Billy confides to Jack that he's still attracted to Mac and notices it every time he sees her. Brock questions Mac about Billy's decision not to tutor and warns her about him. When Raul admits he told Billy not to tutor, Mac asks him to "mind your own business." She decides to see Billy. Sharon and Nick try to convince Victoria to leave with them but Victoria opts to stay with Diane and the baby. Victor comes downstairs just as Victoria calls Diane a "conniving bitch" and threatens to hurt her. Diane then tells Victor her son's name and sends Victoria to work. With Diane out of the room, Victor takes a closer look at the infant. Nina convinces Harvey to sign Tomas to help write the screenplay. She runs to see Tomas and finds him talking with Paul. Brad offers to drive Ashley to her doctor's office to get the okay to resume sexual activity after the birth of their child. Jill and Nikki interrupt to discuss the anti-aging cream. Victor then becomes the topic of conversation and Diane's new baby. Ashley overreacts which concerns a snooping Nikki. Nick offers Carter the job of managing their new coffeehouse. Carter agree to think about it but hints that he's made some new friends here and that may affect his decision. Nick gives him until the end of the month to decide. Carter calls Larry who worries that Carter may take the job. Carter assures him that he wants to see Nick behind bars.
Abbott House:
Mackenzie stops by to see Billy. She thinks it's time to be honest about what is going on between them now. She knows why he bailed on the tutoring and now that it's past them she wants to move on. He doesn't want to though. He's glad Raul got him to change his mind. This is for the best, he tells her. She disagrees. She won't get hurt she tells him. He tells her he's late for a date with Brittany and leaves.
Jabot:
Brad questions Ashley about her argument with Nikki. Ash dismisses it and reminds him it's time for her doctor's appointment. Brad is ecstatic to learn that Ashley got the go-ahead from her OB-GYN to resume 'relations' with Brad. Brad then makes a mysterious phone call. "It's a go" he instructs.
Carlton House:
Ashley returns home after her appointment and is surprised to find Brad there. He gives her a series of clues that leads to jewelry, a makeover, a new gown and a romantic evening at home.
Jack's office:
Jack and Nikki go over Nikki's project when Nikki questions Jack about the father of Ashley's baby. Jack tells her it was just a casual affair. He met him once and seemed like a nice guy. He tells her that Ashley was adamant about not wanting to be married or involved with the father anymore. Nikki finds that very odd. Jack wonders why Nikki is so concerned with his sister's personal life. She explains that babies are on her mind because of what she read. Jack has no idea what she means. She exclaims that Diane is the new mother of a bouncing baby boy. Jack wonders how 'daddy' is dealing with it. She tells him that Victor is having a paternity test. He's not surprised and then asks Nikki not meddle where the father of Ash's baby is concerned. He then has flowers sent to Victor congratulating him on his new fatherhood.
Crimson Lights:
Jordan (Carter's Ecstasy connection) meets with Nick. He asks Nick vague questions about the drug deal which Nick doesn't realize what he's talking about. Before he can clarify, Carter interrupts and steers things to just talk about the up coming rave. Carter reams out Jordan for talking with Nick. He is not to deal directly with Nick Newman, Carter instructs him. They finalize how the deal will go down, emphasizing Nick's 'role' in it. Nick is having second thoughts about allowing a rave to promoted at the coffee shop. Carter agrees with him. Raul, Rianna and Brittany discuss Mac's reaction to Raul telling Billy not to volunteer. Billy arrives and talks privately with Britt. He tells her about Mac's visit and his decision not to pursue a friendship with her. Brittany is disturbed to see Mac arrive. She tells Billy to make it crystal clear to Mackenzie how he feels or else she'll be following him around for the rest of his life. They then overhear Jordan talking with his friend about the upcoming rave. Billy seems excited.
Thomas' Apt:
Nina has good news and want sot share it. Thomas isn't interested. Nina tells him that she's gotten Harvey to agree to hire both of them to help write the screenplay. He sees this as pity but she begs him to try. She's in a no-win situation and this is the only way to save their relationship. He agrees to try.
