Lauren Fenmore Baldwin

Actor History

1983 to 1995 [contract; on The Young and the Restless]; 1995-1998 [recurring]; 1998-1999 [contract, on The Bold and the Beautiful]; June 15, 2000 to June 26, 2000; November 2000; August 24, 2001 to March 25, 2013 [recurring, on The Young and the Restless]; March 25, 2013 to November 2016 [contract on The Young and the Restless]; November 2016 to Present recurring on The Young and the Restless

Caryn Richman

a few days in 1991

Occupation

Residence

Marital Status

Past Marriages

Relatives

Children

Flings & Affairs

Crimes Committed

Brief Character History

Lauren was the only child of wealthy Genoa City retailer Neil Fenmore and Joanna Manning who divorced when Lauren was a small child. She was raised by her father, so they were very close. Joanna didn't come back into her life until Lauren was out of high school. Lauren spent her late teen years singing with rock star Danny Romalotti and rival Traci Abbott. It seemed like every guy Lauren fell for, Traci wanted too. Lauren was very good at getting her man, even at the expense of Traci's feelings. She goaded and tricked Traci, who was very sensitive and insecure.

Lauren finally became involved with and married Detective Paul Williams. Paul's mother Mary felt Lauren was too flamboyant and all wrong for Paul. Paul and Lauren were happy for quite a while though until a stalker named Sean, came into her life and arranged for Paul to misunderstand their relationship. Paul and Lauren divorced, but Paul ended up rescuing her from Sean who had kidnapped her and left her buried alive in San Francisco. Lauren lost their baby (which Paul didn't even know about) in the ordeal, but they were reunited. Lauren's next trick was to enter a nude photo of Paul in a contest which ended up a magazine centerfold. This made Paul decide they should not remarry, but remain friends instead. Lauren's father Neil passed away, and naming her head of Fenmore Department stores while only in her twenties.

Lauren later married Dr. Scott Grainger, a physician at Genoa City Memorial Hospital. Nurse Sheila Carter arrived to work and immediately fell for Dr. Scott. In order to steal him away from Lauren, Sheila drugged Scott and slept with him, ending up pregnant. At the same time Lauren also became pregnant by Scott but didn't tell him. When the truth about the father of Sheila's baby came out, Scott felt obligated, divorced Lauren and married Sheila. Both Sheila and Lauren were due around the same time. Sheila miscarried her baby earlier but kept it a secret. She contacted a black market baby broker and bought a baby boy. She then switched the brokered baby for Lauren's baby in the hospital nursery, passing off Lauren's baby as her own naming him Scotty Jr. Lauren named her baby Dylan, but he died of meningitis before he was a year old.

Sheila's mother Molly discovered her secret and tried to tell all but suffered a stroke making her unable to talk. Sheila had her hospitalized to keep her away from Lauren and Scott. Eventually Molly told Lauren all. Sheila tried to kill Lauren at their cabin but accidentally set fire to it instead. Lauren and Molly escaped but a body was found, leaving all to assume that it was Sheila who perished. Unbeknownst to all in Genoa City, Sheila escaped the fire (a meter reader was the person who died). Sheila fled to Los Angeles where she took a job as company nurse at reputable design house Forrester Creations.

Scott and Lauren with their baby Scotty were reconciled. Since Eric and Lauren were old friends, she received a wedding invitation announcing his marriage to Sheila. Lauren didn't tell Scott, so was stuck with the dilemma of telling Eric about Sheila's past, or not.

Scott then developed a mysterious disease and knew he was dying, but didn't tell Lauren. Sheila somehow found out, and slipped back to Genoa City to see him. Upon hearing how happy she was with Eric, Scott forgave her and promised to keep her secrets. Lauren found out that Sheila and Eric were taking a trip to Catalina, so Lauren planned one for Scott and her too. She expected if they happened to bump into each other Sheila would expose herself, but Scott had no reaction. Lauren got Scott to admit he'd been visited by Sheila. Scott took a turn for the worse as Sheila and Eric arrived later that evening for dinner. Eric went for a doctor while Scott tried to convince Lauren that Sheila had changed and not to expose her. Scott died, and Lauren honored his deathbed wish giving Sheila another chance.

Lauren later moved to Los Angeles (and now appeared on Bold and Beautiful where Scotty was never seen) hoping to promote a line of clothes with Forrester Creations. Eric wasn't interested, so she went to work for Sally Spectra at Spectra Fashions as a designer instead. She had a brief flirtation with Ridge Forrester, but he was more interested in Brooke. She also was involved with Psychiatrist Dr. James Warrick while getting Sheila committed. Then she became involved with Eric, but felt so guilty because of her friendship with Stephanie who was working on a remarriage to Eric, Lauren ended it. Sally found out about the affair and slipped a photo of Lauren and Eric in bed into the bible at their wedding in Venice. The wedding was called off, and Eric and Lauren flew back to Los Angeles together. The plane crashed and they were taken in by a maniac named Rush. Rush was killed by Eric, and they returned to LA. But their romance fizzled after awhile.

Lauren left Los Angeles maintaining CEO status of Fenmore's and traveled the world. She dropped in to help friends like Katherine Chancellor of Genoa City and the Forresters of Los Angeles from time to time. Toward the end of her stay in LA, her son, Scotty Grainger, was finally referred to as being in boarding school.

In late 2001 Lauren showed up once again in Genoa City and went into partnership with the Abbotts as co-owner of the Glo by Jabot Boutique, adding her own fashion line to their cosmetics. She also became involved in the lives of the Glow Kids who were working for her part time while attending GCU.

Although her former husband Paul and Isabella Braña had fallen in love, the whole encounter had been a setup by Michael Baldwin in his efforts to have Paul's wife Christine for himself. Isabella even had the rare stamp of approval from Paul's meddling mother, Mary. Paul, shocked with divorce papers from his long-absent wife, was so consumed with thoughts of her, he broke things off with Isabella. Isabella soon discovered she was pregnant. Lauren found out about the pregnancy and knowing Paul's yearning for children, urged her to tell Paul. Instead, Isabella swore her to silence vowing not to tell Paul who only loved Christine. Since Lauren still had hope for reconciliation with Paul herself, she agreed. Next thing we knew, Isabella was having an affair with Michael Baldwin and convinced him he was about to be a father. Paul found out that Isabella's child was his, causing Isabella to fall out of grace with both Michael and Mary. But Paul was more than understanding and tried to make a go of his relationship with Isabella - until Isabella got pretty insistent on marriage. But after their baby boy, Ricardo Carl Williams, was born, Paul married her. Lauren accepted the marriage and agreed to be Ricky's Godmother, but warned Isabella not to mess up! Isabella ended up attempting murder of Christine and was committed to a mental institution, leaving Paul free to be with Christine again. But unable to get over their past, they split up. Now that ex-husband Paul was free, Lauren and Paul began seeing each other again.

When twenty-five year old Kevin Fisher's boss Bobby Marcino was tipped to Kevin's alleged illegal activities including arson, statutory rape, and attempted murder, he fired Kevin. Shortly afterward, stripper Brittany Hodges was electrocuted during her act by contact with the dancing pole, and suffered severe burns to her face. Kevin was one of the suspects, his motive revenge toward Bobby for firing him, and toward Britt for rejecting his advances. Kevin fell hard for older woman, Lauren Fenmore, so she accepted an invitation to be his date for the Valentine dance at the Athletic Club, hoping Kevin would admit some of his misdeeds. Instead Kevin found out he was being setup and ended up holding Lauren captive at this apartment. Lauren was shocked when Kevin turned his gun from her to himself, just as half-brother Michael came pounding on his door. Michael managed to talk Kevin into letting Lauren go, and got the gun away from him, promising to never run out on his brother again. Not long afterward, Kevin was arrested for Brittany's electrocution and panicked over spending the night in jail, reminding him of those long dark punishments in the closet as a kid. Lauren took pity, bailed him out, and he moved in with Michael as part of the deal. Finding out that Lauren was the one who bailed him out, Kevin was sure Lauren really cared for him. He went to the Jabot Boutique to thank Lauren and ended up confiding in her his Genoa City crimes, but claimed that he did not hurt Brittany. Lauren swore she wouldn't tell anyone. Paul guessed from Lauren's demeanor that Kevin had confessed, so went after Kevin and stupidly pressured him, inferring that Lauren had told, causing Kevin to flee Genoa City for his mother's apartment in his and Michael's hometown Detroit. Kevin awaited his mother Gloria's return, opening that same closet door and reliving the terrifying experience of being locked inside as punishment as a child by "Terrible Tom." Gloria was shocked and hugged and rocked him, begging him to love her now, after she had turned her back on the abuse all those years. Michael showed up just before the Detroit police knocked on the door wanting Kevin. Michael called Detective Weber back in Genoa City, and convinced him to let him bring Kevin back. Gloria and Michael hadn't seen each other in many years either, and Michael was obviously resentful of her. But Gloria talked Michael into letting her return to Genoa City with Kevin. Kevin ended up in jail, and when the prisoners labeled him as a child molester, they beat him up with a "blanket party." Kevin went to the hospital, then was released when Bobby got his mobster pals to admit they fried Brittany.

