Nikki and Victor were up late talking about Vicki, expressing concern that she was not home yet. Nikki also commented that she thought it odd that Sharon was not yet home at that late hour. Victor supposed she was still at the party, helping Gina or staying around with the late-partying guests. Nikki asked if he had noticed how jumpy Sharon had been lately, and Victor said that he did. He also said he talked with Nick about that very subject, telling him his attitude was affecting the entire family.
Michael also showed up at Newman Enterprises to talk with Nick. He tried to ask business questions, but eventually asked what he wanted to: where Vicki was. Nick told him she had left town and had left their mother a vague note. Michael told him he was sure he knew what had driven her away, and Nick just told him he didn't know where to reach her and to leave.
Brittany, Raul and J.T. talked about the danger Fred Hodges might be in if he didn't stop making threats. Brittany insisted that just because Bobby had an Italian last name, didn't mean he was actually associated with the mafia. J.T. agreed that perhaps Brittany should warn her dad, and that there was potential for violence, but she just blew off their advice.
Angelo starting complaining to Bobby about Fred again, and Bobby made it clear it was his problem. Angelo reminded him of their "head busting" days and suggested they go back to them. Bobby told him he was sounding like a broken record and to go take Fred's keys to the club. Angelo found Anita at the club, and approached her while she was pacing the floor, obviously waiting for her husband. He not-so-nicely told her that it would be a smart thing that Fred stop threatening the club. When she tried to walk away and get security, he stopped her physically. He told her he didn't want things to get ugly, but wanted to keep her husband from making a big mistake. The police, he said, didn't listen to a man like him, so he was sorry, but had to handle the situation in this manner.
Bobby got another visitor that evening—Jill. She insisted on drinking more, saying she had a limo waiting outside. Bobby was amused with the drunken conversation about her love life. She asked if he thought she was over the hill, and he laughed and told her no. She even went on to ask if they could get together, and he told her they could. She asked him what he saw in Brittany and commented that she was just a spoiled brat. She told him maybe they could get together once he was done obsessing about Brittany, and he laughed and escorted her out to her limo.
When Sharon wouldn't comply with his demand to take off her dress, he hauled off and punched her in the face and jumped on her. She managed to push him off with her feet, grabbed the champagne bottle, and connected with his head. Noticing he wasn't moving, she took his pulse and discovered she had killed him, which sent her into a panic. She decided to call Nick, then changed her mind, realizing she didn't know what to tell him. She looked outside the hotel room and saw a stairway door, and decided to cover him with a sheet and drag him out into the stairwell. Once she dragged him downstairs, she looked around outside before dragging him outside and leaving his body to be covered in snow. Once she got home, she was startled when Miguel came out of the kitchen. He told her he had come down to start a fire, knowing she wasn't yet home, and wanting the house to be warm once she got home. He told her Nikki had been asking about her, wondering where she was. She asked what he told her, and he said he assumed she was still at the party helping Gina clean up. Noticing she was jumpy, he asked if she was all right, and if she wanted him to stay until Nick returned, but she declined and he left. She looked in the mirror and noticed a bruise developing on her face. As she went upstairs to cover it with makeup, Nick walked in. He apologized for leaving her at the party, and she told him she really wished he would have stayed. When he noticed the bruise on her face, despite her efforts to cover it with her hair, she made up an excuse about falling in the slippery driveway. He told her Cameron made a really big deal out of her and joked that he thought he had a crush on her. She told him she was tired and didn't want to talk about the party anymore. He hugged her and told her he loved her and that she was his whole life.
Ranch:
Sharon flashes back to killing Cameron in self-defense and sneaking his body out of he motel. She is startled by Nick. He chalks it up to her not wanting to have hosted the party with Cameron. He's looking forward to getting away with her for some R&R once he works out the deal with Cameron. He is bothered by something in Cameron. He hasn't heard from him yet this morning. Nick found out that Cameron still hasn't checked out. Later Michael arrives per Sharon's request. She tells him something bad has happened and hires him as her lawyer. She tells him she killed Cameron. She recounts the whole story. She mentions leaving the body in the alley. He urges her to confess. He will go with her but she can't go. Eventually someone will find the body. She can't do it. She figures there's not way for the cops to connect her to him and hopes that will be enough. He tells her to keep him posted if she changes her mind.