The McNeils:
Ryan arrives home to find a Ryan tries to reassure her that he isn't completely severing ties to her. They will settle everything together eventually. Small comfort to her. He feels guilty over leaving her high and dry but she tells him that she sees that it's not meant to be and tells him to go. He's proud that she's working on her problems. She thanks him for being there for her for so long. He's more than she deserved. She's never blamed him for her problems nor has she ever stopped loving him. Once alone, a tearful Tricia contemplate ending her life by jumping from her apartment window. She steps onto the ledge and peers down, all hope lost.
Leanna Love arrives at the penthouse with her cameraman determined to get a picture of the baby, after all she and Diane had a deal. Diane tells her no pics until she knows where Victor stands. Leanna tells Diane that if she doesn't give her pics, she will go to Victor and expose her. Diane tells Leanna that after the baby's paternity test tomorrow, she can have some nice candid shots as they're leaving the hospital. Leanna agrees to this. Meanwhile at Newman, Terrence calls Victor and tells him that Leanna is in his apartment. He tells Terrence to tape the conversation. Then, Sharon and Cassie come in after ice-skating. Connie takes Cassie to get some hot chocolate so she can warm up. Sharon offers her help to Victor. He tells her that this is another battle that he will win even though he does feel helpless where the baby is concerned. He just can't trust Diane. Victor thanks Sharon for her support, Cassie comes back, and they leave to go home and do homework. When out of the office, Cassie asks why they couldn't talk about the baby. Sharon says that Victor is too busy to talk about it right now. After they leave, Victor receives a call from Terrence who tells him "what" they're up to.
In her office, Victoria is having a flashback to when Tricia came into her office and told her she wasn't going to let her have Ryan. Then, in comes Neil and Victoria asks if he's seen Ryan. She says she's concerned about him because he's her friend. She's appreciative to Neil for taking him in because Tricia would have caused trouble had he come to the ranch. Neil asks if Victoria really thinks Tricia is dangerous. Victoria tells him about Tricia coming into her office and threatening her, about the time at the coffeehouse when Tricia accused her of ruining her life and the fact that she "killed" Tony. Neil reminds her that the police declared that an accident. Victoria says that she doesn't believe it was and would like to see Tricia's true colors. Neil wants no part of a scheme like that and walks out. Victoria sits at her desk and places a call to Keith Dennison. No one is there, so she leaves a message.
Out on the window, Ledge Tricia is contemplating jumping. As her thoughts move her forward, Carter pulls her back into the apartment. He asks her if she was going to kill herself because of "that jerk" Ryan. She feels that her life is worthless because of hers and Ryan's marriage and her betrayal of him. She tells Carter about what she did to Megan and Tony. She talks about kissing him at the Colonnade room and how she did it because she wanted him but doesn't know why she wanted him. Then, she tells Carter about her therapist who wants her to talk about the night Tony was killed. She admits she's afraid to talk about it because she might reveal to herself that she killed Tony and did in fact know he was coming behind her. Carter tells her that she can't change the past, and all that matters is their future.
At the Carlton's the chef Brad hired for the night tells them about their dinner then leaves the room to fetch their salads. Ashley asks if Brad has been planning this for a long time. He says that he has because he wanted them to have a memorable wedding night. After dinner, a ring at the door brings in a group of musicians who serenade the happy couple. They dance but before long, Brad tells them thanks but it's time to go. The musicians wish them well, Brad walks them to the door and they leave. Brad returns to the living room, pokes around in the fireplace and turns around to see Ashley in a black negligee. She tells him this was her surprise. He checks her finger, is reassured that her wedding ring is still there, and they kiss.
