, and accused her in front of Nick. Chelsea pled innocent and suddenly proposed to Nick, wanting to marry quickly and adopt each other’s children. Nick accepted, and tried to put it off four months. Not long afterward, Phyllis told Nick that Chelsea had taken Connor and left him, but he refused to believe it until he found Chelsea’s note and her engagement ring. Sharon felt she had to tell Nick the truth which she and Phyllis had discovered, that Christian was not his son but Adam’s, and that Chelsea had known. Nick had a DNA test run on himself and Christian which confirmed it. A few days later, Nick was visited by Anita, wanting a payoff for a memory stick containing the video Chelsea had given her for Christian on his 18th birthday. Nick didn’t have the $25,000 she wanted, but got her to accept Chelsea’s engagement ring instead. Nick watched Chelsea tell how much she loved him, disclose that Adam was Christian’s real father, that Sage had known, that they had been together just one time, and that Adam had tampered with the DNA test, wanting Nick and Sage to be happy as he and Chelsea were. Nick decided to move out of the condo, refused to move back to the tack house or in with his parents, but accepted Sharon’s offer to temporarily move in with her, Mariah and Faith. Nick and Sharon kept being drawn to each other again, much as they tried not to be.

Sharon suggested to Nick that he expand his investment for more homeless people, and to form a non-profit. Nick and Nikki went to Devon and Jack for backing, and Victor showed up wanting to join in their venture for affordable housing all over the state and eventually the country. Arturo had drawn up a presentation for potential investors. Nick suggested it be called the New Hope Project and to include vegetable gardens for residents.

Nick saw Nikki and their contractor Arturo kiss and enter a hotel suite together. Nikki explained that she and Victor had an open marriage, and that yes she and Arturo were lovers. But after standing by Victor’s side through his coma and helping him get back on his feet, both Nikki and Victor decided to end their affairs and reunite.

Nick also had a change of heart and agreed to return to Newman. But when he discovered that he was replacing Victoria without her knowledge, he refused to screw over his sister. Furious with Victor for manipulating them again, Nick said he needed to change, to become ruthless so he would never lose again. He viciously told Victor off, that nothing was sacred anymore – that this is when Victor would begin to lose. Nick got the Newman security codes from J.T.’s phone, hired someone to break into the Newman server and expose Victor’s medical records, and got a prosthetic expert to make him a face of J.T. to make it look like J.T. was behind it all.

Nick and Sharon rekindled their romance, and they made plans to get remarried and move to San Diego where Nick would run the Goldman Foundation. Victor stopped them by suing for custody of Christian and exposed that Christian was actually Adam’s son by Sage, not Nick’s. During arbitration, Victor was represented by Michael, so Nick hired Brittany Hodges. Although Victor got temporary custody due to Sharon’s past instability, Nick won custody in the end.

Ever resentful of Victor’s interference in his life, Nick formed a new company, Dark Horse, and began accumulating the companies that Victor was losing due to his ill health. Sharon, Summer, Victoria, Nikki, and Abby received invitations to join Dark Horse. Nick told them that Noah had resigned from Newman to head up Dark Horse London. Abby joined them doing marketing and PR, Summer refused to choose between parents and stayed at Fenmore’s. Victoria, after consulting with Victor, stayed at Newman, after Victor gave her back the COO position and made her heir to the company. Jack also signed on to Dark Horse as an executive consultant and board member. Victor asked Nikki to head the Newman real estate division, pitting her against her son. Victor showed up to the Dark Horse launch party to watch Rey announce that he was a detective and arrest Nick as the one who paid a guy to hack into the Newman server as aiding, abetting, and colluding with J.T. Helstrom. Nick’s lawyer Brittany got him immunity to tell all that he had done, and he and Rey parted friends. A press release exonerated Nick, and Rey admitted that he had been brought in to find out what happened to J.T.

Sharon told Nick how much she resented his impersonating J.T. and forming Dark Horse to stick it to his father, she removed her ring, saying she didn’t know Nick anymore. Nick left, and ran into Phyllis who had just broken off with Billy over his gambling again. They left together to go to her place. Phyllis was impressed with Nick’s new company Dark Horse, saying she always knew he had it in him. They had sex on kitchen island. Kyle saw men’s clothing on floor while Nick showered. Phyllis explained she had had a moment, but made up with Billy. Nick and Sharon reconciled and set a wedding date for October and asked Mariah, Summer, and Victoria to be bridesmaids. Nick began trying to get Sharon to choose a new home for them, but when she didn’t have time, he bought a lakefront home without consulting her, causing Sharon to have second thoughts about the re-marriage. The night before their wedding, Mariah broke the news to Sharon that Nick and Phyllis had recently had a one-night-stand during Nick and Sharon’s breakup. Sharon showed up late to the wedding, her vows turned into a rant, exposing Nick and Phyllis, then Sharon walked out. Everyone attended the Jabotique launch party. Phyllis and Nick, who had openly resumed their affair were together, and Billy escorted Sharon. Nick eventually asked Phyllis to move in with him to his new house.

