A free and gentle flower growing wild

Phyllis was determined to get Chelsea out of Nick's life, once and for all. Will Nick discover Chelsea's deceit not only about the money but also about Christian's paternity? And will Billy live to regret cheering Phyllis on if comforting her ex turns into something more? Remembering the wildflower, Colleen, in Two Scoops.

Okay, I don't get it. Victor and Chelsea have been partners in crime in keeping silent about Christian's paternity for well over a year, and neither of them ever seemed the least bit worried about the other. They have both been happy as clams, holding deep in their hearts the secret that their beloved Adam was actually Christian's biological daddy, which has kept them going after his demise. But then, out of the blue, Chelsea was freaking out about not having enough money to ensure both of her sons' futures, and Victor seemed to take immense enjoyment out of snatching Chelsea's hidden stash right out from under her nose. In the land of Newman, the world always seems to be almost tilting off its axis, and trust is something one can never count on, but this seems too sudden, even for Victor.

Did amnesia strike Chelsea to the point where she had forgotten that both of the kids are also Victor's grandsons? And did Victor instantly regret ever forming this vow of silence with his daughter-in-law and the mother of his grandson, Connor, especially since he had been keeping quiet about Christian to protect Nick as well as Adam's memory? Or could neither of them continue to deny their true self? After Hilary had reminded her so abruptly on The Hilary Hour, maybe Chelsea started to miss her con artist days and was ready to get back into action again. It just seemed to be rather lame that she would steal money from Fenmore's and her own company, all in the name of her kids. Hmmm...that does sound very familiar, just like someone else we all know and love -- Victor Newman.

The Mustache has always claimed that every action he has ever taken -- since he first fought tooth and nail to build his company up, brick by brick, from the ground up --has been for the sake of his family. Shoot, we had to hear that story from him again just the other day. I have to give it to Victor -- he sure has all of those words down pat. It's almost like an actor with a script. He's rehearsed the lines so many times, he knows them all by heart and can pretty much spit the words out automatically now.

Chelsea must have adopted Victor as her mentor and also as her director, since her actions have been mirroring his, and her claims (even to herself) were that everything she did was for her loved ones' best interests. But Nick may just have his own opinion about that, and he would be in the best position to judge. Nick would know just how phony that kind of claim can be, since he's heard it so many times in the past.

And Victor, as puppeteer extraordinaire, always had to be the one calling the shots, no matter how much he may be pretend to like someone -- and Chelsea's little embezzlement wasn't exactly in his playbook. Wow, Chelsea, was it really worth getting on your father-in-law's bad side to get your hands on what could be considered Victor's pocket change? It's not like she was ever going to be poor again. Even after he gave away his trust fund, Nick still had plenty of money. And Victor was sure not going to ever let his grandsons go without...well, anything. The way Vic alienates his children, he needs to have his grandkids on the sidelines, ready to go into play at a moment's notice. If Chelsea thought she was going in for the score, she should have kept an eye on her blindside, because Nick's father would always be sure to block any attempt of hers to break free. Chelsea should ask Nick about that.

So, Victor thought he quashed Chelsea's attempt of guaranteeing her security by putting his foot down -- smack dab on her cash. But we all know that Melissa Claire Egan is leaving our soap, so Chelsea will still find some way to escape. Sure, her con radar may be a little rusty, but she can polish it back up and utilize her skills to get the better of him. I can't see Victor letting her get away with little Connor, though.

Actually, Victor may end up banishing Chelsea to the boondocks, after it is all said and done. Victor doesn't take kindly to any sort of betrayal, especially from someone who had been the recipient of his many generosities. At times, Victor treated Chelsea better than he ever treated either Adam or Nick. Chelsea was crazy to even attempt to cross him. But she did cross him, and she will pay the price. "Captain Buzzkill" will make sure of that.

Even if Victor doesn't get Chelsea, Phyllis will. Phyllis had Chelsea's number -- and the serial numbers on the money as proof of Chelsea's deception. Yeah, I know Phyllis can be stubborn and bullheaded, but she's certainly taken that stubbornness to the extreme. It was almost like Phyllis had a vendetta against Nick's lady. And Phyllis' excuse...uh, reason to show Chelsea up was even lamer than Chelsea's was to take the money. Phyllis had to protect Nick.