Winters Apt:
Neil and Dru now must return to work. Neil knows all about the orchid. He's not sure what the importance is though. He wonders why she isn't more upset about NE having it. Neil figures that Jabot has another orchid. Now they both have it. Once their R&D dept. looks into he will find out what it's all about.
Abbott House:
Jack is happy to hear that the orchid made it back to the US safe. Phyllis arrives. They are slowly working things out. She also brings him a present: the original orchid. Jack can't believe she's giving it to him. He knows it's a big sacrifice. Phyllis will pretend the orchid didn't make it back to the US. Jack is very grateful.
Health Club:
Brittany meets with her parents. Anita tells them both about Angelo's threats to their family. She is terrified for them and insists that they should be wary too. Brittany is sure she's overreacting but Anita warns her to not be so naive. Britt asks her mother to let her speak to her father. She doesn't want them fighting so much. Bobby is not such a bad guy but Fred insists that he and the club have to go. Fred will look into his options but hints that if she were to quit it might change his mind.
Nikki arrives for some breakfast and chats with Gina. They chat about how Sharon did hosting the party. She did seem to enjoy herself. Gina mentions how everyone was gone shortly after midnight. Nikki wonders where Sharon could have been.
Marsino's:
Angelo fantasizes about hurting Frederick. Bobby tells him to let it go. Frederick will get over it. Angelo is still worried. Bobby pulls rank and tells Angelo to leave Fred alone. He will take care of it.
Newman Enterprises:
Neil tells Phyllis that they were right about Jabot's interest in the Orchid. Phyllis in floored when she hears that Dru didn't care about the orchid and that they may have another one. She tells him that she gave the orchid to Jack.
Brad begged Ashley to say something to him. He was sure she could hear him, and he needed to know she was trying to get better. As he was talking to her, Victor called to find out how Ashley was. Brad lashed out at him, telling him to leave Ashley alone. He was the one who was responsible for her breakdown. When he hung up, he realized Ashley was standing in the door staring at him. He went to her and hugged her, but got no reaction.
At Brad's summons, John came over to try to reach Ashley. No matter what he said, Ashley never reacted until she heard the name Victor. She repeated his name, but the others didn't hear her. Brad thought it would be best if Ashley went back to the hospital for tests, but John didn't agree. As the two men continued to talk, Ashley again spoke Victor's name when she heard one of them say it, although her expression remained vacant. She still wasn't in touch with her surroundings.
Neil exploded when he heard that Phyllis had given her orchid to Jack. He was sure from Dru's behavior that Jabot already had one in their possession. Jack had played her, accepting the orchid without telling her the truth so that Newman wouldn't have any chance at competing with Jabot for whatever its benefit was to cosmetics. Phyllis defended herself, saying she'd only been trying to make a grand gesture; even Neil had told her in Japan that she could just give the orchid to Jack. But she agreed that Jack had betrayed her trust, and she intended to do something about it.
Diane brought Kyle over to Jack's on their way to an ice-skating lesson. He explained the importance of the orchid she saw, then confessed that when Phyllis had offered it to him, he hadn't told her Jabot already had one in their lab. He wondered if that meant he was turning into the same kind of man Victor was---win at any cost. Diane said that when Jack's back was to the wall, he had done some underhanded things. She wondered what good it would have done Newman to have the orchid; after all, Vanessa had discovered its properties by accident. It was a long shot that Newman would figure out why Jabot was interested in it. Jack hurried out, saying he had something he needed to do.
Phyllis went to see Victor, and although she didn't tell him the details about the orchid, she did say that she had trusted Jack and been betrayed by him once again. She needed to get away for a while to think, so she offered him her resignation. Victor didn't want her to leave, but he understood why she felt she had to go. He promised her that if she returned, her job would be waiting for her. He would miss her around the office and would miss her friendship. They embraced, then Phyllis left the office.