Arturo found J.T.’s watch in Chancellor park, and the J.T. case became a murder investigation. Rey questioned Nikki, Nick, and Victoria who had Michael as her lawyer. Rey requested Victor return from Singapore immediately. Instead Victor went off the grid, even his cellphone became a non-working number.

The Newman stables burned to the ground, leaving behind a shirt with J.T.s blood on it and a gun traced to Victor, so he became the prime suspect in J.T.’s death. Nikki found J.T.’s jacket and pants laid out on her bed and started drinking again. Nick took Nikki home, she screamed when she saw a fire poker, and ended up admitting to Nick that she had killed J.T. with it. Nikki was drunk when she stepped off a curb into the path of a car and ended up with a brain contusion and unconscious. She was on her deathbed when Victor managed to sneak in during the night and get her to wake up. Victor coerced Dr. Nate into helping him take Nikki away in an ambulance to safety. But her blood pressure spiked on the way. Afraid she would die, Nate went back for medication and met Victor at an airstrip. The plane took off, but the police were able to stop the plane, and Victor was arrested for kidnapping. Nikki claimed she made Victor take her out of the country for protection and would sue for wrongful prosecution. Nate and Nikki were cleared of charges, but Victor was arrested for J.T.’s murder. Stubborn Victor refused a lawyer. Nikki checked herself out of Memorial and went to see Victor in jail. Victor realized that Nikki had killed J.T. Nick brought in Michael as his lawyer, and Victor was released under house arrest with an ankle monitor.

Katie began playing with an invisible friend who lived in Nikki’s house. When Nikki fell asleep on the couch, Katie disappeared. Billy and Victoria arrived and they found her inside a wall crawlspace that was outfitted in surveillance equipment. Victor became convinced that J.T. was alive and out for revenge. Meanwhile the police received an email with audio of Nick and Victor discussing hiding a murder weapon, and Victor saying that J.T. had to die. Christine set the trial for the following day. When they arrived to escort Victor to the trial, Nikki admitted that she had killed J.T. and was arrested. Nikki claimed that she followed J.T. from Victoria’s to the park, killed him in self-defense, and buried him there. But Rey got Sharon to confess the true story of how Nikki had killed J.T. as he attacked Victoria, and how Sharon and Phyllis had helped them bury his body in Chancellor park.

Nikki was charged with second degree intentional homicide and obstruction of justice, and Sharon and Victoria for being a party to both. Phyllis turned states evidence and became the star witness for the prosecution, claiming she could help them with her testimony. As a result, Nick kicked her out of his house, and slept with Jabot consultant Rebekah Barlow. Victor kept interrupting during the trial and was thrown out of the courtroom for the duration. Mariah, Tessa and Phyllis’ testimony was damning to all of them as Christine took on her old nemesis Phyllis. All three women were found guilty and sentenced to prison.

On their way to prison, Rey arranged for the women to escape and hide out at the Abbott cabin to trap J.T. after Nick had finally convinced Rey that J.T. was still alive. But J.T. knocked out the guards and held the three women with hands and feet zip-tied inside. J.T. ranted at them for trying to kill him and bury him alive, and began smashing things. He explained that he had been buried over a storm drain, his body had fallen in and sent out to the river. Writhing in pain, J.T. ruptured the fireplace gas line by wielding a poker. He passed out from the pain, and the women from the gas. Billy Abbott, Nick and Victor Newman rescued them. Rey arrived and told everyone that they had to tell the truth about what had gone on. DA Christine was livid with Rey. She upheld only the women’s obstruction charges, but revoked their sentences.

Jack left his position at Dark Horse to become CEO of Jabot again, Abby left to focus on her new restaurant venture Society with Devon, and she fired Arturo for fooling around on her. Nick offered both Sharon and Nikki Abby’s marketing and PR job, but they declined.

Nick and Victoria were shocked when they got word that their brother Adam had been found by Victor alive with no memory living in Las Vegas as a professional gambler named “Spider”. Victor and Sharon convinced him to return to Genoa City and set him up to live in the tack house on the ranch. After meeting him, they were skeptical. Adam, already wary of Victor for manipulating him, depended on Sharon as the only person he could trust. Adam realized what an evil person he had been and that everyone still hated him, so he decided to disappear, but was shot in the gut as he opened the door to leave. Sharon heard the shot and found him in a pool of blood. Adam woke up in the hospital, his memory returned.

