Roll out those lazy, hazy, crazy days of Summer!

At long last -- the secret of Stitch's past is out! But is there more? Nikki is tempted by a familiar demon (vodka, not Ian) and is traumatized during the trial! And unwelcome guests at the Abbott family dinner! Will tempers rise to the surface? To learn more, read this week's Two Scoops.

Wow, it's hard to believe that it is already the middle of summer...and we were still waiting for all the details of Stitch's secret past. We assumed we'd hear the shocking details when Victoria did and hoped they would be earth-shattering. If even Jack was alarmed after learning the truth, we knew we had better brace ourselves. We were given another clue: Stitch killed "one man, one night," and it was not an accident or done in self-defense. Gee, we already knew that his actions led to the death of another, but we still wanted to hear who and why.

Jack believed that he should tell Billy and Victoria about Stitch's past. But Kelly was afraid she would lose her brother again if Stitch learned she had told Jack. And judging by Jack's reaction, Stitch's past probably won't help his chances with Victoria or as chief resident at the hospital. Y&R fan Kathy E. yells:

OMG!! I'm so frustrated at Kelly and Jack. She has to know that what she tells Jack will be too much of a secret for him to keep from Billy. He has some loyalty to his brother and Victoria. She should have just kept her mouth shut and gone to see a therapist. But Jack just enraged me by begging her to tell and promising not to repeat it, then shaking her trust by saying he has to tell! You can't have it both ways!

Apparently, Jack can. The funny thing was that he kept saying over and over again that he didn't want Victoria to be hurt by Stitch, but she will be hurt anyway. Victoria may be carrying Stitch's baby, which would forever tie him to her through her child, so she needs to know about the man that would be her child's father. Kelly also told Jack that her brother had served his time but had lost everything. Jack considered revealing all to Billy, but once Traci pointed out that trust was hard to earn back, Jack chose to keep his promise to Kelly. Welcome back, Traci! The Abbotts need you.

Come to find out, Kevin also learned Stitch's real identity, and guess what...I was right a couple of weeks ago when I put out the theory that (at least) two Bens attended Chesterfield High School: Ben Russell and Ben Rayburn. How convenient for Stitch! And both Bens had the same initials, B.R. Wow, now that is a coincidence. However, for those of you that don't believe in coincidences, maybe this is part of Stitch's "deep and dark secret." Could Stitch have caused Ben Rayburn to have a car "accident" so that he could steal his identity? That would be a bit much though. How could he ever be redeemed for that? Plus, he still would have needed a reason to take over Mr. Rayburn's life as his own.

Maybe Stitch unintentionally caused the death of Ben Rayburn in the accident? Oops, now we are back to a coincidental occurrence, plus that still wouldn't explain why he needed the change in identity. Remember, Kelly indicated that he had done time in prison. It's looking more and more like Ben Russell was running away from something in his past and Ben Rayburn's death came along at the right time.

But Kevin knew the reason, and after he showed Chelsea the high school yearbook, he let her in on it as well. It sure was ominous when Kevin questioned if Stitch would kill again. That almost made the killing sound deliberate, didn't it? Oh, my gosh, even Anita found out and stressed that Stitch could kill again. For heaven's sake, it's not like Stitch has been going around, killing everyone in Genoa City. But we wondered who Stitch killed and why? It appeared we would be the last to know.

What was so awful that made Jenna run away to Australia with Max? After swiping Dr. Shelby's hospital I.D. badge, Kevin gained access to Ben's medical records at the hospital and apparently learned yet another shocking fact about the dear doctor. It had to be something new because Kevin was one of the many who already knew about Ben Russell being a murderer. Was there something else lurking in Stitch's past?

So, of course, the more we heard that Stitch has a shady past (to say the least), the more Victoria seemed to want him. She flat-out stated that no matter what happened, she had decided to choose Stitch over Billy. I can't blame Victoria for rejecting the name Billy Jr., even if the child is Billy's. I am sure it would be difficult for her to be divorced from her husband and then to have to call her son by her ex's name, especially since she still loves him. I do realize that there are women out there who do this though. My ex-husband, who was a "Jr.," was called by his middle name after his parents divorced. It happens all the time.

I am also not surprised that Stitch did not want to call the baby Benjy, which was the name of a famous dog. I remember Benjy. Hey, that dog could do anything. He was smart. Don't look down on him, Stitch. But no, Stitch joked that Victoria should name her child, Egbert. What kind of name is that? If it was his father's name and his father did something so despicable that Stitch had to kill him, I can almost see why. That would be a hard name to live with, and this is from a girl who has had the name Teddi all her life. (My apology to any Egberts out there.)