Kevin continued his infatuation for Lauren, but Michael was drawn to Lauren himself as they met often to discuss Kevin, and eventually ended up lovers. Mac was able to get Kevin to open up to him, and convinced him to go to a psychiatrist. Kevin appears to be learning how to deal with his past and it well when he realized that Mac was not interested him as more than a friend. Michael eventually popped the question after dinner in the Private Dining Room at The Genoa City Athletic Club which he had setup like a gambling casino. After some hesitance by Lauren over Michael's lack of communication about his personal life, Lauren did say yes. Gloria was thrilled with the impending marriage, and took over the wedding plans. Michael quizzed Lauren about her rarely-mentioned son Scotty, hopeful that he would attend the wedding and they could finally meet, but Lauren was evasive. After an Internet search turned up nothing but a last name for Scotty, Kevin asked to borrow Lauren's cell phone, and they traced him by his phone number to Toronto. Michael went there and met Scotty, now 24, and a college student/Teaching Assistant, working on his Masters in Education with a specialty in creative writing. Scotty disclosed that he's never been back to Genoa City since he was a toddler, and grew up in boarding schools around the world. But wherever he was, Lauren visited often and kept an apartment nearby. Scotty always wondered why his mother was so secretive, but gave up asking about it back when he was a kid. Not long after Michael returned to Genoa City, Lauren decided it was time to tell Scotty about her impending marriage, but Scotty admitted he'd already met Michael. Lauren felt betrayed, but Michael later reminded her about how she disliked HIS family secrets. After Lauren left Scotty's, who should walk out of Scotty's bedroom, but Sheila Carter! Sheila (as "Brenda") was taking college courses and being tutored by Scotty, who was the spitting image of his father. Sheila gave Scotty an idea for a novel. Unknown to him, the story was of Sheila and his mother Lauren, but Sheila made Lauren out to be the evil-doer who stole Sheila's baby when the opposite was true. Meanwhile, Michael discovered their history, and visited another "Sheila" in a California prison for the criminally insane. This unknown person turned herself in after a two month's escape. She had plastic surgery to look like Sheila and was being kept drugged.

Scotty decided to go to Genoa City for his mother's wedding and moved into the Loft apartment with Kevin. Brenda soon followed and took up residence in the same seedy hotel where Tom Fisher was staying. The evil Tom and "Brenda" hit it off, and joined forces against Michael and Lauren. Scotty visited "Brenda" often to work on their book. Sheila felt free to move about in Genoa City disguised as the dark haired British accented "Jennifer." She even ended up saving Gloria's life while she was waitressing a party at the Athletic Club. When Scotty bought his mother a silver pendant, Sheila saw her chance and dipped it in poison. The more Lauren wore it, the more she started getting sick and having hallucinations. The night before their wedding Lauren awaited Michael to join her for a romantic dinner on the roof. She began hallucinating that Sheila was tormenting her. Sheila was there for real, talking her into jumping off the roof. Michael arrived just in time to save her, though never saw Sheila. Lauren was admitted to the hospital where they discovered the poisoning, but "Brenda" talked Tom into stealing the necklace before it could be checked for toxin. The wedding was postponed while Lauren recovered. Scotty got a book deal for "One Stolen Heart", but "Brenda" was livid.

Ashley began dating Paul Williams but was also being pursued by a mysterious man named Tom Callahan. What she didn't know was that he was Gloria's ex-husband, and Kevin's child abuser father, "Terrible" Tom Fisher. Gloria didn't know if he was even alive, but Kevin's first encounter with him turned him back into that cowering child he once was. Michael paid him off to leave town, but that obviously didn't work. In trying to figure out what Tom was up to, Michael discovered that Gloria's divorce from Tom was never filed. He assured Gloria that her marriage would be seen as legal, but could be voided should John decide. Tom was seeing a lot of Ashley, doing things like fishing and baseball games. They were always just barely missing encountering Gloria or John at the Athletic Club or the Abbott mansion. One day Tom's luck ran out, as they ran into Michael at the Abbott's. Amazingly, Michael did not expose him to Ashley, but afterward, he suggested Gloria have Tom declared legally dead. After witnessing a bit of his temper, Ashley asked Tom to back off, that she only wanted to be friends. After Tom discovered the ad in the paper, he went to the Abbott mansion and confronted Gloria who was shocked and terrified to see him. She was free and clear with John, but further indebted to Tom, and Michael was on the spot. They told Ashley, who later slugged Tom at the Athletic Club. Because Gloria continued to pay Tom blackmail money stolen from John, Michael formed an alliance with Ashley. They planted drugs in Tom's motorcycle saddle bags, and arranged for him to be caught. But Tom pressured Gloria through Sheila (disguised as Jennifer) to pay his bail. Ashley began dating Tom as part of the plot to bring him down but Tom found out and was bent on revenge!

Not realizing that Sheila was intent on murder, Tom was conned into joining her plot to get back at Lauren, by planting a bomb on Lauren and Michael's honeymoon yacht. Michael watched in horror from shore as the yacht blew up. Lauren was not found, and was presumed dead. But Tom had rescued Lauren and carried her and Sheila back to a farmhouse in Genoa City where he held them in the basement fallout shelter. Lauren convinced Tom that Sheila was the bad guy, so he contacted Gloria to arrange a deal to turn over Lauren. John overheard the phone call, grabbed his gun, and met Tom in an alley instead. During a struggle the gun went off, and Tom was killed. John dropped the gun and took off getting into a car accident, but Ashley arrived in time to witness it. Ashley confessed to the shooting and was arrested with Michael as her lawyer. Meanwhile Lauren and Sheila fought and Lauren broke Sheila's ankle. Eventually, realizing Tom was not coming back, they joined forces attempting to escape. As they were almost out, Paul arrived and pulled Lauren to safety while the shelter caved in on Sheila. Sheila was not found in the rubble, but was later seen at a plastic surgeon wanting a new face. Michael and Lauren enjoyed a tearful reunion, and everyone in Genoa City was relived she was back among the living. After recovering from the accident, John regained his memory, and confessed to killing Tom. John got Paul to help him convince the DA that he was guilty, and took a plea bargain to get Ashley exonerated of all charges. Although Colleen, Gloria, Jill, Katherine, Jack, Victor, and Ashley testify as character witnesses, they are shocked when John be sentenced to seven years in prison for voluntary manslaughter. John arranged a plea bargain to get all possible charges dropped against Ashley for her deception, and was sentenced to seven years in prison.

With John in prison and not at the mansion to protect her, Gloria grew tired of the way Jack and Ashley treated her and vowed to get even. She managed to get hold of the new product Ashley was developing in the lab and compromised it with cleaning solution to make trouble for them. Gloria even asked for a sample, then used it on herself getting major facial burns to show everyone that Ashley's cream was a hazard. Unfortunately samples had already been distributed to select people, and a woman ended up dying after using the cream. The cause of death was a bit suspicious, but the husband was paid off by Jabot to avoid a lawsuit. Jabot's reputation was further ruined, and Jack was fired by Katherine as a result. Gloria then invited Kevin to live at the Abbott estate, ingratiated herself to Kay and Jill and landed a job at Jabot as Fashion Consultant, then managed to get Kevin hired on as Director of Internet Affairs to replace Phyllis. She let both Kevin and Michael in on her schemes and they reluctantly helped to keep her secrets.

Much to her surprise, Lauren discovered she was pregnant, and Michael was elated to be having his first child. Because of her age, Lauren had an amnio to be sure the baby was OK, and it checked out fine. But concerned about the fact that they knew so little about Michael's father, they began a quest to track him down. Michael took a trip to New Orleans, the last known location of Lowell Baldwin and his Grandmother Florence. But in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, Michael found their house destroyed and returned with only a water-soaked diary he found in their yard. Lauren had an expert restore parts of the diary, they found it did indeed belong to Michael's grandmother, and are getting clues from it to locate them.

While in prison John started getting into fights with inmates and having spells where he believed his first wife Dina had just left him. Jack, Ashley and Gloria were made aware, and Jack got permission for John's doctor to look at him, and it was discovered that John was being over-medicated. Before that was corrected, Jack took this opportunity to get John to hand-write a new will cutting out "his evil wife" whom John thought was Dina. Six months after his incarceration, John was about to be released early due to ill heath when he had a stroke and was rushed to GC Memorial in grave condition. The doctors made the family aware that John would never come out of his vegetative state and had signed a DNR. After much bickering between Gloria and Jack, Gloria decided to use her authority in the DNR to allow John to die. Billy and Traci returned to say farewell to their father, as did old friend Kay, and X-wife Jill. Jack and Ashley, who wanted a small family-only memorial service for John, over-ruled Gloria who wanted a huge lavish funeral. As the feud between them heightened, Jack made sure that Gloria had the wrong time so that she missed the memorial service where each of John's children, and Kay and Jill, gave a heartfelt eulogy. Gloria, Michael, Lauren and Kevin arrived to find it over, so held their own service for John including Gloria's eulogy.

The Fishers were jubilant and the Abbott's were appalled to discover John's will left Gloria 50% of his billion dollar estate, and the rest including the Abbott mansion to be divided among his children. But when everyone arrived in probate court, the prison chaplain turned over the hand-written will he had been given for safe-keeping by John which divided the estate among only his children. It was also exposed that John's attorney had never gotten around to making the marriage between John and Gloria legal. Afterward, Gloria arrived at the Abbott Mansion to find her belongings in trash bags on the front porch and the locks changed, with Jack gloating behind the glass door. The next day, as dead-John looked on in the guise of Jack's guilty conscience, the judge decided in the end that the hand-written will would stand, so Gloria was cut out. Assuming that Jack was somehow behind this, Gloria was livid. She and Kevin moved in with Michael and Lauren. Jill and Kay have promoted Gloria to Vice President of Creative Affairs for Jabot, further infuriating the Abbotts. But Jabot was sold to House of Kim, and Gloria must prove herself all over again.

When Lauren discovered that Michael had been working with Gloria in her shady dealings with Jabot, she went into early labor and delivered their baby boy prematurely. Baby Fenmore was finally able to go home, but the Baldwin household was frantic due to the bickering between Lauren's mother Joanna and Gloria, a colicky baby, and Michael's being too busy defending the Winters family in the Carmen Mesta murder case, plus working with Victor to expose Jack Abbott for secretly buying Jabot in the guise of House of Kim.

