After the smoke cleared and the last flame flickered...

Adam tried to strip the capes from our superheroes to claim the title as his own. Will a lengthy prison term prevent our new super guy from further rescuing damsels in distress? Ashley's kiss reawakened her burning love for Stitch. Now that the smoke in Newman Towers has cleared, have the flames for Abby also been extinguished in Ben's heart? Two Scoops tackles some red-hot lessons learned from the fiery disaster.

Now that the smoke has cleared and the fire has been extinguished, what lessons did we learn from the flaming calamity that used to be Newman Enterprises? By golly, it's November sweeps period! Since everyone survived without suffering from even the slightest hint of smoke inhalation, there would almost appear to be no point in this catastrophe of the week -- or in this case, of two weeks. Ah, but plenty of reasons lurked in the background, probably accompanied by the devil, Ian, and his new compadre, Patty -- and what an unholy alliance that would be.

An even more sinister affiliation could result from the fire if the Newmans and Abbotts decide to work together in the same building, due to Newman Towers being just a wee bit singed. Billy pointed out to Victoria that the two companies would be located on different floors of the building, but I don't think there could ever be enough stories to separate Victor and Jack. Victor would make sure he would run into Jack every chance he got just to drive him crazy. And with Victor nearby, Jack would probably start believing that Paragon was the lesser of two evils.

Strangely enough, it was Victor who was hesitant about moving on up into the building that housed Jabot. But I guess it wasn't so strange, after all, since he had always fought his company's battles on his own. And since Victor did not want Jack's help to raise Newman Enterprises from the ashes, Victoria felt her father's company could smolder along without her. There's no smoke without fire, clearly, and the animosity between Jack and Victor was blazing as hot as ever. Now, these two could be rather scorching corporate roomies.

Oh yes, and the sizzling sound you hear would be the quenching of the last flames of love in Stitch's heart for Abby, since Ashley's kiss drenched that fire. Poor deluded Abby. With bridal magazines in hand, she still attempted to go forward with her wedding plans to marry her beloved Ben. The same Ben whose body Abby threw off her mother in the burning building so she could attempt to revive Ashley. I thought that was rather hysterical. Abby flung Ben away as if he were some kind of rag doll, and it was only after she saw that her mother was okay that she cared about Ben's well-being. Shouldn't Abby have freaked out the moment she saw them both lying unconscious on the floor?

Another lesson learned was that Cane has absolutely no one who cares about him, except Lily. That should be a wake-up call for him. I mean, our superheroes, Paul and Dylan, ran several times in the building to search for Ashley, Ben, Abby, and Adam, but no one else even gave a thought for Cane. Paul could have at least stated something like, "Well, okay, as long as we are in the towering inferno, we will keep an eye out for Cane too," but the police commissioner never blinked an eye when he heard Cane was missing. Cane's made his home in Genoa City a lot longer than Ben has. Cane must be doing something wrong to rate so low on everyone's radar.

But it was Adam to the rescue, as he saved Ashley, Abby, and Stitch. Apparently, Adam always had it in him to be a savior, even if he didn't believe it himself. He had better watch out. Paul and Dylan may not take too kindly to Adam trying to strip the capes from their backs. Adam became our new super guy, and it appeared nothing would stand in his way. Not a speeding bullet or a powerful locomotive. If only Adam could have leaped the tall Newman Towers building in a single bound, the rescue could have gone a lot quicker. And Adam even defeated the devilish villain, Ian, to save many a fair maiden from a future plight. But somehow I doubt if Ian is done yet.

Even with all of Adam's past misdeeds, Victor will always stand by him, even when he acts like he won't. And now Victor has an actual reason to be proud of his wayward son. Victor may not always give Adam the best advice, but he has shown his son time and time again that he is there for him. When Victor told him to run, he wanted Adam to have the life with Connor that Victor never had with Adam. How uncharacteristically paternal!

Chelsea even noticed Victor's change of heart toward Adam. She believed Victor saw Adam as the man he and his father had always known him to be, and Adam thought that was nice. That's the word he used, nice. It just seems to be such an understatement, since the one thing that had mattered most to Adam was that he have his father's love and respect. But if he accepts that Victor truly loves him, will Adam need another reason to act as his own worst enemy? Adam has always made bad decisions, but he always had Victor to blame. Would his dad's respect finally give Adam the happiness and satisfaction that he so desperately craves?

No matter how hard Chelsea tries, she will never be able to break Adam's hold on her -- and I don't want her to. I absolutely love this version of Adam, and I have always believed Adam and Chelsea to be a well-blended and vital couple, unlike the pairing of Adam and Sharon. I still shudder when I think back on them. Ugh! The difference is Adam would do whatever he could to selfishly hang on to Sharon while, from the start, Adam did whatever he could to try to help Chelsea. Adam really wants to be a better father and person for his wife and his son. And Chelsea truly loves him for his Adamic ways.

