Young and Restless Recaps: The week of August 26, 2002 on Y&R

Victor and Nikki discovered Maxwell's ploy. Diane took legal action to ensure that Kyle would never be alone with Phyllis. Brad shared quality time with Olivia. Raul had no feeling in his legs. After Sharon confessed her affair, Nick attacked Diego.

Monday, August 26, 2002

by SONJA

Max works to convince Nikki to stay a little bit longer. No luck, Nikki is ready to leave. She senses that Max has another agenda and is trying to keep her for some reason other than her company. He keeps watching his television screen hoping to show Nikki that Victor is betraying her with Lorie, but the feed from Lorie's room never comes on.

Meanwhile, Lorie is discussing the past with Victor, trying to convince him that their love may not be completely lost. Victor assures her that he loves and is marrying Nikki, and as far as his past with Ms. Brooks is concerned, one of the things their relationship taught him was that some things are not meant to be.

Lorie seems to be truly moved by Victor's apology and his sweet remembrance of their union, she can not bring herself to turn on the camera. As she tearily hugs Victor and tells him that he should leave, Max barges in with Nikki in tow. Nikki enters just in time to see Victor release his former fiance from an embrace.

Brad stops by Olivia's office. Olivia updates him on the good news regarding Neil being in rehab. She also shares the news about Lily and Dru being back in Genoa City. She tells him about getting robbed by Juice, and how worried she is about the effect that Neil's situation may have on her niece. Both Olivia and Brad agree that parenting is a very challenging task, and Brad reassures Olivia that she has done a terrific job raising Nate. In light of everything that has been going on lately, Olivia does see one silver lining in the situation-Olivia: "the situation has allowed you and I to become closer friends." Brad couldn't agree more, "it's a two way street." He notes that Olivia has been a life-line to him given all that he is dealing with in regards to Ashley's illness. The friends share a hug.

At the rehab center. Dru watches through the door as Neil talks to Serena. Serena makes it clear that she cares about Neil and once he is sober she would like to be a part of his life. Neil cares for Serena, too... but tells her that he needs to work on himself before he can make any promises to her. Serena is sure he will beat his drinking problem, she asks if she can come back to visit him, when he doesn't answer, she tells him that she will just wait to hear from him.

As Serena leaves Neil's room she runs into Drucilla. The women exchange "what are you doing here?" attitude. It's a brief exchange, but one thing is clear-this won't be a loving friendship. Serena leaves.

Dru enters Neil's room, immediately stating that he "looks like hell." Neil notifies his ex-wife that she can leave if all she came to do was rag on him. In true Drucilla fashion, she tells it like it is-she lets him know that it rocks her to see him so low, he is not at all who she thought he was. When Neil asks what's going on with Lily, Dru supplies that Lily is fine "and even if she wasn't you are in no position to deal with it." Neil confesses that the one thing that struck him in all of this was the hurt and anger that he saw in Lily's eyes. Neil: "It cut through my heart like a knife." Dru concedes that the road to recovery will not be easy for Neil, he's going to have to do a lot of work with his therapists to get through this. Neil supplies that the one thing that would make this easier for him, is if Dru and Lily could stay for a while. Dru says she can't promise anything, but she will think about it.

Meanwhile, Lily has called Wesley, begging him to please come to Genoa City and convince Dru to let her come back to Paris. She shares that she hates it in that small little hick town and that she can't wait to leave. Wesley tells her not to be such a snob and to give it a chance. Lily doesn't want to give it a chance, especially given the state that they found her father in "he's a drunk." Lily hates all things Genoa City. Wesley is confident that Dru has the situation under control and tries to reason with the teen, stating that she'll be fine. Again, Lily begs him to come to the rescue. Wes gently supplies that, whether Lily knows it or not, the communication between he and Dru has not been very good lately. Lily feigns surprise and says "that's odd, because she talks about you all the time." Lily says that Dru is constantly saying wonderful things about Wes, and that "she goes on and on all the time about how much she misses him." Finally, when all of Lily's pleading seems to have fallen on deaf ears, an angry Lily hangs up the phone on Wes.

Later, Wes studies a picture of Dru and Lily. He picks up the phone and makes a reservation for a flight to Genoa City.