Paul Williams managed to track Sheila to Argentina in October 2006 and discovered that she had undergone plastic surgery to look like Phyllis Summers, then had killed the plastic surgeon. Paul, later in October, discovered her buying baby things in Genoa City, and followed her to a warehouse where he trapped her in the cell she had constructed with the intention of imprisoning Lauren and stealing her baby Fen. He made her pose for a death photo at gunpoint and made up DNA samples to convince Lauren and Michael that she was killed when struck by a car in Argentina. Paul also let Phyllis and Nick know. Paul kept her imprisoned there undetected until December when Michael put a tracking bug on Paul's car and caught Paul bringing her food. Michael picked the lock and was shocked to discover "Phyllis" behind the bars. Paul appeared and tried to convince Michael that it was really Sheila, but it took a cell phone call to the real Phyllis to convince him. Knowing the authorities can never keep her contained, Paul and Michael shared a secret and the dilemma of what to do with her. Meanwhile Lauren and the real Phyllis were bonding through their pregnancies as she helped Lauren get through her post partum depression and anxiety attacks.

Detective Maggie Sullivan and Paul Williams began dating, and in her curiosity about Paul's frequent absence "on a stakeout" she tracked him by his cell phone to the warehouse. Sheila conned her into believing she was Phyllis, Maggie let her loose, then Sheila shot her with her own gun. Paul arrived later and was trapped in the cell too by Sheila when he came to Maggie's aid. Sheila then went to Phyllis's, tied her up and waiting for Lauren and baby Fen to arrive, taunting Phyllis about how great it would be to take over her life with her hot husband and new baby. After Lauren arrived she was tied up, and Sheila took Phyllis and babies Fen and Summer to a retirement home where she had an apartment. Michael eventually rescued Paul and a near-death Maggie from the warehouse cell, and they rescued Lauren. While Michael and Paul followed Sheila's walkie-talkie signal which she planted to lure them elsewhere, Nick and Lauren with the aid of Kevin enhanced the background noise from her latest taunting call. Nick realized where they were and while they tried to find Paul, Lauren snuck out with the gun Paul had given her for security. Lauren found the apartment, broke in, and confronted the two Phyllises. Phyllis managed to convince Lauren she was the real one, and Lauren shot Sheila dead! Her dying words still taunting Lauren that she would never be rid of her and she had shot the wrong one, lead us to believe that this may have yet been another pawn of Sheila and she may still be out there and a threat. Phyllis was livid with Michael and Lauren for endangering her and her baby Summer, but they eventually reconciled. Maggie recovered from her gunshot wound and did not tell the police about Paul or Michael holding Sheila in that cell, so they were not charged.

Since his brother Kevin and his mother Gloria arrived in GC, Michael was spending way too much of his time away from his home, family and clients trying to keep them out of trouble and out of jail. Gloria goes from one rich husband to another who just happens to die, and one scheme after another while most of the time living with his family. When she was not in trouble, Kevin usually was. Kevin seems to have settled down with Jana now, and he and Michael finally had to cut Gloria off so they could live their own lives.

The Fishers were celebrating Michael's first Father's Day with son Fenmore, when Michael insisted Gloria tell him more about his own father, Lowell Baldwin. Gloria told her story of how they were young idealistic hippies, omitting the activist group that they belonged to and changing the ending that Gloria discovered she was pregnant with Michael about the time Lowell got drafted and fled to Canada. She told them rather than raise an infant in a commune, she let Lowell go alone and never saw him again. She guiltily admitted that they had never been married like she had led everyone to believe.

Michael’s partner, Detective Paul Williams, located a River Baldwin wanted for murder after setting up a bombing of a bank as a leader with the 60's activist group “The Weathermen”. He had the same social security number as Lowell, and was also born in New Orleans. Records also showed that a Gloria Simmons paid his bail. Gloria again lied in response to Michael's confrontation that Lowell used her, convinced her he was innocent, and disappeared after she bailed him out, leaving her and baby Michael penniless. Paul also later discovered that a Richard Gerick had switched identities with Lowell in 1993 after Lowell, then a College professor in Southern California was kicked out and disappeared because he slept with student. Michael began having second thoughts about finding his long lost father.

Although Jana was originally planning her wedding to Kevin in "Goth" style with Amber designing her gown, then influenced by being maid of honor for Sabrina began dreaming of a more traditional wedding, they ended up with a hippie style wedding at an ashram in Malibu. All in hippie attire except for Jana's white lace gown, Amber was her maid of honor and Daniel Kevin's best man with Michael as groomsman. Lauren, Gloria and Jeffrey attended, and Colleen tagged along as Daniel's date. To everyone's shock, the guru officiating turned out to be Michael's long lost father Lowell "River" Baldwin. Gloria and Michael gave him a tongue-lashing over his abandoning them before Michael was born, and Lowell retorted with cosmic gibberish about fate and the universe, and asked them not to turn him in to the Feds. Michael gave him hell with tears of hurt in his eyes, but left saying he would not turn him in.

It wasn't long before River turned up at Michael's door trying to explain and make amends for the past to Michael and Gloria, claiming he was not guilty of the death in the 60's. Gloria had a very touching reunion with Lowell, and she and Michael both made peace with him. Just as he was about to leave town, Lowell was apprehended by the FBI. Gloria’s current husband Jeffrey later admitted that he turned Lowell in. Not long afterward 15 year old Eden showed up at Michael’s looking for her father River. Lowell explained to Michael that when he was teaching in California he got a grad student pregnant, and was fired from the university as a result. Eden's mother had a drug problem, disappeared after Eden was born, and she died. Lowell raised Eden to be self-sufficient in case he got caught, home-schooling her to be far advanced for her age. He asked Michael to take her in, and Lauren convinced Michael they should give it a try, but Eden was sullen and belligerent. Attorney Dick Dentner, a former activist himself, saw Lowell as a hero and took his case with plans to "stick it to the man". Michael attempted to help, but Lowell was not interested. But when Lowell was about to be extradited back to Michigan, Michael acted as his lawyer and got his trial held in Genoa City, Lowell finally accepted Michael to defend him. Michael spent days pouring over four decades of files from the 1960’s trial of Lowell's cohorts. He found and met with a buddy of Lowell’s, Howie “Kite” Sullivan, who told him that he was with “River” the day of the bombing, and that “River” was not responsible for the janitor who was killed. That it was meant to be only a confetti bomb, but someone substituted a real one, and River was only there to try to stop the protest. Howie claimed he was an FBI informant who, when he refused to testify against Lowell, ended up doing time. Meanwhile Gloria located a note in the files where the prosecution had scrapped Howie’s testimony because he refused to cut a deal, which verified his story. Back at the jail, after a visit from Jeffrey that convinced him that ever going free was hopeless, Lowell took a capsule that would make him sick so he'd get taken to the hospital. He left a note for Michael, and with Eden causing a distraction, Lowell escaped out a second story window hurting his ankle. Eden met Lowell at a warehouse, but he convinced her to stay with Michael to have a decent life. Not long after she left, the police surrounded the warehouse. Michael arrived and talked Lowell into surrendering. As Michael worked on Lowell’s case, he found a photo of the activist group, and Lowell identified all the members in it, including Gloria, for Michael to investigate. Michael was particularly interested in finding Lowell's former best friend Marshall. He suspected he was the one who substituted the real bomb, but he turned out to be deceased. Also among the old evidence was a tape of a witness named Tonya condemning Lowell as a violent ringleader, the voice undeniably Gloria’s. When Michael confronted her with it, Gloria broke down and admitted she was coerced into it by the police under threat of getting Michael taken away from her. When Michael told Lowell, he said he had known all along, understood the circumstances and forgave her long ago. Gloria walked in the visiting room, overheard, and they cried and embraced.

Eden finally was letting down her defenses and she and Lauren were finally starting to bond as they shopped for winter clothes together. Noah Newman took an interest in Eden, and persuaded her to go on a French Class trip to France. The trip went well and Noah was enjoying Paris, but Eden was bored and wanted to see the real Paris where her mother grew up. Meanwhile Sharon arrived to meet Noah and do some sightseeing with him, but ran into Nick who was there to find Victor. Eden and Noah went to the Père Lachaise Cemetery where Jim Morrison was buried, Eden opened up to Noah about her mother who grew up in Paris, and they ended up in an embrace. But they were interrupted by some young thugs who stole the necklace Eden's mother had left her, and roughed up Noah. Eden got away and called the police. The thugs got away dropping the necklace which Noah retrieved, and Noah and Eden were taken to the police station until Sharon was located and picked them up. Noah and Eden are becoming close and kissing when they can get away with it, since they are now forbidden to see each other because of the trouble they got into in Paris.

In November 2008, Traci returned to Genoa City from her home in New York City to attend the funeral of Katherine Chancellor (who was not really dead, it was her doppelganger, Marge). Lauren came up to Traci after the funeral, showed her a photo of Fen, and told her how nice it was to see her again. Lauren said she was thinking of all the things she wanted to say to Kay that she would never be able to, then saw Traci and realized that she'd always regretted the way she'd treated her in high school, and just had to apologize. The two hugged as her apology was accepted.

The end of 2009 found Michael representing Daniel Romalotti who was setup and charged with murder. Unknown to everyone else, Deacon, Ryder and his twin sister Daisy discussed their plot against Daniel which was masterminded by an unknown woman, their next target being Lauren who started getting visits by dead and live rats. College girl, Daisy, convinced Lauren to hire her at her boutique and that she was a sweet, hard-working girl who had no family. When Eden began seeing through Daisy's con job, Daisy set the Carlton house on fire while Eden and Noah were upstairs making love. Noah's uncle Adam arrived in time to save them and Noah's dog Fisher. Eden confronted Daisy with a Fenmore's card found at the scene, certain that Daisy set the fire. Not long afterward, Eden was contacted by an Aunt in Paris, asking her to live with her for awhile and attend a prestigious school there. While she hated to leave Noah, she persuaded Michael and Lauren to let her go. Once Eden got to Paris she told Noah she was confused that her Aunt thanked her for contacting her and requesting to come. Noah soon got permission to join her there.

