Secrets, suspicions, and collaborations

The focus this past week seemed to have been on Chance's PTSD, Dominic's blood disorder, and Michael digging around for information about Ashland. Will the fact that Chance froze during a stakeout convince him to seek professional help? If Devon is a 100% match as donor for Dominic, then is he really Dominic's biological father? Can Sally and Adam succeed in thwarting Victoria's plan to fire them? Join our columnist for some possible answers, and perhaps a speculation or two, in Two Scoops for this week.

I'm going to start with all the shenanigans going on with Victor, Victoria, Ashland, Adam, and Sally. We have Victoria and Ashland collaborating against Adam, Victor is collaborating with Adam to spy on Ashland and, also, a collaboration between Victor and Michael to get as much damaging information about dear old Ashland as he can. Last but not least, Adam and Sally are collaborating on how to prevent being fired by Victoria.

Victoria is becoming more suspicious about Ashland after he confessed about knowing of and funding the clinic in Peru. That certainly didn't instill a whole lot of confidence in her marriage. Ashland seems to be collaborating with his cronies in what appears to be a hostile takeover of Newman Locke. There's a whole lot of something going on there.

Victor is questioning Sally's ability to perform as Newman Media's COO. Victor has started calling Sally a dressmaker. That's original. Bill Spencer, on The Bold and the Beautiful, calls all designers dressmakers, but especially Ridge Forrester. What a demeaning term for the creation of the wonderfully designed clothes these characters wear. I think Victor will be in for a big surprise where Sally is concerned.

Victor's suspicions about Ashland have been ongoing for quite some time, and to that end, Victor hired Michael to do some investigating for him at the Peruvian clinic. The more that Michael uncovers about Ashland, the more Victor believes that Ashland wants to take over Newman Locke. I think Victoria is also seeing another side of Ashland, and I don't think she likes it. Is there a tiny crack in this happily ever after fairy-tale union? At the moment, Victoria is in denial because she loves this man so much; however, we all saw the look of concern cross her face when Ashland received a phone call and left the office to take it. Hmm... if they allegedly have no secrets between them, why couldn't he take the call in Victoria's presence? What little something is going on here?

Ashland has made a few slips of the tongue recently, and Victoria has picked up on them. The latest slip was when Ashland said he would love to take over Newman Media when they ousted Adam. He liked to control the things he owned. A big oops! He said that with so much glee that he reminded me of the cartoon villains when they rub their hands together, delighted with the deliciousness of their plan. Even Victoria had to call him out on it and remind him that he didn't own the company, they both did. Methinks her Spidey senses are slowly awakening; however, it might not be soon enough. She will be blindsided by another one of Ashland's secrets, and I think this one will be a doozy.

Ashland is a smooth talker. When Victor questioned him about the Peruvian clinic, Ashland skated through his explanations so smoothly that no one would have noticed that he'd been skating on thin ice -- except Victor. Victor felt Ashland's explanation was too polished and too well rehearsed, but Ashland believed he'd fooled Victor with his slick story. When Victoria called Ashland out on his statement that he liked to control everything he owned, once again, Ashland skated through an explanation with ease, and, again, he believed he'd convinced Victoria that he'd only meant it in the past tense.

Obviously, Ashland still has many more secrets that will be revealed. He isn't as smooth an operator as he thinks he is. He seems to be ignoring the fact that an American is delving into his connection to the clinic. It just seems to annoy him, but he hasn't done anything about it. That, in itself, is going to bite him in the arse. Victoria has become suspicious of a few comments Ashland had made and a few of his inadvertent slips of the tongue, but as I said, she is in denial because of her love for the man.

So, is Ashland's love real or a means to an end? What about Victoria? She is ruling her empire with a strong fist while she is plotting against Adam, and she really believes she can outsmart Victor. Therein lies another surprise for our cocky Victoria. I'm not so sure that she can outsmart Adam, either. He is his father's son, and, like Victor, he has been around too many corners. He is already aware that Victoria wants to get rid of him for the smallest infraction, and Victoria hasn't met the real Sally Spectra yet. Sally, too, has been around so many corners that she might just outwit Victoria single-handedly. I'm not a Sally fan, but in this case, I'm rooting for Sally to bring Victoria and her ivory tower down.