At the hospital Brittany's parents find her having a cup of coffee in the cafeteria. They have found a lawyer who's specialty is D.U.I.'s and they are pretty sure he can get Brit off, and she will have a clean slate and be off to college as planned. Brittany is not interested in meeting with the lawyer right now. She is very worried about Raul. She feels responsible for the condition that he is in, and is amazed by the fact that he doesn't seem to blame her for what happened. The Hodge's become concerned about a lawsuit when they realize Brittany has spoken with Raul's parents, they think it might be a good idea to have a lawyer call them, so that the Hodge's can "express their concern." Brittany is disgusted by her parents, Raul could be dying upstairs, and all they care about is money.

Raul is checked by Dr. Reese, he has no feeling in his legs yet. The Dr. tries to comfort him by saying that it's too soon to determine whether or not he is paralyzed. Diego and Mac stop in to visit Raul. They tell Raul to think positive and keep his spirits up. At first Raul doesn't remember much about the accident, but as he thinks the events of the night, all of the details return to him. Raul: "Brittany was driving the car and she was very drunk." Just as Raul realizes that Brittany is at fault for the accident, and also the reason that he may never walk again, she enters the room. As Brittany sits comforting him, Raul just gives her an incredulous stare.

Tuesday, August 27, 2002

by Tara L. Parrish

Max burst into Lorie's hotel room dragging Nikki by the hand. Lorie looked at him, incredulous, and asked him what he was doing there. He gave himself away by replying that he couldn't wait any longer, that nothing was happening in the room. Shocked as well, Nikki turns around and quickly exits the room. Victor approached Max and threatened that if their stunt costs him his marriage to Nikki, he will have hell to pay. Infuriated, Lorie began packing and started yelling at Max, saying he ruined all chances for she and Victor to even be friends anymore, and that she wished she had never gone along with the scheme. Max told her he is upset with her for not activating the camera and blowing the scheme. She blew up again, and told him that Victor's commitment to Nikki is real and there was nothing she or anyone else could do to change that. Max hardly noticed that she left-he is still not accepting the situation for what it is. He picked up the phone and asked the concierge to order flowers and send them to Victor and Nikki's wedding.

Victor and Nikki both went to the ranch and neither knew what to say. They both talked about how they were lured to the hotel by Max and Lorie and what went on in each respective room. Nikki asked Victor what he was feeling when Lorie was pouring her heart out to him. He told her that he felt compassion for her, but their relationship was long since over. They shared a good laugh over the whole thing.

Brad and Olivia had another heart-to-heart about Ashley's situation, and she tells him he can stop by any time. Meanwhile, Jack stopped by the Carlton home to see how Ashley was doing. She asked him about Phyllis and Diane and he doesn't really want to talk about it. He inquired about her and Brad's relationship and she offered that it had been tense, especially since Victor's visit. She told him they were both protecting each other from their own pain, and it was creating a distance between them. Jack told her that for once, he was siding with Brad and that if she needed support she should lean on the family. Ashley got infuriated and told him to back off and she had no intention of not accepting Victor's support.

Brittany went into Raul's hospital room and commented that he looked better. Disgusted, Diego snaps at Brittany and Raul asked him and Mackenzie to leave the room so he could talk to Brittany alone. Brittany tried to avoid talking and admitted she was scared to hear what the doctor had to say. Raul told her about the potential paralysis in his legs and asked her to touch them, which she doesn't. He began crying and told her he was out of it the last time they talked, but now he had remembered all the details. He berated her for drinking so much and for not listening to him. She cried and asked for his forgiveness, but he just looked at her and said, "I blame you for this---it's all your fault."

Out in the hallway, Mackenzie tried to calm Diego down and encouraged him to go get a cup of coffee in the cafeteria. After he left, Brittany's parents approached her and expressed their "concern" for Raul. They also asked if she felt Raul was blaming Brittany for his condition, and Mackenzie, obviously taken aback, told them she couldn't answer the question.