Daisy got Lauren to feel sorry for her and allow her to live in Eden’s room. While packing up Eden’s things, Michael found a receipt for the purchase of a rat from a pet store. The clerk remembered selling it to a young dark-haired girl with an attitude. Michael phoned and confronted Eden, who swore she was being setup and suspected Daisy. Lauren began having terrible headaches and being short-tempered with everyone, refusing to believe that Daisy was not the sweet helpful girl she appeared to be. Jana was suspicious of Ryder, suspecting he and Daisy were more than new acquaintances. After convincing Kevin, Ryder was fired from Crimson Lights and asked to move out of their apartment. Ryder began living on the streets by day, and sleeping at the boutique at night, then later at the homeless shelter. One day Ryder watched some young trick-or-treaters and gazed at a ripped photo of himself as a young boy. Ryder recalled arguing with another boy about costumes. As Ryder remembered the boy taunting and calling him "chicken boy," he wiped a tear from his eye, saying, "I didn't mean for it to happen." Jana found a photo of Daisy with a kid named Max Potter, and discovered on the Internet that he had disappeared from camp one Halloween night. During a date at the Athletic Club, while Kevin was trapped in the elevator, Jana found a card on her plate inviting her to a movie theater to finish their date. On her theater seat was a scrapbook with photos of Daisy and Ryder as babies. Realizing they were twins and who their mother was, Jana screamed, then was abducted. Kevin began frantically searching for Jana, finally enlisting the help of Michael and Detective JT, convinced that Ryder and Daisy were behind her disappearance. Meanwhile Jana was being held in a cage in the zoo next to an abandoned amusement park near Twin Lakes, attended by a reluctant Ryder, and Daisy plotted to get rid of Jana by leaving a trail to convince everyone that she had left Kevin and disappeared.

Lauren's headaches got worse, and she was taking medication, but Daisy was lacing her water with a drug. One day Daisy slipped her some ecstasy which made Lauren euphoric and amorous. When Michael was too busy, Lauren was photographed by Daisy making out with Paul. She slipped the photo in Michael’s briefcase – all to stir up trouble at the direction of her mother whom they called “Mama Bear”. Michael, Paul, and Lauren realized that Daisy was behind the photos, had put a toxin in the paste for Lauren’s new office wallpaper to cause the headaches, and was probably behind the disappearance of Jana. With Chance’s help they arranged for a text message to be placed from Daisy’s cell phone to get Ryder to go to the Baldwin apartment, and when he arrived, both Daisy and Ryder were arrested. Sarah Smythe, posted their bail saying she was their mother, and all three showed up in costume at the annual charity ball where they kidnapped Lauren. Paul later found that in 1993, Sarah Smythe was a night nurse in a hospital in Green Bay who was cleared of charges when elderly patients died in her direct care. And the police said she looked just like Lauren. Ryder had second thoughts and sent Kevin a text message with a clue to find Jana, but Kevin did not find her at the amusement park. Lauren ended up in a cage near where Jana had been placed in a crate after she tried to escape and they were able to talk. Daisy confronted Lauren, admitting to being involved in everything from framing Daniel for murder, sending Eden to Paris, planting the rats and the toxin in her office wallpaper. Daisy claimed that she and Ryder were twins were raised by someone else because the ongoing feud between Lauren and their mother Sheila Carter stole her away from them, and inferred that Sheila was still alive and there with them. Lauren demanded Sheila show herself, and “Mama Bear” appeared – with Lauren’s face! Lauren and Jana ended up together in the cage where “Mama Bear” told them she was Sheila’s sister Sarah, and that she intended to avenge Sheila’s death. Sarah then took Lauren’s wedding ring, and left in Lauren’s clothes, and stepped into Lauren’s life. Michael’s joy at “Lauren’s” return was dashed when she told him she had awakened that morning in a strange man’s bed, and began acting very abnormally. Michael got her an appointment with Psychiatrist Dr. Emily Peterson. When Sarah passing for “Lauren” met “Emily” she recognized her immediately as Patty Williams. Sarah had been Patty’s nurse at the surgical center in Argentina where they both had their plastic surgeries. Sarah made a deal with Emily who was tired of Jack continually going to Phyllis for solace, that Sarah would kill Phyllis if Patty would kill Michael. Sarah, impersonating Lauren, visited Phyllis while Daisy waited outside ready to strangle Phyllis. But when Sarah heard that Daniel was on his way there, she called Daisy and told her to stop him. Sarah attempted to kill Phyllis herself but Phyllis got away and barricaded herself in another room. Meanwhile Daisy kept Daniel at his apartment by drugging him, and was having sex with him when Amber and Little Eric walked in on them.

Back at Crimson Lights, Kevin decided to get help to find Jana from her Ouija board with Kay and Murphy. It kept pointing to letters that spelled out zoo, so Murphy helicoptered the three of them to find Jana with a heat locator. Once on the ground they searched separately, and Kevin found Jana suffering worse headaches than when she had a brain tumor. After Michael found Phyllis barricaded in her room, they drove to the zoo and arrived to find the real Lauren and Sarah having a gun standoff in the fun house mirrors. Meanwhile Daisy held Kevin and Jana at gunpoint, but Ryder stepped between them and convinced Daisy to give him the gun and run away with him. Kevin picked up the gun where Ryder had dropped it, but Ryder convinced him to let them go. Michael was able to tell them apart, and tried to convince Lauren to drop the gun, that the police would take care of Sarah. But Lauren was well aware that police never could contain Sheila either, so started shooting. A ricocheting bullet hit Phyllis in the cast on her broken leg, and she and Michael were caught between the two Laurens, each with a gun. Phyllis gave the password “karma” which she had been given by Jana, and Lauren confirmed herself as the real Lauren with the response “is a bitch”, then Lauren shot and killed Sarah. Daisy and Ryder left together by car, and Daisy promised she would be back someday as her mother Sheila would want.

Murphy rushed Jana to the hospital in the helicopter where she was diagnosed with a brain aneurysm. At her bedside, Kevin told Jana they were two misfit toys stuck with each other for eternity, that he had never given up on her, and never would. Her surgery went well, but to Kevin’s dismay, Jana woke from surgery with no emotions, possibly due to brain damage. Jana went back to work at Crimson Lights but was so unlike herself, she even cut her hair into a bob.

Lauren was still having nightmares of Sarah. She and Michael entered Crimson Lights and were shocked to find Ryder there ready to turn himself in to the police. Ryder apologized to Kevin, Jana, and Lauren for his actions saying that he spent his whole life taking orders from Sarah and Daisy, and even if he spent the rest of it in prison, he would finally be free of them. Kevin called the police and Chance took him to jail. Jana later visited Ryder telling him how much she could relate to his situation. Heather was reinstated as an Assistant D.A. thanks to Chance’s recommendation and the capture of both Ryder and Patty. Jana’s first returning emotion was compassion as she took a loan out against Crimson Lights to bail out Ryder. Jana admitted she had no feelings for Kevin, and that she intended to help Ryder change his life, justifying to Kevin and Lauren that although he had tried to kill them, he had also helped them escape. Kevin got drunk and told Jana they were done. Jana got separate rooms for herself and Ryder at the Athletic Club, and although Ryder was reluctant because she was his brother’s wife, they ended up having sex together.

After Liz Foster’s death, her son Snapper told her adoptive daughter Jill that her real father was a very young Neil Fenmore who had gotten a girl pregnant. Neil’s family had refused to let him marry the girl, so she abandoned her baby at the hospital and committed suicide. Lauren was disbelieving when Jill told her the circumstances that made them half-sisters, but later looking at old photos of her deceased father, she shared the news with Michael. Michael promised to find out the truth. A DNA test proved Liz’s story was true. But Lauren told Jill she was not interested in welcoming her to the family, so Jill consulted a lawyer about her legal options. At Kay & Murphy’s 4th of July picnic Jill announced how proud she was to be a Fenmore, and that she had legally changed her name to Jill Fenmore. Tucker, from his similar experience, advised her to be herself instead, that she was one of a kind. Nikki took Jill to task and they fought about each other’s jaded pasts, and Lauren told her taking the name would never make her a Fenmore.

Jill’s lawyer Morgan Belford, filed a lawsuit to get half the inheritance that Lauren had received after their father Neil’s death. Lauren tried an amicable settlement, but Jill thought she was faking the peace offering, and pulled another publicity stunt, an interview at Neil’s gravesite. Lauren showed up, they fought on the air, and Lauren shoved Jill into an open grave. They went to court and Jill’s lawyer put Lauren’s mother, Joanna Manning, on the stand. She told how Neil brooded about his illegitimate daughter throughout their marriage, and his guilt was responsible for turning Lauren into a spoiled brat. After Neil recovered from learning Jill’s mother had died, he tried to track down the child and failed. Joanna claimed Neil cared more for a dead woman and her child than his wife, which was they divorced when Lauren was only a little girl and she stayed with her father. The judge ruled that Neil knew of another child when wrote will saying, “Any and all of my living heirs” and awarded 50% of his assets to Jill. Lauren caught her mother as they left court asking how she could be so cruel to her own daughter, if she even knew that Lauren and been kidnapped a few months ago. Lauren told Joanna to go back to her villa and her younger men and stay out of her life. Michael drew up the papers and Lauren and Jill signed, giving Jill her rightful place running Fenmore’s with Lauren.

In September 2010, Lauren went to Toronto to visit her son, Scotty. Lauren returned in time for Halloween, and took Fen trick or treating. But nearly six months after she had disappeared from Genoa City, Daisy was seen wearing a nun’s habit again skulking around in Jimmie’s bar the night of Billy Abbott’s annual Halloween party, and watching Lauren. Lauren screamed as she spotted Daisy in the strobe lights. Michael, Billy and Rafe searched, but did not find her. They chalked it up to the eerie Halloween special affects until Phyllis found Daisy in the background of one of her party photos. Later, Daniel and Abby returned to his loft to find Daisy sitting inside in the dark. When they turned on the lights, a very pregnant Daisy came forward and announced that she was carrying Daniel’s child. When Daniel protested that it could not be and attempted to call the police, Daisy threatened to hurt the baby. But Abby managed to text for help, and the police showed up and arrested Daisy.