At the coffeehouse, Billy and Brittany overhear the Rave guys talking. They ask them about it, and the guys tell them to look for a flyer. Billy sees Mac and sees an opportunity to "kill 2 birds with 1 stone." He talks to Brittany, loud enough for Mac to hear, about the Rave. Brittany asks what their parents would say and Billy tells her that they're going to a party. Mac comes over and asks if they were really considering going to this Rave. Billy pretends to be paranoid that Mac her and asks her not to say anything to his mother. Mac says that she's never had the urge to say anything to Jill, let alone about him. She walks away. Brittany understands his idea and says they can send Mac another message, and they kiss. Mac goes home to the Chancellor Estate and finds that Esther has been teaching Mrs. Chancellor how to use the computer. Mrs. C asks Mac how things are going with Billy. Mac tells her about how Raul butted in. Mrs. C says that maybe Raul was doing that because he was trying to "build a bridge" back to Mac. Mac isn't convinced because Raul has a girlfriend, and they like each other very much. She adds that Billy's hiding something and wonders what it is. Meanwhile at the Abbott's, Billy tells Jack about his plan to send Mac a message that he's no longer interested. Jack tells him that he should be a gentleman about it because after all, he was Mac's first love and she just may have been his.
Victor had a surprise for Diane in the morning after she told Marissa her plans to allow Leanna Love to take pictures of her and the baby. He came downstairs with news that the appointment for the paternity test had been changed and it was time to go. When she came home, Leanna was on the phone, furious. Diane hung up on her the first time and she called back again, threatening to tell Victor about their scheme. They also noticed that Leanna's keys no longer work at the entrance of the building. They hung up on each other with more threats.
At his office, Victor met with John Silva about his rights if the baby was his child. John said that he could try to get custody, but wondered if that was really what Victor wanted to do. After John left, flowers arrived for Victor, a congratulatory bouquet from Jack Abbott. Paul Williams paid him a visit with news of Diane's conversation with Leanna and Victor felt good that he was staying ahead of her games. He knew, though, that things were far from over at that point.
Mackenzie was nonplused by Billy's repeated attempts to alienate her. She confronted him about it and he insisted that he did not want to be someone he was not. He found Brittany in the hall and spent time snuggling and making plans for the upcoming Rave party. Meanwhile, Mac forgave Raul for stopping Billy from working at the shelter and asked him and Rianna about the Rave party. They explored the possibility of going, but Raul wondered if there was a secret reason why she wanted to go. J.T. heard all this and offered to escort Mackenzie if she really wanted to go. He set her straight about what you do at Raves -- not drinking, but dancing and feeling good with Ecstasy. When he walked away, Mac questioned what she was getting herself into. Brittany even questioned whether or not they should be partying to that extent -- Billy said that it had been awhile, that they were long overdue. . . .
Brad awoke to champagne in bed from Ashley, offered in celebration of their wonderful night together. They made love once more before a visitor arrived -- Olivia. She was seeking advice from Ashley about Neil and getting closer to him romantically. They came up with a plan and Olivia left. Brad brought in breakfast and the newlyweds vowed their undying devotion to each other, Brad saying that he had never before felt so complete as he did with her.
Olivia met Neil at his door before he left for work. She had concert tickets that a friend could not use and invited him to come along. He wouldn't consider refusing her -- they set up plans for the evening.
Tricia thanked Carter again and again for saving her life. He repeated that he would always be there for her and suggested changing the locks on the apartment so that they could spend their time in a nicer place together. She countered with the prospect of leaving town right away -- she didn't want to take the chance of doing something that would get her into trouble even further. He put her off, reminding her of her vendetta toward Victoria. She asked him to promise to leave with her in a week or so.
Victoria tried to call Keith Dennison once more with no success. Ryan came in and they immediately began arguing about her provoking Tricia in some way and the fact that she should stay out of the situation. They went back and forth to no avail, then the secretary announced a telephone call for Victoria -- it was Keith Dennison.
Malcolm came looking for Alex in Neil's office. He wanted to ask her out for another date. They both questioned the other's motives for wanting to see each other -- thinking that it was meant to irritate Neil. Malcolm had romance and kissing on his mind -- Alex thought that she had better get back to work. Before she would answer his questions, Neil found them in his office and Alex made a quick exit.