Did Ashland make another slip of the tongue when he was trying to recruit Nate? Ashland asked Nate to see if they could put together Newman's Health Care Divisions with Locke Communications. He said Locke Communications, not Newman Locke. Was that intentional, or did his own enthusiasm get the better of him?

It has become apparent that Ashland is making plans for a hostile takeover of the company. Will he succeed? Not if Victor has anything to say about it. We all know that no one outsmarts Victor. I can't wait to see Victoria's downfall when everything Ashland has been planning behind her back hits the fan. The fallout will be huge.

Let's move on to this dreaded baby storyline. Poor Dominic has a rare blood disorder and needs a bone marrow transplant. When Abby asked if she or Devon could be donors, the doctor told them it was rare for a family member, other than a sibling, to be fully compatible, but Abby and Devon should be tested just in case; they would be half matches. They were told there had been the rare successful transplants using parental donors, but there would have been special measures to reduce the chances of rejection. It wasn't an ideal situation, but it might be their best option.

After the doctors informed Abby, Chance, and Devon of their findings, Abby and Devon rushed to the hospital to be tested. Those had to be the fastest medical tests in history. The very next day, Abby was told she was only a half match, but lo and behold, Devon was a 100% match. Does this prove that Devon is the biological father? If we go by what the doctor said, that only siblings could be a fully compatible match, how is it that Devon is a full match? Something fishy is going on here.

If Devon is a 100% match, that would indicate he is either a sibling or a stranger, since the doctor had already said that parents were only half matches. Therein lies the mystery. If it turns out that he is a sibling, then how did that happen? The donor would have to have been someone Devon was related to, like his father, Tucker McCall. Do we believe that Tucker McCall might have left a donation at the sperm bank years ago? I don't think so. Sometimes complete strangers wind up being a compatible match. Does that place Devon into the category of a stranger? I believe it does.

So, who is Dominic's biological father? This brings us back to everyone's theory that it could have been Stitch. If Stitch had been around before the planting of the seed, it's possible he switched the donation and is actually Dominic's biological father. Yes, it's a bit farfetched, but then, so is this storyline. Imagine with me here. As a doctor who had worked at Memorial Hospital, he would know his way around the lab, and he could have made the switch. That could have been the reason for kidnapping Mariah. When the baby was born, he would be on hand, and then he would tell Abby that it had been his donation, not Devon's. The baby was his and Abby's. That way, he hoped to win Abby back and replace the child they'd lost because of his son Max. That would make the kidnapping storyline make more sense.

We don't know when Stitch started spying on Abby, so this could be a possible scenario. I guess that will all come out in the rinse cycle over the next few weeks; however, it does have me scratching my head.

I have found that lately, Abby has been a wimp. Abby has always been strong-willed and assertive. When she set her mind to something, she always followed through. I haven't understood why she hasn't stood up to Chance when he's been making all the decisions about Dominic. She has been walking on eggshells around him because she doesn't want to upset him. Abby has gone along with whatever Chance decided, even though she wasn't comfortable with those decisions. Abby has finally put her foot down and found her backbone. She has seen that Chance's crisis has worsened, and she finally sought Rey's help.

Chance has refused to acknowledge he has a problem with PTSD. He believes he can fix himself. Going back to the stakeout scenes, it's obvious he can't. He heard a loud noise that temporarily paralyzed him, and then he ran home to Abby. Perhaps that situation will open his eyes, and he will accept that he needs professional help.

When Abby asked Rey what had happened at the stakeout, Rey felt it wasn't his story to tell, and it would be a betrayal. Abby asked Rey to talk to Chance. Well, when push came to shove, Rey really told Chance how things stood. He told Chance that if things kept going in the same direction, Chance would lose Abby and the baby. Rey told him that he couldn't keep all those feelings and secrets bottled up inside, or he would wind up having a major meltdown.

Somehow, Rey did get through to Chance because Chance sat down with Abby and told her everything that had happened at the stakeout. Abby simply said that his family needs him to find a way to be healthy again. Let's hope Chance takes her advice and seeks the mental health care he desperately needs.