Lauren resumed her panic attacks and became reclusive. Even though Daisy was in jail, Lauren feared that Ryder had returned as well and neither she nor Fen were safe. Once Phyllis learned that she may become a grandmother, she insisted on a DNA test. But Daisy refused unless she could be transferred to a hospital. Phyllis convinced Lauren to agree, Daisy had the test, and was handcuffed to her bed while she awaited the results. The test revealed that Daniel was the father, and that the baby was a girl. Daniel refused to have anything to do with Daisy or her child. After Daisy had a breach of the placenta and needed bed rest for the remainder of the pregnancy, Phyllis got Daisy released into her custody with an ankle monitor to be sure of the baby’s welfare until it was born and could be adopted. But when Daniel saw that Daisy was keeping Phyllis and Summer apart, he petitioned the court to take Daisy to live with him, so Summer could live with Phyllis. Kevin went to work for Mark Hogan's crime organization to raise the money to adopt Daisy’s child so it would not have to live a life like he and Daisy had. Motivated by one night of desperation sex initiated by Kevin, Jana made a deal with Daisy for Jana to raise the baby in hopes that it would bring Kevin back to her for good. In exchange, Jana promised not to testify against Daisy when her case went to trial. Daisy later escaped, had her baby and abandoned her at a church, and went on the run once again. Unknown to anyone in Genoa City, the baby was found and sold to a baby broker, who sold her to Billy Abbott, and she became known as their daughter Lucy Abbott. This was discovered, Daniel signed over his parental rights, and Billy and Victoria legally adopted Lucy. But Daisy returned, thanks to Phyllis' interference, and fought for and won her right to Lucy with Phyllis getting temporary custody. Michael and Lauren told Phyllis she was no longer their friend due to her narrow-minded obsession that her grandchild belonged with her family.

Jabot's national launch of its new cactus pectin product line and new Jabot logo was held at Fenmore's, and hosted by Lauren, Jill and Michael. The Abbotts were represented by Jack and Abby, and McCall by Katherine. Ashley, who developed the product, was with Tucker who was being dismissed from the hospital and insisted on attending the launch party. Ashley objected, fearful that the reporters and paparazzi would ask him questions and figure out his mental limitations. But Tucker and Ashley arrived to everyone's applause in the middle of Jack's speech, and when Tucker was stymied by a question, he turned things over to Ashley. A reporter asked about their recent marriage, shocking the family and friends who had not yet been told. When asked, Abby covered by telling reporters that rehab had made her realize that her mom deserved to be happy. Later when Jack and Lauren promoted the new products on the talk show "The Talk", the hosts surprised them by including Tucker via satellite, and asking some probing questions about his marriage to the woman who ran him over.

Lauren appears sporadically with Jill at Fenmore's or with her loving husband Michael, who continually reminds her that they are the only happily-married and sane people in Genoa City. After being together on the dissenting side of a Newman Board vote which seemed suspicious, Tucker and Lauren decided to work together in the future.

Phyllis' estranged sister Avery, a lawyer whose specialty was freeing the innocent, showed up in Genoa City and took on Daisy Carter as a Client, knowing it would hurt Phyllis. Lauren visited Daisy in prison and warned her that they were going to fight her release, and not to mess with her again. Daisy's hearing for a reduced sentence began, with a key piece of evidence, a video which Ryder had made of Daisy pleading with Sarah Smythe for mercy for Lauren and Jana when they had held them captive. Michael cross-examined Daisy, asking why Daisy never called for help or let them go when Sarah wasn't there. Daisy said she was afraid that Sarah would kill her. In his closing statement Michael begged the judge not to fall for Daisy's supposed rehabilitation. But Daisy was given time-served and put on parole with psychological counseling. Avery and Daisy's next goal would be for Daisy to get custody of Lucy from Phyllis. Lauren went from court to a gun range to practice shooting using a photo of Daisy as a target. She later confided in Jill, after Jill spotted the gun in Lauren's purse, that she would never let Daisy torment her again. Michael was concerned that Lauren appeared to be handling the Daisy situation too well.

After realizing that Daisy had moved into Heather's former apartment in their building, Lauren made plans for Fen to stay with her son Scotty in Toronto for his protection, and they moved out of their apartment and into the Chancellor estate. Daisy boldly entered Fenmore's intending to spend a gift certificate on clothes for Lucy and taunted Lauren. Lauren freaked out and pulled her gun on Daisy, and was arrested for assault with a deadly weapon. Michael came to her aid and Lauren got off with probation. But Michael had forgotten the note with the SEC contact that he was supposed to see to help Victor. By the time Michael remembered Victor, it was too late and Victor fired him for causing the loss of millions of dollars.

Knowing it would help Michael and Lauren to move back into their own place, and with nowhere for him to paint living at Daisy's apartment, Daniel suggested that Daisy and Lucy move into his garret with him. Lauren and Michael had no more moved back home, when Michael was offered the position of interim District Attorney. Lauren objected, afraid of retaliation and interference in their lives by the press. Michael told Avery and Lauren that he had been career-oriented at any cost until he met Lauren and they had Fen. But now that he had made a name for himself and made his money, he wanted to make his son proud and make a difference. Lauren and Michael talked it over, and they decided to give it a try. Michael accepted, and insisted on bringing back Heather Stevens as an ADA. When Phyllis found out, she congratulated Michael and wondered what had happened to the unethical scoundrel he use to be. Avery agreed to take over Michael's law practice. Michael was sworn in while friends and relatives wondered if the day would come that he would be prosecuting them. At their celebration of Michael's new job, Lauren surprised him with the return of their son Fen, who had become a teenager.

Still feeling threatened by Daisy, Lauren exchanged cash for a gun from a shady looking character. Paul reminded her that it was illegal, she was still on probation for the last weapons charge, plus Michael was the D.A. So Paul made Lauren give him the gun. Later in the week, when Paul's son Ricky was about to kill Eden, Paul had to use that gun to kill Ricky. Being unregistered with serial numbers filed off, Paul was accused of premeditated murder, so Lauren had to admit to Michael that the gun had been hers. Michael had Paul arrested by Ronan for first degree murder. When things started looking bleak for Paul, despite the fact that she could go to jail herself, Lauren told Avery and turned herself in as being the owner of the gun that Paul had used on Ricky, hoping it would eliminate premeditation.

Michael and Lauren discussed Michael's future as D.A., and how much he regretted taking the job and having to prosecute all of his friends. They agreed that Michael's legal and moral compasses were spinning in opposite directions.

Ronan Malloy went back to Washington D.C. to accept a Homeland Security detail job. He asked Paul and Michael to look out for Jamie, a young boy he had been mentoring who was being cyber-bullied (as it turned out, by Lauren's son Fen). Jamie's father was arrested for a hit and run DUI, and causing an injury. Once his father went to jail, Jamie would have no one to live with, and would be headed for foster care. Hearing about this, Fen became jealous, sure that his parents would take the kid in.

Celebrating their anniversary, Michael gave Lauren her favorite romantic dinner, music, and champagne in their living room, followed by her favorite bath salts from Tuscany, and a handwritten love letter which he spoke to her.

Fen's burner-phone fell out of his backpack, but Fen claimed to Michael that he had it to cover his relationship with Summer. Jamie was put in a group home, and Michael discovered Jamie had been beaten up by his roommates, but was unable to persuade a judge to intercede. Michael confided in Paul how concerned he was that Fen was heading toward becoming another Ricky or young Michael or Kevin, being so full of rage. Paul tried to reason with Fen and convince him that Michael loved and wanted to help him.

Fen agreed to back off, and Jamie said he wouldn't tell Michael about Fen's texts. When a valuable glass box and $200 disappeared out of Lauren's purse, they asked Jamie if he took them, but Jamie was affronted and left. Jamie was later found by Paul where he had fallen from one roof to another below. While Jamie laid in the hospital unconscious, Michael accused Fenmore of setting Jamie up, but Lauren refused to believe it. Jamie regained consciousness and was released, but he refused to tell anyone what had happened. Jamie told Summer that she and Fen were both responsible for everything that had happened to him. Summer apologized, explaining that by bullying him as Britni she had only been trying to get back at Ronan, but now realized it was pretty dumb. Michael confronted Fen, and Fen accused Michael of choosing Jamie over Fen, and he would never forgive him. Then after a verbal fight between Fen and Jamie, Jamie decided to press charges against Fen.

Fen was arrested for assault in his home. Lauren followed him to jail and got him out on bail Lauren followed him to jail and got him out on bail after he spent the night in "juvie". Both Lauren and Fen were resentful of Michael for not supporting his son. Lauren began hanging out at the Athletic Club bar with bartender, Carmine Basco, coming onto her. He took her home one night when she had too much to drink, and another night he kissed her. Fen found out about Michael's past on the Internet and threw it in his face. Michael failed to convince Fen that it was because of his own past that he didn't want Fen going down the same road. After Paul found Jamie attempting to jump from the same roof, he convinced Jamie that he would help him make things better. Much to Fen's relief, Ronan was granted guardianship of Jamie and he moved to Washington, D.C. to live with Ronan after apologizing to the Baldwins for all the trouble he had caused them. But Fen still refused to forgive Michael, and Lauren still resented Michael for not believing in their son as she had, and she moved out.

Carmine noticed that Lauren had taken a room at the Athletic Club, but she set him straight that she was married. Carmine followed her up to her room one night, and Lauren, who had been fantasizing about Carmine, ended up spending two nights with him. The second morning they were interrupted by Michael pounding on the door, and failing to talk Lauren into forgiving him and returning home. But Kevin tricked Lauren into going to their apartment by telling her that he was afraid Michael was going to do something desperate. Michael awaited with candles, explaining that he and Fen had reconciled, that he had quit the D.A. job, and he was able to coax Lauren back into his bed. But afterward they fought when Michael realized that things were not back to normal. Lauren left, and ended up back at the athletic club in bed with Carmine. The next time Lauren returned home, Michael attempted to get her to talk and suggested seeing a counselor. When Lauren refused, Michael left, telling her that he was not going to put up with it anymore and was drawing up a legal separation document. Lauren then told Carmine that she loved her husband and didn’t want Carmine getting in the way, no texting, and no more rendezvous. Carmine begged her for one last night together, and Lauren relented.