Billy played kissy-face with Chelsea on the couch...until the maintenance guy waltzed in. Wow, that was pretty brazen. Just walked right in without even knocking. I would have been a little more upset than Chelsea was. She really seemed to take it all in stride. Y&R fan Dayze agrees:

Seeing Monday's show, why would you let a maintenance guy go around your place on his own instead of staying with him? I pretty much stay in the area where any one is working at my home. To be a con-artist, Chelsea is a bit too trusting of strangers.

That really is strange considering all that she has seen and done. After the guy went up (alone) to check out the buzzing that was bothering all the tenants (yeah, right), Chelsea remarked to Billy that she had believed, for one quick second, that the man had been Adam, returned home from the dead. But come on, we knew it wasn't Adam. After all, the cameras showed his feet, not his wedding-ringed hand. No, that was not Adam.

Chelsea finally acknowledged that Adam was never coming home but we, of course, know that the mysterious stranger with the clenched fists has to be Adam. We may not be seeing his face anytime soon, monogrammed handkerchief or no monogrammed handkerchief. All indications are that Michael Muhney will be filming a movie and will not be returning as Adam after all. So the rumors about his return were apparently false. I am not sure Adam has been recast, but maybe Y&R has learned a lesson after putting in a new Billy Abbott immediately after Billy Miller left. Time could possibly help the fans accept a new person portraying Adam, although that actor will have big shoes to fill. Let's just hope he has the hands to match.

Billy later returned to Chelsea's and found the yearbook with pictures of the two Bens. Finally! The only thing he was able to get out of Chelsea was that Ben was a murderer. But we already knew that! Once Chelsea refused to reveal anything further, Billy ran out to "go to the source." I was so frustrated when Chelsea stopped Kevin from telling her what he had learned at the hospital about Stitch. Maybe we can finally learn the whole story because Billy and Jack demanded that Stitch tell Victoria the truth -- in a public place!

It was funny that while all the ruckus was going on, no one else at the Athletic Club even glanced their way. They could have been on a deserted island as far as the patrons of the restaurant were concerned. Stitch did come clean and told how, as a teenager, he fought with his drunken, abusive father in a shed. He stated that his dad hit Ben before passing out. Stitch claimed that somehow a kerosene lamp was knocked over and started a fire in the shed. The cops didn't believe Ben's story, so he confessed to murder to spare his family. What? That's it? We waited all this time to hear that?

Seriously, that is hardly gripping drama. Actually it's pretty anticlimactic. Still, Victoria had to face the thought that her child might have a father who's a convicted murderer. It's true that the label followed Stitch throughout his life and ruined his life over and over again, which would be especially tragic if the fire had really been an accident. Although young Ben had wanted for his father to die, did he actually kill him? At the least, he unintentionally caused his father's death and he did not rescue him from the fire. But could there be more to the story? What did Kevin learn about Stitch at the hospital?

The Abbott family planned a get-together and Austin and Summer were excited about being invited. Summer hoped that, once and for all, they could prove they were a couple. Summer will have some crazy days ahead as a member of the Abbott clan, but her immediate future may be lonely without Austin. Still, Summer hinted at love, marriage, and a baby carriage -- years down the road. But really, Summer, six kids? As the mother of two, I can say that six is pretty ambitious. Even three is a huge handful. But I do agree with Summer about not wanting to hike to a place where you can't wash your hair more than once a week. I'm sorry but I need the necessities of life also: hot water, a rocker/recliner, and a television with a remote. I couldn't possibly "rough it" without my soaps -- or a bar of soap!

Traci and Abby prepared for the gathering as they fretted over the seating arrangements. Jack next to Austin? No. Traci wanted it to be a happy and healing dinner. Because her guests were slow in arriving, Abby took the time to check Tyler's status on Faceplace and saw that he changed it to "single." Wow, aren't technology and the social media methods great? I have been on Facebook for quite a few years now because it's an excellent way for me to communicate with my sons, who live in another state. However, I just joined Twitter last week, and it's almost like absorbing a whole new language. I actually had to research "hashtag" online to learn its use.

Twitter and texting have become an abbreviated way of communicating, and they both seemed to have taken the country by storm. I am trying to picture soap characters stopping the drama to text the details of what they are doing to their friends and family. Can you imagine Summer pausing in mid-conversation to her aunt Traci to respond to a text from Courtney during the Abbott family dinner? Honestly, if she did that, it would definitely be realistic, not to mention rude. It's all the rage these days. Texting and tweeting can be fantastic as long as they are used for good, not evil. But if they were used for evil, we could always call on our superheroes, Paul and Dylan, to save the day.