Victoria's office:
Ryan can't believe Victoria's trying to bring Keith Dennison into her plot against Tricia. He begs her to keep Tricia's father out of it. When speaking to him she covers by asking him about Networking solutions for Brash & Sassy. Before hanging up, he asks her about Tricia and Ryan. She claims that she hasn't seen much of them. After the call, Ryan blasts her for calling Keith. She claims she called him to help Tricia. Ryan thinks she's full of it and thought only of herself. She doesn't believe she did anything wrong. She was only looking out for Ryan, she swears. He tells her to back off and if she doesn't he will never have anything to do with her again.
Nick & Sharon's:
Nick pops in to pick up a file but stays when he sees Sharon in a sexy negligee. They start getting all passionate. Post-coital, they exclaim how lucky they both are to be with each other. They discuss Carter and hope he'll agree to manage the 3rd coffee shop. Sharon suggests showing how much they have in him by having him over dinner.
Carter's Apt.:
Matt/Carter is arguing with Larry about Tricia and her idea to leave town together. He's worried that Tricia might blow his cover. Matt fills in Warton about saving Tricia from her attempt at suicide. Larry can't believe he bothered but Matt couldn't let her do it. They decide to refocus on the plan. The Extasy set up will go down as planned and he will high-tail it out of town claiming he got a great job offer. If Tricia becomes a problem he will ensure she doesn't ruin it all. He pulls out his rohypnal stash, vowing to prevent anything from ruining his plan. Sharon calls and invites him over dinner. He agrees and looks forward to finding out what the Newman's want with him.
Victor's office:
Victor meets with Granville, the head of the HMO, who doesn't want to wait for Neil and Alex as he feels they are a problem. He's gotten their formal complaint from the court. He thinks it's unnecessarily aggressive. Victor disagrees. Alex, with permission from Victor, lets him have it with both barrels blazing. She challenges him to full disclosure. If they didn't commit fraud, he has nothing to worry about. He tells Victor to keep his bulldogs at bay. Neil asks Granville to offer a solution. He will negotiate if they withdraw the suite. Alex asks if that means he's ready to acknowledge guilt. He balks and warns Victor about the vastness of complexity of the suite. He has the entire HMO community behind him and makes a veiled threat about NE employees getting no help at all. Victor excuses him. Alex thinks he made a huge strategical error in threatening an industry-wide blacklisting of NE employees. Neil's concerned that this will be a huge battle now and there's no going back. He reassures Victor that he and Alex will work well together.
Nina's:
Nina and Thomas are hashing out ideas about how to start the screenplay based on her book. They disagree on how to open it and he gets discouraged, thinking that the whole project won't work. Thomas goes for a walk to allow them to find inspiration. Phillip returns home unexpectedly to work on a science project with his group from school. Nina is thrown by the interruption. Phillip agrees to study somewhere else and even offers to stay at his friend Joey's while they work on the script. Nina reluctantly agrees but doesn't want to impose on Joey's parents. Nina suggests Paul's place. He likes the idea. When Thomas returns Phillip fills him on the plan. Thomas blames himself for turning Nina and Phillip's world upside down.
Williams Investigations:
Paul leaves another message for Christine, saddened that he hasn't heard from her yet. He wonders to himself what has happened to their marriage. Nina arrives and tells him about the deal she got to work on the script with Thomas. They both comment on how neither have been able to get a hold of Christine. Nina makes excuses for her and begs him to have hope. She decides not to ask him about Phillip right then.
Neil's office:
Malcolm is trying to score basketball tickets for himself and Nate. Olivia isn't impressed to see him there and asks him to leave Neil alone. He feels bad enough and doesn't need to be put in the middle again. They trade barbs. She realizes they can't solve anything now but she begs him to leave Neil alone and let him figure it out for himself. He tells her that he's not even there to see Neil. He came to se Alex. Olivia believes Malcolm is only seeing her to goad Neil. He wonders what she's doing there and deduces that she's after Neil romantically and wonders how well Nate will deal with things if it goes sour.