Michael and Lauren were enjoying a romantic evening until Michael hugged her, and she had a flashback to Carmine and flinched, causing Michael to leave. Michael went to On the Boulevard where Carmine was bartending, and Carmine proceeded to get Michael drunk while texting Lauren. Barry, the owner of the club, talked Michael, Billy, Adam, Mason, and Carmine into a poker game. Michael got more and more drunk, while Carmine taunted him about taking something else from him tonight if not money. Carmine left the game and went to Lauren's home. Lauren told Carmine to leave, that she had promised Fen she would save her marriage. Carmine walked out her door, narrowly missing Michael coming home.

Michael decided their reconciliation was not working and that he would move out. Fen accused him of giving up. Lauren left for On the Boulevard, where she laughed, flirted and made plans to go somewhere tropical with Carmine, while Michael wept at their apartment. Paul caught Lauren and Carmine talking together in her apartment, and he begged her to tell Michael that she was having an affair with Carmine and end it. Instead Lauren went to Lake Geneva with Carmine. When Michael overheard Carmine in the background of a phone call, and put together other clues, Michael finally became suspicious. Michael confronted Lauren who would not admit to having an affair, but said that no one would blame her if she did. Michael yelled at her and left. Michael discovered the same Geneva Pines Inn matchbook at On the Boulevard that Lauren had, and called Carmine a son of a bitch. Michael confided in Phyllis, who told him to go home and fix things. Lauren finally admitted the affair with Carmine, called it a mistake, and wished she could take it back. Michael said it could not be undone, and that she had broken his heart. Asked if Michael could forgive her, he said he did not know. Afterward Lauren told Carmen to stop calling and texting, that she never wanted to see him again. Michael overheard Lauren tell Carmine that there was no future for them, that she would always want Michael. After Lauren left, Michael attacked Carmine choking him until Kevin broke them apart. Michael went home to Lauren and told her that he was ready to try to forgive her. But when they kissed, Michael pictured Lauren kissing Carmine. In tears, Michael asked Lauren to just leave him alone, and moved out. When Carmine discovered that Michael had moved in to the athletic club, he went to Lauren, telling her that they could finally be together. Lauren again told Carmine that he was wrong, they had been just a fling, and it was over. As Carmine left, viewers saw him looking at a photo on his cell phone of Lauren in bed, and realized that Carmine had become obsessed with her.

Carmine began befriending Fen who was having tough time dealing with the part he played in his parent's breakup, and why he could not get Summer Newman to fall for him.

But after Michael had a heart to heart talk with his best friend Phyllis, he agreed to return to Lauren and give it a 30-day trial. Knowing they were back together again, Carmine then sent Lauren a bouquet of chocolate covered strawberries as a reminder of their time together in Lake Geneva. Lauren returned them to him in person, and again told him it was over. When Michael got home, Lauren told him what had happened, and they agreed to be honest with each other. Meanwhile, Carmine was listening to his "new best friend" Fen wonder why his parents were so far apart, and spilled the truth, saying that Lauren just needed to come back to him instead. Unfortunately, viewers were not shown his response. Next, Fenmore graduated from high school and was given a new car by his parents. His grandmother Joanna and half-brother Scott attended, but were unseen by viewers.

Fen caught Carmine kissing Lauren, as Lauren tried to push him away. Fen pulled him off, and Lauren told Carmine to get out. Fen asked Lauren if they were having an affair, and she replied no, not anymore. But when Michael got home, Fen told him what he had seen, and Lauren explained to Michael that Carmine had just showed up and kissed her. Fen attacked Lauren for disrespecting his father by screwing around with some bartender, and wondered how Michael could even look at her since. Michael said he defended Lauren because she was his wife, he loved her, and that she deserved a chance to make things right. Fen asked, "Why bother?" and left. Fen went to Carmine and accused him of getting off by messing with people's families. Fen told him he saw through his friendship, in that he just wanted to get close to his mother. Fen left Carmine, saying he felt betrayed by everyone. Michael later accused Carmine of following them, and warned him to stay away from his wife and son, saying there was nothing he wouldn't do to protect his family.

Michael and Lauren decided to follow their therapist's advice and go on a first date at On the Boulevard. Lauren was shocked when Carmine sent over a bottle of champagne, thinking Michael had made sure that Carmine was not working. Dumping out the champagne, Michael explained that rather than get violent with Carmine, he had decided to convince him that they were happy together despite his presence.

On the thirtieth day Lauren begged for more time, but he said it was not necessary. Michael told Lauren that he loved her, tore up divorce papers, and they went to their room to re-consummate their marriage. The phone rang, and it was Carmine telling them that he was with Fen in the hospital. They kicked Carmine out of the room on their arrival. The doctor told them that Fen had ingested a powerful methamphetamine which had caused cardiovascular collapse. When Fen woke up, he told them Carmine was responsible. Michael went ballistic and pressured Paul to arrest Carmine. Michael was at the police station when Carmine was brought in for questioning. Carmine taunted Michael, and Paul had to hold Michael back from attacking Carmine. But Carmine's lawyer, Leslie Michaelson, got him off, explaining what really had happened, and pointed out that if Carmine wanted to hurt Fen he never would have called 911. Carmine smugly walked out, and went to Crimson Lights where he sat drooling over his laptop, watching the video of him and Lauren making love. Meanwhile, Lauren was in Fen's room awaiting his return from therapy when Gloria arrived, and blamed her for Fen's overdose. Lauren admitted that Gloria was right, that everything that had happened to Fen and her marriage was her fault. But Gloria changed her tune when Lauren told her that she and Michael had reconciled.

Carmine then sent the video to the GCBuzz website, and forwarded the link to Fen's phone. Fen was repulsed and showed it to Michael and Lauren. Michael threatened Buzz of GC Buzz, who replied, "Bring it on, dude." Afterward, Carmine taunted Michael, saying, "Seen any good videos lately?" But Kevin found out about it, and managed to hack into the site and take it down. Michael caught Carmine in the alley and held gun on him. Carmine just taunted him with, "You're not man enough, just like you weren't to satisfy your wife." Michael was about to shoot when Lauren interrupted, which Carmen interpreted as caring for himself to have saved his life. But Lauren set him straight, that she was only saving Michael from doing time for killing him. So Carmine called 9-1-1, and Paul had to arrest Michael for aggravated assault. Afterward, Billy fired Carmine for being a troublemaker.

Fen and Raven left Crimson Lights to get high, leaving Fen's cell phone behind. Then Lauren received a text from Fen asking her for help at a remote cabin. But when she arrived, she found only Carmine. Carmine got Lauren to agree to stay an hour, if he would drop the charges against Michael. But when Lauren resisted Carmine's advances and tried to leave, he took away her purse and locked the door. Carmine got rough with Lauren and tied her to a chair, so Lauren tried playing along that she really cared about him. Lauren tried to seduce him, claiming to have only returned to Michael for her son's sake. Lauren persuaded Carmine to let her loose, and stabbed him in the arm with a fork. Meanwhile at the GCPD, Kevin tracked Lauren's phone to the landfill. Fen turned up, explaining that he had lost his phone, so everyone realized that Carmine had used it to lure Lauren, but they were unable to track it because Fen had disabled the GPS. Kevin figured out that they were probably at the same remote cabin where Angelina had taken him. Kevin caused a distraction which allowed Michael to escape. Michael broke in the door of the cabin, finding Lauren gagged and tied to the bed with Carmine ready to rape her. Michael slugged Carmine who ran into wall and hit his head, knocking him out. Paul kicked in the door to find that Carmine had escaped while Michael was untying Lauren. The charges were dropped against Michael, and Fen promised to go straight, admitting to Michael and Lauren that Carmine did not buy him drugs. But he was later arrested when he was caught on camera stealing drugs from a cart when he went to the hospital to be with Summer, whose mother Phyllis was in a coma. Thanks to Paul and Christine, Fen was given no jail time if he went to rehab.

Lauren was upset to receive flowers from Carmine, and Michael was livid. Viewers saw a heavily-bearded Carmine holed up in a motel room obsessively watching the sex video. After Lauren received a phone call from Carmine, the police tracked it to the motel, but found "You can't erase me" scrawled on the wall and a video on a laptop of Carmine saying, "Nice try, counselor." Back in Paul's office, Michael threatened to kill Carmine, and Paul had to handcuff him to a chair to stop him from leaving.

Michael and Lauren went home and found their apartment filled with gas fumes. While Lauren opened windows, Michael shut off the stove, but he was knocked out by Carmine. Carmine grabbed Lauren, telling her that they were going to die together. Although the FBI claimed their investigation of Carmine's laptop proved that he was in Chicago, Kevin did more digging and found that Carmine had used an ATM in Genoa City. Paul arrived at the Baldwin's to find Lauren holding a gun on Carmine, and Michael begging her not to shoot. Carmine was taken into custody, and put back in jail. Carmine was charged with stalking, kidnapping, attempted rape, breaking and entering, and two counts of attempted murder. But he escaped custody during transport to the courthouse jail pending trial. While Michael and Lauren were being put under 24-hour police surveillance, Carmine was plotting to get to Lauren during her presentation as business woman of the year.