Although I am now on Twitter, I still do not text. I mean, can you imagine me being brief in anything I would have to say? Yeah, me neither. Even Twitter limits the number of characters you are allowed to use, which can be a problem for me. I am just too descriptive and wordy -- even when just talking about this. Ha, I guess it's just my lot in life. Fortunately, soap characters don't have the time to either text or tweet, or the soaps would wind up being pretty boring. Where would the drama be in watching the Winterses or the Newmans on their iPads or cell phones the entire episode? Tune in tomorrow to watch Abby send a blistering message to Mariah. I think not.

Abby sure has gotten pretty judgmental lately for someone who whines about not having a man of her own. Her sour attitude toward Kelly, as Jack's guest at the family dinner, was pretty pathetic for a host. Where's the carefree girl that used to be the Naked Heiress? Not at the Abbott family dinner apparently.

Actually, the Naked Heiress' Abby, Emme Rylan, will be at the General Hospital fan club event the first weekend of August, and I am excited to say that I will be attending for the first time. My husband and I have never even been to the Los Angeles area, so we can't wait to play tourists and see the sights. Hey, I just realized that I can tweet during the days of the events. There is one example of good, not evil.

I already have tickets for Emme's event and for Finola Hughes's event -- with special guest, Michelle Stafford! I am hoping that Ms. Stafford will comment on playing Phyllis on Y&R or on the reasons why she left the soap. Even if she doesn't, it will be a pleasure to meet both Michelle Stafford and Emme Rylan, since they were a part of the Y&R family at one time, which means they will always remain a part of my extended (soap) family.

Other than (the current) Abby's poor treatment of Kelly, who overheard all of Abby's rude comments to Traci, and her snide remarks to Austin at the table, suggesting he pursue a future as a prison inmates reality show cameraman, the Abbott family dinner was actually pretty tame. Where were the big blow-ups and catfights? I can think of one Thanksgiving dinner in my past that went that way. Aunt against aunt, my uncles up in arms -- defending their fair maidens -- while my dad just sat and watched football. It was gory. Y&R fan Ginny comments:

I think Ian Ward is going to be Victor's long lost brother he never knew he had!

Wouldn't that be something? Now those two being brothers would make for some lively entertainment. As a member of that troop, you would never be bored at any of the family gatherings. The Newmans already have a crazy dynamic as it is.

Speaking of Victor, he announced to Nikki that he would be leaving town for a while but would return in time for her court hearing over Ian's lawsuit. Little did Nikki know, Victor was traveling to Georgia to arrange for a new Swiss technique to attempt to reverse Phyllis' coma. Boy, that Victor will do anything to get Sharon out of Nick's life, right? I mean, it's not like Victor has a special place in his heart for Phyllis. He just wants to get the goods on Sharon so he can banish her from the Newman family -- again. You would think that Victor would remember, just one time, that Sharon will still be Noah and Faith's mother. At least, Nick never forgets that.

Of course, the doctor of the facility reminded Victor that the treatment was not approved by the board of directors, but that wasn't anything that a little bribery wouldn't cure. That being said, I am ready for Phyllis to come back. That storyline needs to be jump-started again, plus Phyllis' return would stir up some stuff with Jack and Kelly. I welcome Gina Tognoni's arrival, and so will Summer, when Phyllis finally awakens from her "sleep."

Summer even visited her mother in Georgia to announce her marriage to "a really incredible guy." Summer reminisced about the time that she asked Phyllis how she would know she was in love and her mother replied that it was like being hit by lightning. When Summer guessed that Phyllis would probably think that her daughter was too young and was in way over her head, I had to wonder how Phyllis would have reacted. Phyllis tends to be unpredictable, and who knows how she would have responded. Would she have accepted the marriage and tried to support her daughter, or would she have gone off on one of her tirades? We hope to find out soon.

Victor had best not be gone long because I am not sure how much longer Nikki can hold out, the way she kept eyeballing the vodka. She almost looked drunk when she arrived at Victoria's, but luckily, she was only stressed out about the lawsuit. As Nikki continued to be tempted by booze , she was able to resist its pull. So far. Victor really picked a bad time to leave. Sadly, I have a funny feeling that Nikki will eventually fall off the wagon with a loud, sickening kerplunk.

But thankfully, she still had Dylan and Paul in her corner, even if Dylan would be testifying for Ian in the court case. Nikki related to Paul that she feared her journal would release all the details about her past private life to be aired in public for the whole world to hear. Wow, the whole world! Apparently, the Newmans are like the Kardashians in that, and even though they are constantly a train wreck, you just can't look away.

Dylan's superhero cape became a little tattered when he preached to Leslie about attorney/client privilege and remarked that she should not be defending Austin, even after she pointed out that Austin did not intentionally shoot Paul. You had better watch out, Dylan. You don't want to lose your superhero image. But wait...Dylan later wanted Leslie's advice after she indicated that he would need to show the court whose side he was really on, since he would be testifying for Ian. Whew...that was close! We sure didn't want the shining armor for Nikki's knightly offspring to become tarnished. Never fear, damsels in distress. Dylan is still available for the rescue!