The Hodges looked over and saw Raul's parents and decided they should go talk with them. Raul's dad told them he told Brittany to tell them he wanted to talk with them, but wasn't surprised that she didn't do it. Mr. Hodges told them their insurance would pay for all of Raul's hospital bills and any additional expenses, to which Raul's parents answered a quick, "We should hope so." They go on and on about what a good girl Brittany is and compared their children's tragedies-Brittany being arrested and Raul being in the hospital. Fed up with their phoniness, Raul's parents both gave them a piece of their minds, telling them exactly what they thought of their behavior and their "selfish and thoughtless" daughter, before storming off. Once they were out of earshot, Mr. Hodges looked at his wife and said, "We're in trouble."

As Brittany left Raul's room in tears, she avoids the accusing eyes of his parents. Her parents ask how he is doing, and Brittany broke down and asked her father to hold her.

Wednesday, August 28, 2002

by Citrine

Olivia and Brad hugged after assuring each other of their friendship and support during these hard times with Neil and Ashley. Dru saw them from the doorway and came into Liv's office. She told Olivia she'd been to see Neil, who seemed determined to stick with his rehab program. After Brad left, Dru admitted that Neil had asked her to stay in town with Lily until he got out of rehab. Olivia thought that was a good sign of his desire to make amends, but she wasn't surprised when Dru said she hadn't made up her mind. She thought Dru was being selfish, as usual. Before the two of them got into a fight, Dru changed the subject, asking what was going on between Olivia and Brad. Olivia told her about Ashley's fight with breast cancer. Dru implied that if Ashley didn't make it, it was good that Olivia and Brad had each other to lean on. Olivia got annoyed, reminding Dru that Ashley was her best friend, and another fight was averted when she took a phone call. Dru left with a knowing expression on her face.

John expressed concern to Jack that Brad wasn't being supportive enough of Ashley. Jack urged his father not to overreact, but John questioned Brad's worth as a husband if he couldn't help Ashley through this difficult time. Jack reminded him that Brad needed support, too. John admitted that Ashley's illness was hitting him very hard and that he wanted to protect Ashley from her ordeal.

Ashley told Brad that maybe the fact that Neil had turned a corner in his battle with the bottle was a good omen for all of them. She insisted that they had to stop making her illness the focal point of their lives. She said they needed to think about what was important: Abby and their relationship. Brad tried to reassure her about how much he loved her, but Ashley said they were not connecting the way they once had. She told him that she was sure she would survive her battle with cancer, but she wasn't sure that their marriage would survive. When Brad tried to talk to her about his emotions, she felt overwhelmed and said she was tired and needed to lie down.

At the ranch, Sharon and Nick joined Victoria in spending some time with Victor and Nikki before the wedding. Nick told them all that he and Sharon were going to try to have another baby, and everyone reacted positively to the news. Later, Nick privately told his parents how happy he was about their reunion and how they were an example of how important it was for him to hold on to his marriage to Sharon.

When Nikki talked alone to Victoria, she admitted that there was someone she'd forgotten to invite to the wedding: Diego. She noticed that the mention of his name made Victoria blush, and she correctly guessed that Diego was the new man in her daughter's life. She assured Victoria that if she was happy, Nikki was happy for her, because she knew how hard the last year had been on her. She promised not to put Diego under a microscope, and encouraged Victoria to let him escort her to the wedding.

Victoria went to invite Diego to be her date to the wedding. She was upset to hear the news about Raul's wreck and subsequent injuries. She offered to go right then with Diego to the hospital, or to accompany him the next morning. Diego said he'd decided to let his parents stay with Raul for that night, and he would go back after he got more news about his brother's condition. Victoria cheered him up by telling him how supportive Nikki had been of their relationship. She agreed to spend a romantic evening with him. Diego was able to put aside his worries about Raul to share Victoria's happiness about her parents' remarriage. The two of them felt closer than ever to each other.

Nick and Sharon were alone at their house and planning a romantic evening of their own. Nick told her that Nikki wanted to see her for a few minutes about some last-minute wedding arrangements. When Sharon returned to the main house, she was happy to see Nikki and Victor being affectionate with each other. But her mood changed when Nikki asked her to call the wedding planner and add a last minute guest: Diego, who would be Victoria's date. Sharon agreed, her face frozen into a pained expression. Then she left, while Nikki and Victor exchanged bewildered looks.