Fen got out of rehab on a pass to see his mother accept the award at the ceremony which was held at the athletic club. Carmine skulked around the sidelines, dressed as a cop. Gloria was the M.C. and announced a video of the highlights of Lauren's career, but the one of Lauren and Carmine in bed played instead. Fen ran out humiliated, and began kicking trash cans around in the back alley. Carmine went out to the alley and texted Lauren that he had Fen, so she snuck away to the alley. Carmine called Michael next, but Michael heard Carmine say, "No. Don’t", then heard a gunshot. Michael found a distraught Lauren standing over Carmine's dead body, Fenmore's sobriety chip and a gun on ground. Michael asked Lauren if she did it. She responded that she wished that she had. Michael, assuming that it had been Fen, shot the gun into a wall to take the rap for Fen. Detective Chavez showed up and arrested Michael, but he was suspicious of Michael and Lauren's answers and Michael's willingness to confess. Meanwhile Fen had been seen leaving the coffee house with Raven. Lauren hired Avery to represent Michael, but he was uncooperative, even after Paul confronted him about the bullet he had dug out of the wall. When Fen admitted to Lauren that he had been high and did not remember what had happened that night, she would not let him confess to free Michael. Michael was sentenced to 10 years in prison, but Fen broke into the sentencing hearing, and confessed to killing Carmine. No one believed him, and Michael was taken to Walworth prison. It was not long before someone recognized Michael as the D.A. who sent him to prison and Michael was beaten, suffering a black eye and broken ribs. Christine then arranged for him to be put in a more secure section of the prison.

Meanwhile, Fen met with Raven and bought a lot of drugs from her, then made sure that he was caught and arrested for possession with intent to sell. Fen confessed and was sentenced to Walworth as well, somehow expecting that if he was in prison Michael would be able to admit that he was covering for Fen and be released.

Lauren alone, with her son and husband in prison, began receiving phone calls where the caller would hang up, and was frightened by the thought that maybe Carmine was not really dead. Meanwhile, Christine and Paul worked behind the scenes trying to get Michael's conviction overturned.

Jill insisted on getting the family together for Thanksgiving in the tradition of Katherine. Murphy was unable to attend, but Esther, Chloe, Kevin, and Lauren felt comforted that Katherine and Delia were together. Jill asked Esther to bring in the turkey, but Esther had not made anything because Jill had told her she was taking care of all the details. So they ate Chinese takeout instead. Each one read their fortunes, and as Lauren read hers "Truth sets one free" Michael arrived, having been released from prison. Fen was released the following week after threats from Womack that he would not be out of his reach on the outside.

Studying the Basco murder evidence day and night, Paul pondered Fen's sobriety chip which had been found on Michael. Michael told Paul that Fen had given it to him when Fen was in rehab, but Fen said he had given it to Michael the night of Carmine's murder. After Paul got the test results from the suit that Fen had worn that night showing gun residue and Carmine's blood, a warrant was issued for Fen's arrest. Fen fled, but Summer helped Michael trick Fen into returning to the GCPD, where Michael claimed that Fen was turning himself in. A cake iced to say "Forget Me Not" was left at the Baldwin's door. Lauren was sure it was from Carmine, but Fenmore admitted it was likely a reminder from Womack.

Fen accepted a plea bargain, so was to be sentenced for Carmine's murder by a judge in his chambers. Lauren made a heartfelt plea in Fen's defense blaming herself for bringing Carmine into their lives and Fen's escaping to drugs. But Michael burst in at the last minute with a video of Carmine holding that day's paper and admitting that he was still alive. Christine dropped the charges and Fen was released, and decided to straighten up and go to college. It turned out that Carmine had turned state's evidence against Womack, so the government had been protecting him, which was how he was able to escape and get away with everything. Once Womack was released from prison, the Baldwins were confident they would never hear from Carmine again or Womack would have him killed, even after Womack himself was later killed. Refusing to be forgotten, Lauren received a postcard from Carmine, addressed from Puerto Rico.

Lauren opened a Fenmore Boutique at the Genoa City Athletic Club.

Months later, Lauren shocked Michael by telling him that she thought she might be pregnant, and then the test came out positive. Both were very apprehensive about restarting a family so late in life. Lauren admitted to Paul that feared she wouldn't love the baby if it were born damaged due to her age. Paul felt that it was a gift of life as a reward for all they had gone through. Michael rushed her to the emergency room when she nearly passed out, and tests showed she was not pregnant, just run down from lack of sleep and food.

After Devon bought the athletic club, Lauren bankrolled a new Fenmore boutique inside. Lauren went to Jill with an idea to open an additional boutique in the new Starlight Hotel towers, but she wished Jill had the money to finance this one. Jill surprised Lauren that she did have the money, thanks to the insurance settlement from her eighteen million dollar necklace she had inherited from Katherine which had been stolen. Lauren was skeptical since this was the first she had heard about it, but agreed to accept the money for the boutique. Lauren was not happy when Colin wanted to be a partner in it, but Cane and Jill talked her into it.

Michael and Lauren's marriage was back on track, but Michael became unable to perform sexually, finding less and less time to relax and spend time with her due to his hectic law practice. But when Leslie resigned from Avery's firm, he and Avery decided that a partnership together might be the answer for them both. When it did not help, Lauren became concerned, and Michael consulted a doctor about performance enhancement drugs which worked. But when Michael began turning Lauren down for sex, both she and Kevin began to wonder if Michael was having an affair. Michael did his best to dissuade them, but Lauren could tell that something was amiss. She later discovered that Michael had been going to his doctor, but after finding his Viagra on the bathroom counter, let him know that she was aware. But Michael began to be secretive and evasive.

After Michael showed up too late for his and Lauren's anniversary party, Kevin told them that if Michael did not tell Lauren what was going on, he would. So Michael told Lauren about his prostate cancer. Lauren laughed, relieved that he was not having an affair as she feared, then she was enraged at him for keeping it from her, then scared. Michael broke down and raged, "Why me?" Lauren assured him that it was "us", that they would fight it together.

Lauren accompanied Michael to another doctor for a second opinion which was the same, and they began studying cancer treatments. Fen arrived home for Christmas and overheard them saying they would "do whatever they had to do to beat this". They brushed him off, so Fen went to Kevin and tricked him into telling him about Michael's cancer. Fen told them he had decided to forego his ski trip with Summer and Austin, and stay home to support his father. Christmas started out awkwardly, but ended up joyous as the family sang and danced together. Michael decided to live his life to the fullest, he quit representing Joe Clark, and told Dylan to make the most of what he have while he had it, don’t wait – get married now. Michael went through four doctors opinions and began having pain before Lauren was able to convince him to start the radiation treatment and tell his friends.

Valentines Day evening 2015, Genoa City was faced with several crises; a power outage in the entire city caused by a serious snowstorm, a fire on an upper floor of the Lakewood Towers, and the cave-in of The Underground bar leaving Victor, Nikki, Jack, and Phyllis trapped. A command post and triage were set up at Crimson Lights because they had a generator, with phones manned by Lauren and Michael. In the midst of that, they received word of the crash of a private jet near Chicago carrying Cane and Lily, Jill and Colin, Neil, Hilary, and Devon. One minute Lauren and Michael were just happy to be alive and together, and the next she was worrying about Jill. The transponder on the jet was sending out signals, but all they could do is wait for them to be found. Except for the pilot who died, hey were eventually all found only bruised but alive.

Michael was religiously undergoing radiation therapy, but still grousing about his fate, even accusing Lauren of looking for another man already when a handsome bartender was overly attentive to her.

Michael sent Lauren home with Cane from a fundraiser supposedly so he could get a client out of jail. Later, they found Michael in the hospital looking haggard and hooked up to an IV after having a bad reaction to the radiation. Cane guessed there was no client, that Michael was feeling bad, and did not want to jeopardize Lauren's business deal with Cane. Michael was still acting abnormally as he began hormone therapy. But when Sharon was charged with the murders of Austin Travers and Courtney Sloane, and Avery was unavailable, Michael took on her case.

Michael appeared to be his old self throwing himself into Sharon's defense, even arranged to move in with Sharon to comply with her bail stipulations. But after Michael missed an appointment with his oncologist, Lauren, telling him he looked like hell, accused him of burning the candle at both ends, and they fought in public at the athletic club. Jill cut thru the bull, asking him why he was pushing her away. Michael explained that he was still coming to terms with his cancer, needed his space, that Lauren was too focused on his illness, and stifling him. Michael sent Lauren to talk to Cane, thinking he could help her understand since he had gone through similar with Lily. Michael confronted Lauren to quit treating him like an invalid, and pitying him, shocking her when he asked for a separation.

Michael then hired a prostitute named Felicity, who stayed all night with him at the athletic club. Lily saw her leaving one of the rooms and had the occupant arrested for solicitation, not realizing it had been Michael. Lauren bailed him out, lamenting that he would apparently rather have sex with a stranger than her. Michael told Lauren that their marriage was over, that in doing so, he was sparing her years of disappointment and sorrow.

Fen returned from college unexpectedly and confronted his parents when he discovered they were living apart. Michael refused to change his stance and handed Lauren divorce papers. Lauren would not sign. Michael told her to end the pain and accept that he doesn't love her anymore. Lauren left, saying she wouldn't give up on them. Both of them wept on the other side of the door.

Cane and Lauren began spending a lot of time together as Cane helped her deal with Michael's prostate cancer, since he had experience dealing with Lily's. Immediately after Neil and Hilary divorced, Hilary and Devon announced that they were getting married. Lily and Neil were livid. Lily reacted by berating Lauren for poaching on Cane, sending both off into the night affronted. They looked into each other's eyes and kissed, but agreed it was a mistake, and it would not happen again. Michael told Lauren he had seen them, but did not blame her. Cane apologized to Michael, but Michael asked Cane to just make her happy. Cane refused, saying he loved his wife. Suspicious, Lily tricked Lauren into admitting the kiss, and went off on Lauren. Lily confronted Cane who explained that Michael had set them up, she refused to believe that it was innocent, and made a scene in public. After Lily confronted Michael over trying to ruin her marriage to make Lauren happy, Michael slapped the divorce papers on the table and coerced Lauren into signing. Lauren walked away, saying she hoped Michael would not be happy, and in as much pain as she was with every memory of their past. Cane and Lauren both attacked Michael for inconsiderately ruining Cane and Lily's marriage. Lauren disputed Michael's claim that he was doing it for her, saying he was being selfish, and did it for himself, to assuage his guilt. Michael said he was not the man he used to be, and always knew he wouldn’t be without Lauren. Lauren announced that she was going to see Fen in Arizona.