Really? Since when has Phyllis been so overly concerned over her ex's welfare? Now he has zipped on up to number one on her list of priorities? Yeah, I guess Nick isn't a big boy who can protect himself. His father is Victor Newman, for heaven's sake. Nick should have acquired all the necessary skills throughout his life to use as a safeguard against his dad. No one has had more training in deceit and betrayal than Victor's children.

Chelsea was surely running scared, as her unexpected proposal to Nick proved. Chelsea showed just how insecure she was in her relationship with the man who was "amazing and handsome and really good with a hammer." I loved the T-shirt, though. "Hands Off He's Mine." Any man would have to be truly in love to wear that for his lady. Chelsea must not have enough faith in their love for each other, or maybe her love for him isn't quite as strong as his is for her. Nick may not be enough for Chelsea after she lost the love of her life, Adam.

As Phyllis yelled that she had to keep Nick's heart safe, Billy cheered her on. What? Is he crazy? That should be a humongous red flag flying over his head, probably resembling the red cape that Chelsea kept unintentionally waving in front of the eyes of our former "Red." Billy should think ahead and realize that if Phyllis' scheme works, Nick will be footloose and fancy free again.

You'd think Billy would be a little nervous about Phyllis' true agenda. Phyllis could be all too willing to comfort Nick after she tears his relationship with Chelsea apart. She made sure that Valentine's Day wasn't all hearts and flowers for the couple. But then again, Billy and Phyllis didn't exactly look like their relationship was smelling like roses, either, once they took a gander at their flashy surprise gifts for each other. I think each expected the other to zip out a proposal, and that sure didn't happen. I couldn't tell by the expression on her face, though, if Phyllis was relieved or disappointed. Or both.

By not proposing on Valentine's Day, Billy might have forfeited his chance of taking the next step with his lady, which may encourage her to keep looking in her ex's direction once he becomes available again. Phyllis could be ready for another round with the suave and sophisticated Mr. Nicholas Newman, which is something I wouldn't be ready for. Her sudden concern for Nick has me convinced. It's just weird that Billy can't see it. I always thought he was a pretty sharp guy, even for a screwup. Oh, well, I guess if Phyllis turns to Nick, Billy could always go running back to Victoria -- if he could pry her out of J.T.'s loving arms, that is.

Okay, I am still shaking my head at everything that is Victoria/J.T. They have been divorced for many years, and they haven't even been living in the same zip code during all that time. But they had no qualms about moving in together in lickety-split, record-breaking time. If Victoria's so wise and considerate of her children, why on earth would she do that? Why not take their time getting reacquainted and making sure their relationship is on steady ground first, which would give her young children time to adjust, before she moved in with her ex-husband?

I mean, there was a reason why they got a divorce in the first place, right? Wouldn't it be better to be safe than sorry, especially since her kids are so very young and impressionable? I still see no on-screen sparks between the two of them. Sorry. I figured that once she hired J.T. as the head of security, Victoria would be doing the horizontal tango on her desk with him every chance she got. She wouldn't allow that kind of behavior from any of her employees, which would make her a hypocrite. J.T. would be an exception to the rule, because she's the boss.

I thought it was rather funny when Victoria was lording it over J.T. that, as "COO," she was giving J.T. permission to sleep in the next day. Man, what a way to turn a guy's head. Just keep pointing out to the man you love that you are his boss and that you call all the shots regarding his career. J.T. was right when he called it a dog and pony show. Victoria sure knew how to stomp the romance out of a night supposed to be all about love. Even with their differences, Victoria is becoming more and more like her father all the time. Business first, romance second, children...well, they're somewhere much farther down the line. Maybe Victoria will adopt Victor's new motto, "Business is never off-limits when you're a Newman" -- I'm afraid apparently not even on Valentine's Day.

Sadly, Victoria and J.T. made amends, and they didn't even have make-up sex on her desk. But she did close the door, and they really smooched it up in her office. For someone who claimed to be professional in every way, that was anything but. However, their make-out session didn't make them any less boring, so their relationship will just drag on. Maybe one day something will happen to change my mind about them as an on-screen couple, but that day hasn't come yet.