The trial began, and Ian's attorney did everything to portray Ian as the innocent victim, defrauded by a young, seductive Jezebel. Ian claimed that he had grown to love the child he believed to be his son, only to have Nikki rip that away from him. He swore to Michael that even though doctors had informed him that his accident at 15 years old had left him sterile, Ian believed Nikki when she told him that he had fathered Dylan and that it had been a miracle. With a look of disbelief etched on his face, Ian stressed that he accepted its veracity because Nikki would not lie to her own son. He actually had a point there, the poor duped guy! Ian sure knew how to pour it on!

However, Nikki maintained that she had truly believed that Ian was Dylan's father and read the passages she had written in her notebook during her time in the commune. When Nikki first learned that the master wanted to spend time alone with her, she had been excited because she believed that she was special to him. But she quickly learned that he only wanted her in his bed and that she had been "chosen" to carry his child. Nikki talked of the abuse she had suffered at her master's hands and reflected that she had only been his servant. Melody Scott Thomas tore at our hearts as Nikki sobbed on the stand, tears flowing down her cheeks.

I have to give Nikki credit, too, for insisting that Nick not be in the room as she read from her journal. Some things are too private and embarrassing for your children to hear, no matter what their age. Nikki was right to protect Nick and Victoria from her past. There's no doubt that they would have understood, but it was something that neither one needed to hear. Nikki was still a loving mother hen out to protect her flock.

Nikki insisted that she never would have given the baby away if she had known Paul was the father, and it was the biggest regret of her life. But if she had kept the child, Nikki would never have met up with Victor and would not later have had their two children, Nick and Victoria. It's weird when you think about it. Nikki's and Paul's lives would have been totally different. Sure, Nikki can regret giving up Dylan as a baby, but she has to accept that it was all for the best. Fate led her to Victor, who became the love of her life.

As tears flowed, Nikki admitted that the very thought of being pregnant with the monster's baby made her sick and that she couldn't bear the idea of keeping it. However, Ian's attorney suggested that maybe Nikki knew that Paul was young and carefree and wouldn't want to be saddled with it. You have to wonder how Dylan felt as he listened to them refer to him as "it." Ian's lawyer labeled Nikki as a heartless woman who gave her baby away like an unwanted pet or an old worn-out dress. He painted Nikki's character with some rather dark and bold brushstrokes.

But Michael reminded everyone that Nikki had made an honest mistake. After all, she could have kept the secret hidden forever. Dylan acknowledged that Nikki had been young and scared. He's a son to be proud of! Yet Paul felt that he had been deprived by not having Dylan in his life and wondered if losing his time with Dylan was the price he had to pay for not being the best father to Heather and Ricky.

I rather doubt that, since Dylan came along first. Besides, Paul was also young, and he was never given the chance to be a father to Dylan. That kind of punishment wouldn't make sense. Christine did have a very good question, though: why didn't Nikki ever tell Paul she was pregnant at the time, since they were such close friends?

I had to laugh when Dylan talked about his medical bills and about how he was charged 200 bucks for aspirin. My husband just had surgery and sadly, that pretty close to the truth. Thank goodness for insurance!

Traci was right with her advice to Abby: men are a luxury, not a necessity. If only the females on soaps could heed this advice. But that wouldn't make for very good drama, would it?

Didn't the meal for the Abbott dinner look scrumptious?

Victoria commented that if the baby were Billy's, it might help him to heal, bringing everything "full circle." Nikki then astutely observed that circles have no end -- which is probably true for Billy and Victoria also.

Harding's description of Kevin was hysterical: "Caucasian male, brown hair, beady eyes that are usually puffy from crying about his wife being shipped out." Funny stuff!

I enjoyed the scenes between Kevin and Michael and hadn't realized how I much missed seeing them together. Greg Rikaart and Christian LeBlanc pull off the brotherly camaraderie brilliantly.

I loved Nick's description of himself to Mariah in that he was super-fun, that he was easy on the eyes, and that his personality was legendary. You can't say that Nick doesn't like to toot his own horn.

Neil really is blind! His bet with Devon included tickets to a baseball game with Hilary as his date? Then Neil asked Devon to drive her home? Who didn't see it coming that, out in the middle of nowhere, Devon's fancy-dancy car wouldn't start? Nobody, I am sure!

As announced here on Soap Central on July 23, Shemar Moore will return to his roots later this summer to reprise the role of Malcolm Winters, Neil's brother. He was so popular as Malcolm. We shall look forward to his return.

Until next time, please stay tuned. I'm off to the GH fan club event!

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