Sharon let herself quietly back into her house, calling Diego before Nick realized she was back. Everything she tried to say to him, Diego cut off, telling her he was happy about the news that she and Nick wanted to have another child, and letting her know that he'd be Victoria's date at the wedding. Sharon was upset when she heard Victoria's voice, then Diego hung up the phone. As Sharon brooded about the fact that the two of them were together, probably being intimate, Nick came in and told her he'd bring some juice up to their bedroom. Later, Sharon pretended to be asleep when Nick came to bed.

Thursday, August 29, 2002

by Ruth

It was the morning of Nikki and Victor's wedding day. They talked sweetly to each other on the phone and vowed that their love would last forever.

Soon, Victor received a visit from Katherine Chancellor. She gave him a stunning set of cufflinks for good luck. He graciously accepted the gift, then she asked how he was holding up then laid down the law with him about making it last with Nikki this time. She wanted assurance that he would be good to her and not do anything to make them break up once again. He promised to be true to the love of his life and sent Katherine on her way.

Nick wondered why Sharon went to sleep so soon the night before when they had been talking about trying to start working on another baby earlier that evening. She told him that she had been too tired and this morning she needed to go for a walk. In her head she was replaying the phone call she had with Diego -- he was attending the wedding with Victoria. Nick asked if she wanted him to come with her, but she encouraged him to stay and get ready for the kids' return. She walked over to the tack house and, to her horror, she saw Diego and Victoria romping in bed.

Nikki had a leisurely breakfast at the ranch, remaining surprisingly calm for such a day in her life. She asked Nicholas if Cassie could come up and see her as soon as she came home. Cassie was thrilled to get a look at her dress for the wedding and was very excited to hear that she was to be a Junior Bridesmaid instead of a flower girl.

Diego realized that he didn't have a suit to wear to the wedding. Victoria told him that she had an idea about that and soon returned with an expensive suit from Fenmore's. It fit him perfectly and he hesitated to accept the generous gift. She insisted and soon was tearing it off his body to ravage him once again. . .

Brad and Ashley had a strained conversation about whether or not she should attend the wedding. He was worried about her health and she insisted that it was very important that they both be there for their friends -- people who had been very important in both of their lives at one time. She wanted him to quit treating her like a baby and he wanted her to quit being so stubborn and putting her health at risk. Finally, they decided that they didn't want to turn it into another argument about Victor and his meddling in her life. Ashley told him in no uncertain terms that she was going to be there whether he liked it or not!

Phyllis came downstairs to find Jack getting breakfast for Kyle. She was in an excellent mood because she saw Diane leaving the grounds earlier that morning. They talked of dressing up for the wedding and their special time with Kyle. Phyllis had some private time with Kyle, dancing with him and telling him all about weddings. Jack found them and reassured his wife that Diane would not be a problem for them in the future.

Isabella found Diane at Gina's having breakfast. Diane snubbed her and acted like they were no longer friends. Isabella didn't back off, though, and wanted to know how things were going with Jack. Diane told her that things were fine, due to her sheer determination that they would work out to her advantage. Soon, Isabella realized why Diane was trying to shoo her away -- the attorney who had helped her with the custody hearing arrived at the table. Isabella left and the attorney asked Diane if she realize the impact of what she had asked her to do. Diane was certain that it was the right thing to do and wanted to see the document. . .

Sharon came back to their home after her walk acting very strangely. She wouldn't tell Nick what was wrong and was dropping things, she was so distraught. He demanded to know what was going on with her and she avoided it as long as she could. She tried to distract both of them by asking him to make love to her on the sofa. The kids were gone for now and she wanted him badly. Before anything serious happened, she looked up at him and saw Diego. She freaked out and backed away. This time Nick wouldn't stand for it any longer -- she had to tell him what was going on! She admitted that she had a secret that had been bothering her the last few months. It was eating her up inside and it was about Diego. . . .

Friday, August 30, 2002

by Citrine

As Nikki received a facial and scalp massage, she and Katherine discussed the excitement of her upcoming wedding. They talked about their bond, which was like mother and daughter, and Nikki told Katherine how thrilled Victoria was that her dream of her parents' reconciliation was coming true.

Victor was shocked when Jack showed up at the penthouse. He reminded him that he was getting married that night, and Jack said that was why he was there. He wished Victor and Nikki the best, because Nikki still had a special place in his heart, then he told Victor that he hoped this would be a new beginning for them, too, and they could lay their old enmity to rest. He said Ashley's illness had changed his perspective on some things. Victor told him to be sure to watch over Ashley. After Jack left, Victor wondered what the visit was really all about.