Honestly, if it comes to a war between Victoria and Ashley at Newman Enterprises, I am on Team Ashley. I used to really like Victoria for being a strong, independent woman who was trying to prove her own worth to her father, but she has only become a shell of what she used to be. Somewhere along the way to becoming "COO" of the company (as she points out time and time again), she has lost most of her heart, which is what helped her get there in the first place. Victoria should remember that she's working with people who have their own lives, but she doesn't care. She used to care, and she was a stronger businesswoman when she did.

But now, Victoria's just a sham of the person she keeps claiming to be. She's not cunning or powerful enough to get away with that indifference like her father can, and that's what will probably be her downfall. I actually enjoy watching Ashley make her look like a fool. When it's Ashley versus Jack, I vote for Jack, but for Victoria and Ashley, I am rooting for Ashley.

And Ashley was certainly keeping Victoria on her toes and spotlighting her insecurities in front of dad. Score some major points for Ashley! No one can stab a competitor in the back while smiling in her face like Ashley. She must have loved getting her digs in to Victoria about the good she was doing for Brash & Sassy, especially after Victoria ran it into the ground. Take that!

Victor just patted his daughter on the head and told her to learn from her foe to become a force to be reckoned with. Sure, Victor. Easy to say but not so easy to do (and actually, not all that easy to say). But what did Victor care? He enjoyed watching their skirmishes too much to ever dream of putting a stop to them. Victor had to be in his seventh heaven. While his delight in the torment of his daughter may seem cruel, it's definitely not boring.

But Victor's lack of support had Victoria heading for the hills, straight in the direction of fellow enemy Jack Abbott. Her logic was simple: you want Ashley back, and I want Ashley gone. When you think about it, partnering up with Jack would be a great way for Victoria to get back at her father. Or the idea could put a smile on Victor's face, knowing that Victoria was using Jack to accomplish getting rid of an Abbott from the family business. Winner takes all, I guess, no matter the methods used. I don't know how successful Victoria will be in eliminating Ashley from Newman Enterprises, though, since Ashley's desire and main goal was to make Jack pay. Well, that pretty much summed it all up at Newman Enterprises and Jabot. Rather than working to have a successful career, everyone only cared about getting revenge on the other, which was hardly inspiring.

Jack must be insane to work with the enemy against a family member, even if it was for Ashley's own good. In his mind, that is. How will Ashley look once she's made to be "the Trojan horse" Victoria was setting her up to be? Ashley's reputation will surely take a hit, going from Innovator of the Year to a mole from within the company. I'm guessing that she won't be thankful for that. And you know Ashley will find out that Jack was behind it all.

For someone who wants so desperately to repair his family, Jack seems like he can't help but use methods that will further destroy it. Jack should have worked on the progress he had just recently made with his nice display of Ashley's successes, which was a positive way for them to heal. But instead, he chose to slither into the dark side, taking a chance of totally wrecking her career. Ashley will never forgive her brother if she finds out. And you know she will find out.

Lily and Cane were so sweet when they were renewing their vows. And Lily was absolutely stunning in the combination of her two previous wedding dresses. I loved her necklace. Lily and Cane were wise to make the ceremony a celebration of their entire family, which got Mattie back into believing that their marriage could succeed. And you know, that could just happen. Any guy who is willing to iron his own shirt for a special occasion has my vote. Lily doesn't know just how good she has it with Cane's knack for doing domestic chores.

Hilary and Devon's future goals sure didn't seem to mesh. Devon wanted Mariah to become more involved and to have a bigger part in Hilary's show, and Hilary didn't. Surprise, surprise, since Hilary only ever cares about Hilary, anyway. Hilary would cut off her nose to spite her face rather than have Mariah's talents and skills benefit The Hilary Hour, even if that made the show a bigger success. I am so glad that Devon and Mariah are still friends, though. I truly enjoyed watching their scenes together, and Mariah has already proven with Kevin that she makes a great friend. It was just too bad that Tessa took advantage of her friendship.

I can see two things happening with this storyline. Why, they almost smack you in the face. Devon will end up being Hilary's baby daddy. That's almost a sure thing. The gamblers in Las Vegas wouldn't bother with those odds. Even Phyllis mentioned on Valentine's Day that Hilary should do it the natural way with Devon to accomplish her goal. How romantic. Phyllis' words were almost covered by hearts with Cupid's zinging arrows through them.