Adam told Nick and Victoria that Victor had promised that Adam would become head of Newman if he would stay, so Adam offered them a deal; he would leave town if they gave him 500 million dollars, the whereabouts of Chelsea and his son Connor, and for Nick to turn over Adam’s son Christian. Nick told Adam to go to hell. Victor walked in on them, Victoria recounted it all for Victor, who scoffed as Adam looked on. Victoria later gave Adam Chelsea’s cell number, and Adam asked Sharon to contact Chelsea and break the news of his return, but she had remarried. Nick hired Rey Rosales as head of security for Dark Horse, and to keep an eye on Christian in case Adam tried to steal him away. But Adam came to Nick with the fact that he had bought up Nick’s 27 million dollar loan, so Adam now owned Dark Horse. Again, Nick turned down reclaiming Dark Horse by handing over Christian. When Nick could not find anyone else to buy his loan, he handed Adam the keys to Dark Horse. Nick let Victoria know what she had done to him by paying off Adam. Adam sued for custody of Christian, and when the judge could not decide between Nick and Adam he gave temporary custody to Victoria. After Adam’s attempts at visitation resulted in him telling Christian he was his father, Victor had a restraining order put on Adam.

Chelsea returned to Genoa City to convince Adam to let her and Connor go. She apologized to Nick for leaving him, saying she had felt cornered and had to escape, she was filled with regret, and she had loved Nick more than Adam. Her husband Calvin followed and met with Adam, agreeing with him that Connor needed to be with his biological father. Calvin suggested to Chelsea that they give Adam custody and they can move on, have children of their own. Calvin compared it to her giving up Johnny to Billy. Chelsea was aghast! During the night, Chelsea woke up and found Calvin lying dead in the bed next to her. She called 911 and Nick for help. Adam implicated Chelsea to the police, having recorded her telling him how mad she was at Calvin for wanting her to give up Connor. But the coroner ruled he had died of heart attack. Calvin left Chelsea five million dollars, even though they had a prenup, and a trust for Connor. Nick took Chelsea home to stay at his house. They became close again, but promised to take things slow.

After teaming up with Nick to keep Adam from getting custody of Christian or Connor, Chelsea asked Anita to bring Connor to Genoa City. Chelsea let Adam spend time with Connor who was overjoyed to find out that his father was still alive. But Adam pushed it too far, expecting Connor to come live with him. Chelsea and Adam had a heart to heart about the difference between Adam and Nick, how Adam demands things from people, and Nick earns them, including love from Christian. Chelsea pointed out how everything revolves around Adam, he does whatever it takes to get what he wants, and his manipulation just pushes people away instead of getting what he wants most – love. Afterward, Adam presented Nick with papers giving up his rights to Christian and concentrated on being a good father to Connor, and someone Chelsea could trust. But when Adam did not show up at the hearing, Nick had to plead with the judge for custody, but won. After spending the evening with their boys, Nick and Chelsea made love.

Phyllis became CEO of Dark Horse and secretly liquidated all its assets and tried to return them back to Nick, but he only accepted New Hope. Nick later asked Devon to partner with him on New Hope. Phyllis sold the Jabotique properties to Jabot, and teamed up with Victoria to return the rest to Newman to try to make amends.

Victor was secretly getting treatments from Dr. Nate, for paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria disease, which was destroying his red blood cells. As his new experimental treatments began to give him memory lapses and lethargy, Nikki eventually convinced Victor he had to let go of responsibility and tell the family. He made Victoria CEO of Newman and stepped down, tried and failed to talk Nick into COO, and they all came together to support Victor in his recovery.

Nate realized that someone had tampered with Victor’s medication, as test results showed double his dosage. Knowing that it had been Adam, they staged Victor’s death to prove that Adam had tampered with his meds, hoping he would show remorse. Nate, Nikki, Billy, Victoria, Nick, Abby and Paul were all in on it. Yet when the dust settled and Adam was exposed, Victor forgave him and let him leave town, and Newman life went on as usual. But Chelsea was livid that Nick had not let her in on the plan, and they had told Connor that his grandfather was dead. Now that they told him Victor was alive, and Adam had abandoned him, he was having some serious emotional problems. They thought they had gotten through to him with fun and games, until they found Christian locked in the garage. Sharon was called in to see if she could help him. Things got so bad that Nick went hunting for Adam and talked him into returning to help his son. Adam moved back into the penthouse and Chelsea let Connor stay with him. Things only escalated for Connor after being held hostage and threatened by a bad guy with a gun, so Chelsea began spending nights there with him, then finally moved in with Adam for Connor’s sake. Nick had been understanding to this point, but Chelsea moving out of his house and into Adam’s was the last straw, and Nick ended their relationship.