At Jabot, Jill thanked Larry for persuading her to see Billy before he left for Louisiana, telling him they'd parted on good terms and Billy was emailing her. Larry was pleased, and Jill said that he should sneak up to her room later so she could thank him. Larry agreed, and started to leave her office, when she noticed a troubled look on his face. Larry asked her how well she knew Phyllis, and told her about the odd conversation he and Phyllis had at Gina's, when Phyllis asked him if he knew any hit men. Jill laughed it off, saying Phyllis liked to shock people to get attention. Larry wondered if he should tell the police about it, but Jill assured him that Phyllis was not a danger to anyone.

Phyllis was annoyed when she saw Diane watching her and Kyle through the dining room window. When Diane indicated that she wanted to come inside, Phyllis granted approval. Diane came in and took Kyle back to the pool house. When Jack came in, Phyllis told him that Diane had taken Kyle, but things had been civil between them. They both hoped this indicated a positive shift in Diane's attitude. Diane then returned to the house, which annoyed Phyllis. But when Diane explained that she merely wanted to ask if Jack and Phyllis wanted to take Kyle to Victor's wedding, things became cordial again, especially when Diane showed them the suit she'd gotten for Kyle. Diane then said that her old firm in Genoa City had made her an offer that she thought she would accept. She then told them she would be looking for her own home in the area. Just when things seemed to be going well, she dropped her bomb. She'd talked to her attorney Sydney, who was drawing up a petition to keep Phyllis from spending unsupervised time with Kyle. Phyllis furiously walked out, and Jack asked Diane what her reason was for doing such a thing. She said that no one could blame her for protecting the best interests of her child.

Brad and Ashley continued their heated argument about going to Nikki and Victor's wedding. Brad thought it would not only be too much for her, but told her he was tired of Victor just dropping in to their house whenever he felt like it. Ashley insisted that was not the case. She said that Victor was her friend, and she wanted to go to the wedding to celebrate his happiness. She wondered why Brad did not feel the same way about Nikki's happiness. As the argument escalated, Brad decided to take a walk to cool off. When he stormed out the front door, John was standing there. John demanded that Ashley tell him what was going on, and Ashley reminded him that her illness was causing a lot of strain, but she and Brad could handle it and she hoped John would not interfere. Later, as Ashley slept, she dreamed of Abby as a teenager, talking to Brad about how much it had hurt to grow up without her mother. When Brad told her about the special bond she and Ashley had shared, Abby admitted that the one thing she wanted to know was who her biological father was. Brad admitted he couldn't tell her, not because he didn't want to, but because Ashley had never told him. Abby tearfully said that it wasn't fair that Ash had taken that secret with her. Ashley woke up crying and saying she couldn't let that happen. She set up the VCR to continue making her tape for Abby so she could tell the truth about Abby's paternity. As she began to talk, Brad came home and stood behind her, listening.

Sharon reminded Nick of the way his pain over her rejection and his fear that their marriage was over had left him vulnerable to the advances of the woman in the coffee house. She said that just when she'd been convinced that there was nothing to that, Grace had returned to town and triggered all of her insecurities. She was convinced that she was losing her husband and her children were losing their father. In her pain and confusion, she had gone to Diego. Nick kept demanding to know what Diego had said to her, and Sharon finally confessed that she'd had sex with him, once, in a moment of weakness. Nick was furious and demanded to know how many times, and if she'd had sex with "the help" in their bed. Sharon kept telling him it had only happened once, but Nick said that she'd betrayed him and lied to him, all while pretending to be the perfect wife and mother. He stormed out of their house, making threats against Diego.

Diego and Victoria had a serious talk after they made love. They agreed to just be themselves at the wedding, and not worry what other people thought. After Diego talked to his parents about Raul's condition, Victoria asked if he'd rather not go to the wedding, but Diego said he wanted to go. Victoria then admitted that she thought she was falling in love with him. Diego happily responded that she'd taken the words out of his mouth. Later, as he was straightening up the tack house, Nick burst in and began hitting him, knocking him to the floor. Victoria ran in screaming and demanding to know what Nick was doing.