Let those sleeping L.A. dogs lie

The loss of control and how to deal with it haunted several of our lovely ladies. As one lady considered her remaining options and chose the best one for her future happiness, another agreed to let her perceived enemy take charge in her desperation to regain her control. Will Mariah be the key to Abby's success in getting her heart's desire? Can Chelsea get back the upper hand in her marriage by using Sharon? Has Sally lost control over having a successful career in Genoa City since Summer learned about the sleeping dogs Sally had lying in Los Angeles? And a totally unexpected couple smooched it up on the couch! Hey, it's Two Scoops time!

Oh, my gosh, Victor's almost become unrecognizable, hasn't he? Victor has been so willing to use his power and connections for virtuous reasons and to offer his help in any given situation these days that he could almost win the Good Samaritan of the Year award. Oh, I realize that the good Victor's been doing has been for his family, but let's face it, that hasn't always been the case for the great and almighty Victor Newman, who's been known to turn his children against each other. Oh, yeah, Victor has a whole new look, which has been rather startling but at the same time, nice. The mustache may be the same, but the man behind the 'stache is giving out a more pleasant aura to those around him.

First, Victor called on his contacts to bring in the best specialist for Chelsea in order to help out his son Adam. Then, Victor searched out the most talented doctors for one who could perform surgery to remove uterine scar tissue for his daughter Abby. While Victor called out the cavalry to come to the rescue, sadly, Chelsea's recovery would prove to be a slow process, while the medical expert could do nothing to cure Abby's problem. But Victor sure gave it his best shot, bless his little pea-picking heart. (My grandmother used to say that all the time. I still miss her!) Nikki hasn't really noticed too much of a change in her husband, but that may be because he's finally become the man that she had always wanted him to be -- or the man she knew was deep down inside.

Although they probably didn't realize it, Chelsea and Abby actually had something in common -- they were both in a situation that was totally out of their control. As much as she wished and desired it, Abby would never be able to carry a baby to term. That was something that nobody, not even Victor, could change. And Chelsea was stranded in a wheelchair, unable to speak or move, and could only communicate with the expressions in her face and by the number of blinks of her eyes. Most times, though, Chelsea's expressions were limited to a stone-cold look or a single tear slowly rolling from her eye down one cheek. Adam had been hopeful that Chelsea was getting better when she had let out a grunt, but that was only because she had found Sharon in her home.

With all the serious medical issues that Chelsea's been suffering, it was so strange that what upset her the most was finding Sharon in the vicinity of her husband, and Chelsea wanted the blonde out, out, out of her home. I think I would have been more traumatized by the fact that I couldn't talk or walk or even move than by worrying over another woman if I were Chelsea, especially if the hubby had been constantly at my side, but everyone's different, I guess. In fact, Chelsea was so bugged by the idea of Adam and Sharon together that even in her daydream, any happiness Chelsea might have felt about having a full recovery was smashed by a fear of the two reuniting. The very thought of Sharon made Chelsea angry and caused the index finger on her left hand to move.

Shoot, Chelsea should thank Sharon for helping her to recover. Who knew that the aid would come by just thinking of Adam's ex rather than by any counseling Sharon could provide her? Man, Adam was delusional thinking that Chelsea would even allow Sharon to counsel her. But shockingly, Chelsea agreed to his therapy proposition, but only so she could keep her friends close and her enemies closer. (Well, and to also throttle Sharon once she was able to move again, but that would be a later goal.) Chelsea reacted whenever Sharon was around, so Adam's new therapy plan might just work. He knew that Sharon would push Chelsea to get better during the counseling and that Chelsea's anger at his ex would force her to want to talk and move. It was a crazy, sneaky, but also brilliant idea.

Good for Lily for not letting Victoria rattle her with the family impromptu skating party. Billy and Lily as trusting partners agreed that Lily should attend a business meeting on her own while Billy checked in by video chat from home with the kids. They decided that was best, since Lily still wanted to take it slowly with his children by having them believe she was just Billy's coworker. But Lily was also ready to fly alone and free in New York City, so take that for being spontaneous, Billy! He took Katie to ChancComm to get to know Lily, and the young girl was quite impressed with her dad's coworker. But would Katie still be as impressed if she knew Lily was also his new girlfriend?

What a co-inky-dink that Victoria suddenly found Billy so much more desirable once she learned that Billy and Lily were an item. Victoria was all smiles again each time Billy was around, and she could finally find some free time for personal reasons, when before she had never had a minute to spare. And Victoria made it clear that she wanted some of that time spent with Billy, and she wasn't above using their children to achieve that goal. Billy even suspected that Victoria might back out of the trip to Hawaii with her mother, only he thought it would be because of Katie. Little did Billy realize that he was the real reason for Victoria's suddenly trying to get out of going. Nikki put her foot down about the trip, though, and Victoria was going to go. Doggone it!