Michael shared his regrets at Devon's wedding, reminisced about Katherine, and he and Lauren kissed.

Michael suddenly asked Lauren on a date to win her back, and Lauren said she was going to enjoy being wooed. When the date got messed up, Lauren suggested they skip the date and convinced Michael to move back home.

The annual Delia Halloween costume party benefit was held at Top of the Tower. A fire broke out on the floors just below them. When word reached Michael and Adam, Adam convinced Michael to break him out of his hospital bed so he could go rescue Connor, Chelsea, and Lauren. Michael was caught and detained, but was happily reunited with Lauren who arrived by helicopter at the hospital to be checked out.

Lauren hired Cane to be CEO of Fenmore, but only months later, she was livid when he and Jill staged a takeover of Brash & Sassy and Cane became Co-CEO with Billy.

By the end of 2016 when everyone was buying online, Fenmore's was in financial trouble, and Lauren was scared. Her fear got in the way of her anniversary celebration with Michael who arranged for a gambling themed private celebration in a suite. Lauren spoke with Phyllis about Fenmore's, and Phyllis worked up a proposal for an online virtual ordering system to try on clothes using a photo. Lauren also shared her concerns with Paul, who advised her to level with Michael. After Gloria found out and tried to muscle into Fenmore's with a scheme to save it, Lauren finally told Michael about the crisis. After two potential investors canceled their deals, Phyllis realized that Gloria had sabotaged both to help Jack take over Fenmore's. Jack admitted it and offered Lauren a deal which would give him majority interest.

As a last resort, Lauren called upon her old friend Eric Forrester who offered 25% more money than Jack for 49% of the company. Jack caved and offered even more, agreeing to the 49%, and Lauren accepted the offer. Jill was livid when she found out. Jill made Jack an offer, but he refused, countering with an outrageous price.

Lauren's son Scott wrote articles for a news service, and was working on a refugee project in a war zone. She became concerned when she stopped hearing from him, then received a call that was disconnected. Paul had to tell her that the State Department believed that Scott was missing, although alive and possibly held captive. Scott had left for an interview, but he nor his driver had been heard from since. Lauren received another call from Scott which was again disconnected. Lauren received another call traced to the Middle East claiming to be holding Scott captive, asking for ten million dollars or he would die. Paul advised not to pay and contacted friends at State Department and Journalists International. Since neither Lauren nor Jill had the money to pay the ransom, Lauren went to Victor who took over, sending Kevin as courier with the ransom money. Scott was rescued, and Lauren was elated when he arrived in Genoa City. Scott lost his job as the news service realized he was a liability. Scott balked at Lauren's suggestion that he put down roots there. But after Victor used his contacts to help find his missing driver Ahmad, he accepted Victor's offer to co-author his biography and accepted Scott's condition that it be the truth. Victor later canceled the book idea, and hired Scott as Sr. Vice President of Special Projects at Newman.

In 2018, Jack, Billy and Phyllis all vied for CEO of Jabot, but Phyllis won the election due to the Abbotts splitting their votes, and by hiring Kerry Johnson as lead chemist, whom both Abbotts had been trying to lure. Hoping to be named her COO, Kyle jumped in, coming up with cost analysis and ideas for Phyllis. But Phyllis named Lauren COO, and asked Billy to resume his former job in marketing.

Phyllis came up with the ”Jabot’s Timeless Beauty, back by popular demand” campaign, lining shelves with what they had in stock and filling in with hard to find European products, while Kerry worked on new products. The company was to be by women for women.

Fen returned to Genoa City in December 2018 telling Lauren and Michael that he had quit law school to become a musician. They were very disappointed in him. Fen got a job as a waiter at the athletic club. Devon was irritated when Fen slipped him a demo of his music and refused to listen to it. Devon’s half sister Ana, his assistant, liked it and arranged to produce a song for Fen, and Devon signed Fen to LP Streaming. Michael and Lauren were suddenly very proud of their son once his song became a hit. Devon set up a showcase for Fen, but when Fen failed to show up, Ana performed instead and wowed the crowd. Fen begged for another chance, but Devon refused until Summer came to him and explained that Fen had been comforting her, and it was her fault that he missed the show. Devon relented and sent Fen on the road as an opening act to get some life lessons.

All Jabot board members received a text that a board meeting had been called. Ashley arrived and disclosed that she now owned all the new Jabot products and intended to take over and save Jabot. She introduced Kerry as Dominique Carroll whom Phyllis had not even bothered to check out, explaining that the real Kerry worked for Ashley in Paris. Ashley left them a contract good for 24 hours making Jabot a wholly owned subsidiary of her company, and offered to keep them all on. Phyllis wanted to sue Ashley, but admitted that Kerry had no non-compete clause in her contract. Held responsible, Phyllis was voted out as CEO and off board. Jack gave his case to become CEO. Lauren felt that Ashley’s deal was only option. Abby abstained and Billy’s became the deciding vote making Jack CEO. Lauren offered to buy back Jabot’s 49% stake in Fenmores. Jack refused, needing Fenmores as the only arm of company making a profit, but promised they would talk if Lauren could come up with the money. Lauren agreed to let Phyllis partner in Fenmores, but Jack turned down her request for her severance package golden parachute. Ashley declined Jack’s offer that Ashley develop products, and let him run the business. They decided on a challenge where each would run their company and see who turns a profit or goes bankrupt. Jack swore he wouldn’t sell Jabot to her or anyone. Lauren asked Michael to study the contract to see if there was any way for her to get Fenmore’s back from Jabot.

Phyllis shared with Lauren her bitterness toward Jabot for ousting her without even a severance package, and Lauren warned her against seeking revenge. But Lauren was present when Phyllis consulted Michael about how to set up a foreign dummy company. Before she returned to Paris following the funeral of Neil Winters, Ashley tipped Jack to a foreign copycat site that was launching the same day as Jabot’s. Lauren knew it had to be Phyllis, and gave her an ultimatum of 12 hours to stop it or Lauren would tell Jack. Lauren pointed out that ruining Jabot would also ruin Fenmore’s, and warned her that Lauren was the only friend she had left, saying, “Phyllis, just do it!” But the launch was wildly successful. Phyllis crashed the party on the arm of Adam and wished them all to get exactly what they deserved.

Jack noticed Michael and Lauren were still acting like newlyweds. Lauren explained that they constantly remember how it was to be without each other. Michael inexplicably ran and won for District Attorney, asking her to trust him – it was all part of a plan. Then Kevin and Chloe (who had faked her death) returned to town, and Michael got her exonerated. Kevin, Chloe and Bella moved back into the Chancellor estate with Esther.

Adam showed Michael a photo of Fen, insinuating that he was on drugs and selling them while on tour. To keep Fen out of trouble, Adam expected Michael to cooperate in his DA position in the future. Michael had Lauren locate Fen and get him into treatment immediately.

Months later Fen was released from rehab, and was living in a half way house. He surprised Michael and Lauren for Christmas 2019, apologizing for letting them down. After spending the holidays with them, Fen disclosed that he wasn’t going back to touring, being afraid to get back into “the scene. He was moving to Nashville, already had a job in a recording studio, and was going to be living with a group of sober friends. Michael and Lauren were disappointed, but respected his decision.

Kevin and Chloe arranged a 2019 holiday get-together to announce that they were pregnant. Lauren also announced that Femores was going global with stores in Tokyo and Seoul.

Lauren was instrumental in finding Dina Abbott’s emerald necklace “The teardrop of love” which John had given to her when she and John were young marrieds and Dina was pregnant with Jack. She wore it often, but it had been stolen around the time Dina abandoned her family for Paris. It turned out that Lauren’s father Neil had bought it and she found it in a safe deposit box in London. Just before Dina’s death the stone was cut up to make jewelry for each of the Abbotts, and Lauren kept a major piece of it.

Well-known designer Sally Spectra showed up from LA to see Lauren, and met Jack. Sally wanted to start over and was willing to become Lauren’s executive assistant. But Sally had her eye on running the Jabot Collective (JCV) and looked for a way to oust likely candidate Summer Newman from the running. Lauren chose Summer. Months later when Summer took a position as creative director with Marchetti fashions in Milan, Sally moved into her job and Gloria finagled her way into becoming Lauren’s assistant. But when Lauren discovered that Sally had arranged the job to get rid of Summer, Lauren fired Sally. Gloria then coerced Lauren into becoming Interim President of JCV. Sally further enraged Lauren when she designed a wedding gown for Victoria Newman, and convinced her to wear it instead of her JCV gown.

After some very successful prosecution cases, including a murder conviction of Sutton Ames, Michael felt he was at the top of his game and was thinking about retiring, and taking his life in different direction. After discussing and getting suggestions from his friends and family, Michael decided to retire and spend more time with Lauren. But Victor Newman stepped in and asked him to work with him as his personal legal counsel. Michael accepted with conditions that no 24 hour on-call, and nothing illegal. Victor informed Michael of his first project which would require a trip to Peru to investigate the clinic behind the experimental cancer treatment which caused the miraculous recovery of Ashland Locke. Michael discovered that the non-profit clinic was totally funded by a shell company that traced back to Ashland. After sending vital details to Victor, Michael went missing. Lauren was stressing out that she had not heard from Michael, filed a missing person report, and got the GCPD to contact the Peruvian authorities about his disappearance.

Weeks later Kevin arrived with a disheveled Michael in tow, having met him in San Diego. Michael told how he was imprisoned on a trumped-up charge in Peru arranged by Ashland, but Michael had given a guard legal advice for which he repaid him by letting him escape with his passport and wallet returned. Michael flew to San Diego, got to a phone and called Kevin to meet him there. Lauren was so relieved but forbade him to work for Victor again. Michael offered a deal; they would both retire and travel, knowing that Lauren could not let go of Fenmore's or Newman. Realizing that Michael was still plotting with Victor to get Ashland to leave town, and for Michael to get revenge for having him thrown in a Peruvian prison, Lauren walked out on a dinner date and began shutting Michael out.