Between the fire and the latest hit-and-run, Adam has really been through the mill recently. The latest hit-and-run -- okay now, let's think about this. Why on earth would anyone want to live in Genoa City when the odds of being the victim of a hit-and-run are so high? All steadfast citizens may want to stay far away from the streets and sidewalks if Genoa City is their town of choice. Whether by design or accident, the epidemic of hit-and runs seems to be spreading like wildfire. Pun intended. Adam unintentionally hit Delia with his vehicle, so payback deemed that Adam should be bashed with a car -- a white sedan driven by Chloe. Live by the ramming auto, die by the ramming auto. Only Adam didn't die, and I just hope Justin Hartley's Adam won't be going anywhere for a long time.

Michael even noted that Christine's hit-and-run had made Adam's predicament personal for her. A couple of weeks back, Christine reflected on that terrible night of her hit-and-run, and I thought she was referring to when Phyllis plowed into Christine and Paul many years ago -- you know, the intentional act Phyllis literally got away with doing. But, of course, Christine was recollecting Nikki, accompanied by Neil, smashing into Christine, causing the mother-to-be to lose her baby. Hey, with this newest craze, it can be rather confusing to guess which hit-and-run is being discussed at any given moment.

As much as she didn't want to, Sage blamed Nick for taking her away from Christian, who died while they attended Delia's party. Or did he? Oh, come on, we all know Christian is alive and well and has been stashed away somewhere while Dr. Anderson carries out her ghastly yet confusing plot against Sharon. In order for the doctor's plan to work, she has to come up with a baby, and who better than the fruit from Sharon's ex-husband's loins. That would be ironically poetic. But if Sage and Nick had only said goodbye to their wee one in the morgue, this plan may never have come to fruition. Surely, if they saw the body of the deceased infant, they would have known if someone was trying to pass off another dead child as their own.

And I can't believe Sage would not recognize her own baby later in Sharon's arms, if this is Dr. A.'s scheme. Not after all the time Sage spent in the hospital, cooing lovingly to her precious child. A loving mother knows her kids. Both of my sons were born with birthmarks that eventually faded, so I knew them from first sight. But I would have known them anyway. A mother's love is that powerful. As much as Sage couldn't bear to say goodbye to her miracle, I have a feeling it's only a temporary ta-ta. Christian's demise was all too convenient for the crooked doctor.

Originally, I thought Dr. Anderson held a grudge against Sharon, and this was her way to get even for a past wrong. But now I wonder if the physician's real target is actually Sage. Could Dr. Anderson be someone from Sage's past? How much do we know of Sage anyway? Not much. Maybe the doctor is related to Sage in some way. Could Sage have some skeletons in her closet after all? Hey, maybe Dylan is the target. Or Nick. Is Dr. Anderson another one of Ian Ward's stooges? Could this be Ian's latest way to get back at Nikki -- through her sons?

Who knew Sage's newest BFF would have been Patty, if only Paul's sister had been able to warn Dylan in time. Dylan seemed to be ignoring his spidey-sense that kept telling him something was way off with Dr. Anderson. As with Sharon, the horrid doctor kept using the baby -- or should I say, pillow -- as a way to distract Dylan from the truth. Maybe Fluffy would be a good name for Dylan and Sharon's latest addition. No, that sounds too much like a rabbit. Shoot, Dylan will only have to worry about fluffing, not burping, the little one. But we can guess that eventually the pillow will turn into the babe formerly known as Christian, somewhere down the line.

If this is true, by the time Christian's identity is revealed, will it be too late for Sage and Nick? Sage believed she was all alone in her grief and had nothing left. Apparently, she never had too much confidence in Nick's love for her. It's sad Sage thought Nick was willing to settle for her just because she was pregnant with his child. However, Nick needed Sage for comfort in his grief. Sage accused everyone else of thinking it was all about them when she was doing the exact same thing. She was not the only one who grieved, but she selfishly owned it. If she had just looked, she would have seen the anguish in Nick's eyes.

Wasn't it funny that Adam was the only one who could convince Sage to attend Christian's memorial? Adam told her that he and Chelsea had also lost a child, but Victoria had already shared a similar story and gotten her head bitten off for the effort. But it might all make sense if what Victor said was true -- that Adam was Christian's father. Sure, Victor was guessing, but it was a good guess. He saw at the memorial that Christian's death was personal to Adam, and he recollected Adam was still hiding his identity at about the time Christian was conceived. But would Sage also know? Probably not if Adam had bribed the lab tech to alter the results. But that still wouldn't explain why Sage listened to him and no one else. Maybe Sage and Adam's original bond to Gabriel remains the factor.

If Adam had changed Christian's paternity test results, Nick wouldn't know the baby wasn't his biological son, which would be rather ironic, since Nick had once hidden the results of Summer's paternity test, even from himself. What goes around comes around. It sure was heartbreaking to watch Nick cry as he held Christian's death certificate, though. And honestly, would it even matter anymore if Adam had been the child's father, since Christian was dead? Or was he? Wow, think of all the story that could come from the baby's shocking return, even if it would be yet another who's-the-daddy saga. Nick and Adam as brothers in battle for the love of a child could be dynamic.