However, Nikki could do nothing about the bad weather that delayed their flight, as she hoped they could go at a later time. Victoria still wasn't overly anxious to travel too far away, especially after she found her children and Billy putting golf balls in the office with Lily cheering them on. Victoria had conveniently arrived in time to horn in on Billy's dinner date with Lily and the kids. It was almost as if she had planned it, although Victoria couldn't possibly have had a hand in the weather. Lily graciously bowed out of pizza night at home with the kids, but eventually she will need to call a halt to Victoria ruining all their plans. Actually, Billy's the one who needs to put a stop to it, but he was able to see that Victoria was bothered that the kids liked Lily -- and she obviously was.

Even though Victoria denied feeling threatened by her kids' attention to Lily, she quickly accused Billy of questioning if Lily was "the one," but Billy reminded her that their children were a big part of his life. Billy was right that children can never have too much love, but Victoria didn't seem to want Lily's love to be a part of the equation. So, she made sure to keep family nights on Billy's agenda for as long as Lilly was out of town. Oh, yeah, Victoria had no qualms about using her kids to get what she wanted, which was Billy. It's just funny that she had declared it was all over for them as a couple until he started getting serious about Lily. Billy then became the prize that Victoria coveted, although how long would it be before she tired of her trophy, if she were to win him back?

And the bad weather became Victoria's best friend when an ice storm caused Billy to stay put at her place. But, good grief, how on earth could Victoria even wonder why they were split up? The answer was obvious -- due to a lack of trust. Eureka! Sure, Billy's gambling had contributed to the problem, but it was much more than that. Victoria had also made her work a high priority, but in the end, they really didn't trust each other. Billy thanked his ex for saving his life, especially once she had ended it with him, because he'd then realized that he had to grow up and to make changes in his life to be the man he had only been pretending to be. Even as a work in progress, Billy liked "this guy" who was seriously involved with Lily. Oops, it looks like Victoria's scheme may have backfired.

Since she had some free time on her hands, Nikki decided that would be the ideal time to have "a chat" with Faith, who only saw it as a confrontation. The teen was still angry with Phyllis for ratting her out and believed that her parents didn't trust her and only saw her as a lost cause. Phyllis, in all her wisdom, believed that she should be the one to talk to Faith. Yeah, Nikki was right -- that was just like Phyllis to make it all about her. Nikki hunted Faith down to talk to her before the young girl had the chance to dash off to Jordan, and her grandmother had the right words to say. Nikki persuaded Faith that alcohol was not her destiny and promised that she would never judge her. Faith was young still and just needed to understand that her loved ones would always be around to support her.

I'm glad that Nick knew about the bullying and that he tried to take steps to stop it, although I understand that Faith's school couldn't control everything that goes out on the Internet. When my youngest son was in middle school, a kid who was sitting behind him kept kicking him and hitting him in the head -- and the school did nothing to stop it. He finally told me about it, and I threatened to sue them for child abuse unless they put a stop to it. Then, they finally moved the other kid to another seat. But that's a whole lot different from what Faith was going through, and there really wasn't much Nick and Sharon could do about the cyber bullying except to be there for Faith and to keep reminding her how much they love her. Faith just needed to always know that she really wasn't alone.

Abby was ready to plan the next chapter of her life with Chance. Even though Victor was unable to find a surgeon who could remove the scar tissue so that Abby could carry a baby, she and Chance still had other options to choose from so they could have their precious family. The options were adoption and surrogacy, with pros and cons for both. Of course, with surrogacy, the child would be biologically theirs, which was what Abby truly desired. She wished to go through the entire life of her baby, even if she couldn't carry it to term, and Chance was completely on board. Financially, they could afford to do it, so it was just a matter of finding the right surrogate, but Abby already knew someone she trusted that would be the ideal lady to help them build their own magical family -- Mariah.

Mariah was thrilled to hear that Abby and Chance had decided to go with gestational surrogacy and offered to help them find the perfect person to carry their child. But, of course, she didn't know that the lady they had in mind was her. Really, it truly was an honor that they thought of her because that's how much they trusted and respected Mariah. Needless to say, Mariah was a teensy-weensy bit shocked, though. And, of course, Tessa had a say in Mariah's decision, also, and yes, nine months was a long time. Tessa saw that Mariah was considering it, since she had never mentioned the word "no." Sharon offered her some solid motherly advice when she asked if Mariah could carry a baby that she wouldn't be able to raise; however, Mariah said she would be fine as Wacky Aunt Mariah.

Mariah swung by Chancellor Mansion to get more answers about the surrogacy process from Abby and Chance. Really, Mariah would have to put her life on hold for nine months during the pregnancy, but as long as Tessa supported her, it shouldn't interfere with her personal life. Mariah wondered what would happen if the procedure failed, but Abby told her that she had to try, since having their family would make her dreams with Chance come true. Mariah was amazed by how awesome they were and wanted to be a part of it. And Tessa told Mariah that she would still be beautiful as an exercise ball with stretch marks. But, of course, Mariah's beauty shone through in her generosity, so how could she say no? Oh, yes, Mariah was all-in, so she was finally getting her own story!