However, any hopes Hilary had of doing the deed with Devon were crushed when she learned that Devon was seeing his beautiful singer Simone. Ahh, but that's just a small detour in Hilary's road normally filled with potholes and speed bumps. Devon had to throw some drama into it, since this is a soap, after all. Besides, he sure wouldn't want to make things too easy for Hilary. Devon had to learn the hard way that Hilary gets bored when the affairs of the heart aren't filled with many, many complications. Hilary liked a man to pursue her, but if he appeared to be too desperate, she would just yawn in his face.

And Hilary found that she had even more limits when it came to the father of her baby, after she met, up close and personal, the man who could be the daddy of her baby if she were found to be pregnant. Byron was a little too smooth and definitely way too oily, and he obviously thought he was God's gift to women. Ugh. If Hilary couldn't stand the thought of him being the father of her child, he had to be undesirable and truly unworthy. However, even Byron was just a blip in Devon's shot at fatherhood, since Devon still cared about his ex -- until Devon heard a recording of Hilary's involvement in Juliet's lawsuit, which had caused so much damage and destruction to the lives of many of Devon's friends and family, including his sister. Oops, I think I just saw the odds of Devon becoming Hilary's baby daddy skyrocketing out of this world.

The second development surely to happen is that somehow, some way, since Tessa can't have Noah, she will decide Mariah is her heart's desire, after all. And since Mariah was still so smitten, she wouldn't care that she would only be playing second fiddle in Tessa's heart, which is actually rather appropriate in this case. Wait, I guess that would be third fiddle, since music was Tessa's first love. Oh, yes, for Tessa, it would be music, Noah, Mariah -- in that order. And sure enough, the chances of that happening just went up drastically upon the reveal that Robert Adamson is leaving Y&R as Noah. Now, if Mariah can just accept the fact that she will only be third choice in Tessa's heart, all's good.

And it looks like Noah will be leaving sooner rather than later, since he had a big announcement to make to his family after a visit to his grandfather. Yes, indeedy, Victor will still be pulling Noah's strings from afar -- all the way to India, in fact -- after Vic's promise to reward him. It was pathetic that Noah had to decide to be more like Victor than Nick, but in his case, it wasn't surprising. I'm sure he was getting tired of playing the chump. Noah compared Victor to the sun, where everything revolved around him, and that description couldn't be more accurate. It has always been all about Victor. The sun rises and falls with Victor in Genoa City.

Even if Chelsea was worried that flashing her sparkly engagement ring around would steal Noah's thunder (which I noticed didn't stop her from doing it anyway), Phyllis had no such concerns as she dragged Billy to the Top of the Tower to confront Chelsea during Noah's gathering. Phyllis didn't care about the consequences of what happened to her former friend, just as long as she made sure the truth came out -- only Phyllis had no clue that the secret of Christian's paternity was part of that truth.

I don't see Chelsea's telling Phyllis that Adam was Christian's biological father as a threat for Phyllis to keep quiet. To me, it seemed more like a warning that if Phyllis didn't back off, the truth was bound to come out, especially since Victor was involved. It's funny that for someone who wanted the truth, Phyllis never wanted to hear Chelsea's side of it once Chelsea admitted to taking the money. For someone who has been on Chelsea's side of the fence numerous times, you would think Phyllis would have been more understanding and would have wanted all the facts before passing final judgment on her.

Wouldn't it be neat if Colleen could return from the grave? But I guess that would be impossible, since Victor was the recipient of her heart after she died. It's just a shame he hasn't made better use of it. But, hey, other soaps can bring characters back against such astronomically high odds. Just look at Days of our Lives and Will Horton, but I'm not complaining. I love Chandler Massey's Will, so I was all too willing to suspend any of my disbelief on that. Sadly, I'm afraid Colleen's gone for good. That's too bad. The line from the song "Wildflower" by Skylark, "And a sorrow no one hears still rings in midnight silence in her ears," could easily describe Traci regarding her cherished daughter, even to this day. Like Traci and J.T., I, too, wouldn't mind if Colleen's "gorgeous, stubborn wildflower" bloomed once again.

Until next time, please stay tuned.Teddi

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