Yikes, Chelsea is dreaming about a passionate kiss with Rey that shook her to the core. What? Is she really thinking about a man other than Adam? How can this be? Only days ago, Chelsea had begged Adam to reconcile and heal their family with a fresh start, but now she is dreaming about Rey? Why does Chelsea want another man who is tied to Sharon? First it was Adam, and now it seems to be Rey.

Rey is feeling the parental blues because he never had children of his own. He has good rapport with Faith, Noah, and Maria, Sharon\\'s children, but he didn't nurture them from birth or even a very young age. After witnessing how close Sharon and Nick are in counseling and worrying about their children, there is probably a touch or envy or maybe jealousy, and he feels left out. This might wind up being the catalyst for a number of upcoming arguments between Rey and Sharon, and those might lead to the breakdown of their marriage. I think since Sharon and Nick have matured and sown their wilds oats, they should reunite. They have always shared a very special bond, similar to Victor and Nikki.

I wonder why Rey seems to gravitate to Chelsea whenever he sees her. After Chelsea and Chloe were hired by Lauren, they arrived at the coffeehouse, and once again, like a magnet, Rey gravitated toward Chelsea. He told her he was proud of her, and he was happy she severed ties with Newman Media and Adam. Funny thing, after Chloe left the coffeehouse, Chelsea asked Rey to join her. Do we have a new romance budding? I think we do, and I'm all in. I think Rey would help Chelsea stay on course, and unlike Sharon and Rey, I see a whole heap of chemistry going on between these two. Rey has also developed quite a bond with Connor, which could be quite a bonus for him. He would have a hand in raising a child. I really hope this develops into a comfortable unit with these two.

I am so happy that Lauren hired Chelsea and Chloe, even after what Chelsea had done to Lauren, but Lauren has seen the change in Chelsea and is willing to give her a second chance. I think Chelsea will prove that Lauren made the right choice. I don't believe Chelsea will stray because she doesn't want to damage her relationship with Connor. If she and Rey wind up as a couple, between Rey and Connor, Chelsea will never want to destroy either relationship. Chelsea has changed completely from the con artist she'd been. I don't believe she will ever go back to that again, at least not fully -- who on a soap stays perfect?

Phyllis has returned, and Jack's face lit up when he saw her. He was even happier when she told him her home was Genoa City. Phyllis told Amanda that she had decided not to have a romantic relationship with Jack because she had a tendency to screw up all her relationships. She wants to remain friends with Jack. She seems to be very happy with her choice, and it appears that Jack is, as well. But what is with that cryptic text message Jack received? What have you been missing in Los Angeles, Jack?

Some fans are speculating the message is from Keemo, Jack's son. It's possible. Keemo's name has been thrown around a lot over the years, but I wonder if it could be that simple. I'm on the fence with this one. Jack has always regretted that Keemo was no longer in his life; however, they have kept in touch. If they have kept in touch, there wouldn't be any reason for a cryptic text message from Keemo. Jack wanted to ignore the text message, believing it was a joke that he didn't want to participate in, but Phyllis kept asking if he wasn't a little curious who would have sent it. Jack wanted to know why Phyllis was so curious about it. Simple answer: she's Phyllis.

What in the world is going on with Billy? I have mentioned before that I'm wondering if he has bipolar. His highs and lows are so extreme. Perhaps I'm just not used to someone constantly bouncing off the walls. Nevertheless, he seems to be very happy, and now he has his own project to sink his teeth into, the Chancellor podcast. I hope this will be the therapy Billy needs for his insomnia and these mood swings.

Billy and Lily are over the moon because Amanda and Imani have agreed to accept their job offer of working at Chancellor Industries. This should be interesting. Billy will have Lily and Amanda trying to keep him in line.

Be sure to catch Vance's article next week for his views about our little town, and please let me know your thoughts on mine. Until next time, please stay safe!Nel

What are your thoughts on ? What did you think of this week's Two Scoops? We want to hear from you -- so drop your comments in the Comments section below, tweet about it on Twitter, share it on Facebook, or chat about it on our Message Boards.