When Amanda had to postpone her first date with him due to a business opportunity, Devon offered his own private jet for her trip -- and, of course, he was perfectly willing "to tag along." However, Amanda was hesitant to mix business and pleasure and wished to avoid any distractions. So, Devon had to settle for drinks with Amanda before the trip. I always like relationships where a couple starts out as friends and something more develops along the line. However, Amanda's not quite as fiery and passionate as Hilary, so hopefully, Devon won't compare the twins as he and Amanda continue to learn more about each other, and he claimed he only saw Amanda when he looked at her. Devon was obviously smitten, so Amanda didn't need to worry about him losing interest. Or did she?

Thanks to an ice storm, Elena unexpectedly became trapped with Devon in his penthouse. Devon asked where he had gone wrong that had caused Elena to cheat with Nate, so he could learn from his mistakes, but he also had to face the truth about himself. Elena reminded Devon that he had known she was very insecure around Amanda, the spitting image of his beloved deceased wife, so that she'd felt she was in a constant competition with her. Nate had desired her, which she had needed at the time because Devon hadn't made her feel wanted in a long time. Devon regretted that he had gotten caught up in his past and had neglected his present. Devon then kissed Elena, and they smooched it up on the couch. Whoa, I sure didn't see that coming. Hey, when the cat's away, the mice will play.

A fully armed Summer was back from Los Angeles and was ready to battle Sally. Yes, Summer had the information and was ready to use it, but Kyle reminded Summer that her original goal was not to wreck Sally's life. Oh, sure, that's what Summer must have made Kyle believe, but her intention had always been to rid herself of the fiery red-haired pest. And really, Kyle should have known better, but he has always chosen to see Summer with some kind of halo over her head -- but any halo of Summer's would surely be very tarnished. So, Summer ran to the only person she thought would understand her motives, which was her mother; however, Phyllis warned her daughter that Sally could be dangerous and cautioned her to be wise and to keep the information close to her vest.

Jack, however, was very impressed by the hard-working, talented Sally and welcomed her with open arms into the Jabot/Fenmore family. Kyle wasn't quite as enthusiastic toward her, though, but he really should make his own decisions about the girl and should have been willing to hear Sally's side of the story concerning the scandal. Sally stressed to Kyle that she only wanted to do right by Lauren for the business, which she proved when she turned to Jack for his advice on correcting a mistake she had made in a shipment. Jack and Sally were becoming pretty close in a short amount of time, and Sally would surely need an ally if the poopy ever hit the fan. But just as Phyllis was holding information about Victoria over Victoria's head, Summer did the same thing to Sally. Like mother, like daughter.

Summer agreed to let the sleeping dogs in Los Angeles lie as long as Sally didn't try to screw anybody over. Summer even stressed that if Sally were to ever get sick, she knew some excellent doctors who could give her a second opinion. Oh, yeah, Summer had learned from the best. But even after Sally backed off, an obsessed Summer was still out to get her, although it would probably all blow over if Summer would just let it go. Sally was going to need Jack on her side, and they found themselves stranded alone together at the Abbott mansion during an ice storm. (Okay, trusty Mrs. Martinez was there, also, to cook.) When Sally later found her car covered in ice, Jack offered her a place to stay the night. Any other guy might have had an ulterior motive, but not our good guy, Jack.

Sally and Jack shared a drink by the fire, as Sally told him her story about her parents being carnival workers who had abandoned Sally and her sister, so she'd had to fight and scrap for everything she got. Her Great-Aunt Sally was her inspiration, and she wanted to be successful. Jack truly admired Sally for her spunk and her drive and compared her spirit to Kyle's. Jack admired his son's strength mixed with kindness, although Kyle could have shown much more of that to Lola when he dumped her. If it weren't for that pesky age difference, Jack almost seemed smitten by the gorgeous girl, and she appeared to find him attractive, also. Doggone it, Jack deserved to have a special lady in his life, so why not Sally? It sure wouldn't be the first May/December romance on soaps.

When Adam told Chelsea that he would make a deal with the devil himself to help Chelsea make a total recovery, it seems like he already had when he had asked Victor for his help. As least, that's what Adam would have thought at one time when it came to his dad.

Congrats to Nate for being the new face for Ask MD Now at ChancComm. Nate and Amanda didn't appear to be too uncomfortable working for the same company. But it had always appeared that their romance wasn't all that serious, which was proven to be true after they had both ended up moving on so easily after they had broken up.

Phyllis should be the last one to be judgmental about anyone, especially about someone that she really didn't even know, like Sally, considering all the horrible things Phyllis has done in the past.

At least Elena was gracious enough to acknowledge that she shouldn't have just opened a box in Devon's penthouse as if she still lived there. Shoot, if it had been Phyllis, she would have had no qualms opening every drawer and cabinet in any of her exes' homes. Phyllis' motto tends to be "your home is still my home" for all her former loves.

During the ice storm, Kyle and Summer had sex in the office. Okay, what else is new?

Tricia Cast will bring Nina Webster back to Genoa City, and Tyler Johnson will also make a brief return as Theo Vanderway. While Nina will probably come back to support her son, Chance, and his wife, Abby, in their decision regarding their new family, what could Theo possibly be up to this time? It should be fun to see. Welcome back, Nina and Theo!

Until next time, please stay tuned. And please take care and stay safe!Teddi

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