Phyllis enticed Chicago online superstar Rebekah Barlow to work as a contract cosmetic partner with Jabotiques, but Rebekah wanted to meet with Nick to seal the deal. Phyllis convinced Nick to meet Rebekah in her hotel room, and Rebekah came onto him in lingerie. Phyllis burst in and let her know that Nick was already spoken for. Rebekah signed a six month consulting contract. Nick and Rebekah had occasional sex over several months.

Phyllis and Nick were drawn to each other again but as much as they would talk about being better as friends, they would end up having sex. They finally gave in and went public that they were back together. Both Sharon and Summer reacted with a “whatever makes you happy.” Together, Nick and Phyllis came up with The Escape Club, as a perfect escape fantasy and spa indulgence custom designed for each woman which was very successful for the Grand Phoenix.

While Victoria was recovering from being mistakenly stabbed by Amanda’s stalker, Nick refused Victor’s plea to become interim CEO of Newman. But Phyllis convinced Nick to take the job before Victor gave it to Adam. Adam declared war and blackmailed Victor into making him CEO, claiming he had proof that Victor had killed A.J. the loan shark who had been responsible for the death of Adam’s step father in Kansas. Adam’s tenure was short-lived when Victoria returned as CEO and exposed that the real murderer of A.J. had been 11-year-old Adam who had blocked it out.

Victoria suddenly bought out Phyllis' note on the Grand Phoenix. Victoria instructed her lawyer to comb the contract, push Phyllis out, and sell the building at premium price. Phyllis searched the city for financing, but finally gave in a let Nick pay off the loan. Phyllis insisted on a payment plan.

Phyllis and Nick started growing apart. In addition to his obsession with his family, Nick just didn't seem to get her anymore and became critical over everything she did. Phyllis was devastated and spent a lot of time baring her soul to Jack until Jack admitted that he had never stopped loving her. Nick found out and told Phyllis they were through. Jack was very careful not to be her savior and avoided her. Feeling lost and lonely without Nick or Summer, she left for Milan, seriously considering Summer's offer to work with her at Marchetti. Though she secretly hoped Jack would ask her to stay. Phyllis returned in a much-improved frame of mind, happy about her time in Milan, but decided to stay in Genoa City.

Victoria sold off the media division of Newman to Chancellor, it was renamed ChanceComm, and run by Lily Winters and Billy. Victor coerced Ashland Locke into selling Cyaxares Media to him, renamed it Newman Media, and put his new favorite son Adam in charge. The media war started between the two companies. Victoria and Ashland merged their companies and became Newman-Locke and Nikki became COO. Ashland and Victoria fell in love and were engaged. After finding all the dirt on Ashland's past, Nick told Victoria in an attempt to stop the wedding. Victoria was furious and cut ties with Nick. She and Ashland were married at the Newman Tuscany villa which Victor gave them as a wedding present. Victor and Nikki made sure that Nick and Victoria mended their relationship. But months later when Ashland wanted to be made Co-CEO of Newmand-Locke and Victor discovered that Ashland had defrauded Victoria, Nick again had to help Victor get rid of Ashland rather than have her realize he had used and made a fool of her. Instead of obeying Victor, Ashland told Victoria that Victor was claiming that he had proof that Ashland's cancer was a hoax. When Victor called Ashland threatening him again to tell Victoria, Ashland answered "Do it."

Ashland was exposed as having conned his way into Victoria’s heart and Newman. He never had cancer and had played her. Victoria had a hard time accepting it and getting Ashland out of her life. It didn’t help that Ashland saved Victoria’s life when she was trapped in her burning car after an accident. It turned out that Rey had a heart attack that caused the accident and he died. Sharon was devastated, and Nick was there for her through it all.

With no authority Adam offered Ashland a half-billion dollars for Ashland to walk away from the company and accept an annulment from Victoria. But Victor agreed to pay it himself. After Victoria refused to forgive him, Ashland accepted the payoff. Weeks went by, Ashland living at the Grand Phoenix, refused to leave town. Trying to make amends, Ashland donated 250 billion dollars to New Hope in the name of recently deceased Rey Rosales. Nick wanted to refuse it, but Victoria convinced him to take every penny. Michael and Victor, with the consent of Kyle, had a restraining order issued to keep Ashland away from Harrison, further pushing him to leave. But out of the blue, Victoria let them know that she still loved Ashland, this was her chance to break free, and she and Ashland left for New York City where they started planning their new business and where to live there. Victor made Adam CEO of Newman in hopes it would entice Victoria to return. Nikki returned to her COO position to better keep an eye on Adam. Adam made Sally CEO of Newman Media. When Victor found out that Victoria and Ashland were shopping for investors for their new business, he put the word out reminding them that Ashland “was dying”. No investor was interested in financing a startup whose CEO was dying, and they all backed away. So the couple decided to finance it themselves.