The price Adam had to pay for Victor's silence about Christian's paternity was for Adam to help his dad rebuild Newman Enterprises. And as a bonus, Victor would ensure the judge would lighten Adam's sentence during the appeal. Even if Victor's other children were "chomping at the bit" to aid their father in the rebuild, Adam was his dad's best weapon to help him destroy the Abbotts at the same time. Victor probably sees Adam as the future of Newman Enterprises, since Adam is a regret-no-actions and take-no-prisoners type of guy. Victor may feel that's exactly what his dynasty will need in order to continue to move forward in the future, especially since Nick and Victoria tend to be ruled by their consciences. If only Adam could stay out of prison -- but Victor had a plan.

Wow, I wonder what Victor was holding over Judge "Maximum" Moxley's head. Or did he have something on her husband, the senator? Whatever it was, the judge certainly looked intimidated, and Victor was confident she would comply. Victor could indeed lure Adam into a devil's bargain, as Jack put it, but little did Jack know he was to become the bull's-eye again. As much as Adam valued his friendship with Jack, he had too much to lose not to accept Victor's deal. Adam also felt Victor was impressed by Adam's work with Paragon, though, and I agree.

I have to hand it to Victor. Sure, at times, he may not like his kids, but he still always loves them. And I think he really is proud of how diabolical Adam can be. Adam is a chip off the old block, and Victor appears to take pride in the fact that Adam is just like him. Victor mentions from time to time how loving and kind Adam's mother was, so it's possible Victor sees a younger version of himself in Adam, because Victor Adam Newman hasn't been anything like his mother. But maybe, just maybe, a little of her peeked out in Adam during the rescue.

Hilary's loss of memory had her believing she was still Mrs. Neil Winters, although some moments with Devon started to leak through. Wow, Neil finally had the golden opportunity to get the revenge on Hilary and Devon that he had once desired -- and he's letting it slip away? However, as much as he denied it to Gwen, I am not sure Neil is completely over the lovely vixen. The look he gave Hilary through the glass of her hospital room door pretty much said it all. At one time, Neil had loved Hilary dearly and had wanted to do anything and everything for her. Betrayal was not the only fuel of his need for revenge. Love was also the driving force of his anger.

Only self-preservation trumps a lingering love because Neil just wanted Hilary to regain her memories, so she could tell everyone that Neil had not pushed her off the cliff. I guess his quest for vengeance really has come to an end. Devon may have been right that guilt was the trigger that kept Hilary from remembering her love for Devon. Or maybe she just wanted to be back in a simpler time when Neil kissed the ground she sashayed on. After all, Neil had given her everything her heart desired at one time. What lady wouldn't want to be treated like a queen?

Neil came clean to Hilary about most of the truth, and she didn't waste any time checking out the boathouse -- and her dream house, which helped her feel connected to Neil. Oh, a beautiful lake house always does the trick to turn any girl's head. Was Hilary being honest about her feelings, or as Gwen believed, was the manipulative lady who had trashed the Winters' lives back? Hilary claimed she was afraid to regain her feelings for Devon because of what they had done to Neil. If that's true, I can't say I blame her. Most Y&R fans felt the way Hilary and Devon had treated a blind Neil was truly despicable, and it would be nice if Hilary owned up to that as well.

In the meantime, my new favorite sleazy doctor, Simon, disguised as a florist, somehow managed to become a blip on Paul's radar. Paul realized Hilary had been treated by a doctor who liked to play by his own rules, and he sure had Simon's number. Why was Simon still in town? He was given plenty of time to flee. Oh, Simon informed Gwen that Hilary needed to complete the treatment to regain her memory, and if she didn't finish, the side effects could be life-threatening. Plus, he wanted to see the results of his protocol. Whew, what a relief! I thought maybe the doctor had suddenly become ethical. Hilary did make for a rather becoming guinea pig. Simon had better not look over his shoulder, though, or he might just see that Dylan was hot on his trail.

Other notable (or humorous) items that happened during the week:

I loved it when Gwen asked Devon if Hilary was still living in an alternate universe. Shades of Star Trek!

It appeared Luca was right, and Marisa wanted sex with Noah more than she wanted to know about her daughter -- if news about the girl even existed. It's hard for me to get invested in this, since Marisa never seemed to care about finding her long-lost daughter until Luca brought it up. Out of sight, out of mind, I guess.

Nikki was right in saying Victor had an uncanny way of snatching victory from the jaws of defeat. That's Victor!

More examples of clever writing: Adam acknowledged to Jack that even Victor's "ulterior motive have ulterior motives." In a warning to Jack, Adam said Victor would accept an olive branch with one hand while he stabbed you in the back with a knife in the other. And when talking to Victor, Adam noted that the judge liked to polish every letter of the law. Adam always has had the best one-liners, and I am still very glad he is back.

Until next time, please stay tuned.Teddi

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