Neil was on the phone with Victor when Jack came into his office. After Neil hung up and Jack said he was looking for Phyllis, Neil told him it was too late. Phyllis had left town, perhaps permanently. When Jack expressed shock, Neil told him that he had no one but himself to blame. Phyllis and he had figured out that there were two orchids. Jack's underhanded behavior had cost him his wife. Jack sputtered that nothing he'd done in any way matched the damage done to his company and his family by Newman Enterprises. He then told Neil that he did not intend to give the orchid away and walked out.
Jill was in the midst of having major renovations done to the Chancellor house when Katherine walked in and screamed at the sight. Jill told her that she was overreacting. She was making improvements to the house, not destroying it. Katherine said she was actually running from her problems, especially the reality that the two of them were mother and daughter. That was obvious because she was drinking so much. Jill insisted that she didn't have a drinking problem; Katherine did. The two continued to argue about Jill's drinking. Jill was willing to apologize to Katherine for speaking harshly to her, and even for how upset she was about the house. But she didn't want to hear any more lectures about her drinking. After she left, a stricken Katherine watched as the house began to fall around her because of the renovation. She finally picked up Jill's half-full glass, wondered who ever said reality was a good thing, and began to drink.
In a special tribute, the end credits noted the death of Terry LEsther, the actor who originated the role of Jack Abbott.
It's early in the morning when Jill walks into the club and sits down at the bar. She's looking extremely hung over and grumbles to the bartender about skipping the chitchat and fixing her up a good strong hair of the dog. Bobby peers over at her from behind the newspaper and she scowls at him. He asks Jill if this is her way of not dealing with reality and she admits it to be true. She is only in the beginning stages of her remodeling, she tells Bobby, and Katherine just has to walk in the second they are demolishing all the walls. Jill also says that Katherine doesn't seem to be taking this all too well. Bobby tells Jill to give Katherine a break. After all, it's been Katherine's home since she has been in diapers. Jill says she needs to get on with her life, and live it the way she wants to, as Katherine interrupts them. It's true, Katherine tells Jill, if she can't be selfish and insensitive, then what's the point? Katherine sits down and tells the bartender that she too, will have a Bloody Mary. Jill looks at Katherine in shock. "No you will not!" she tells Katherine. But Katherine isn't listening to her. She lifts her glass as if to toast to falling off the wagon and Bobby tries to take the glass away from her. Katherine won't budge, so Bobby gives up. Jill can't believe Katherine is going this far. Katherine has another drink, and mutters something about never trusting anyone ever again.
Vanessa sneaks up behind Damon as he's entering the lab and wraps her arms around him. She tells him that she is going to be his new lab assistant. As they are kissing, Dru walks up on them and tells them to get a room. As the three enter the lab, Damon tells Dru the good news-they now have two orchids, and today they will begin the extracting period right away. Damon goes off to get the orchids, and Dru decides to hang around. As Dru and Vanessa joke about why Dru is really hanging around the lab, Damon comes back to them-his face extremely solemn.
Jack has been desperately trying to reach Phyllis on her cell phone with no luck. John comes down the stairs and Jack questions him as to why John is looking so glum. John says he's been to see Ashley, and that the only thing she will respond to is the mention of Victor's name. Jack and John don't like the sound of that information. Jack says he is feeling terrible because he played a dirty trick on Phyllis and now he's paying for it. Jack says that Phyllis had tried to give him a peace offering by presenting him with her orchid and that Jack didn't tell her that he already had one. Jack tells John that he loves Phyllis and he feels like a total jerk. He asks John if he has seen his work keys lying around, they seem to be missing. Just then, Damon calls Jack with some really bad news. The orchids have disappeared.
When Jack arrives at Jabot everyone is freaking out. Did Damon forget to lock the greenhouse? Damon insists he hadn't. Drucilla thinks that Vanessa must have done something with the orchids as some kind of sick joke. As Dru storms out, Jack says they have to calm down and figure out what to do. Drucilla then returns, saying they must have overlooked a message left where the orchids originally were placed. The note says: One betrayal deserves another. Jack realizes immediately that it was Phyllis's note. He tells everyone that Phyllis had been the one to give him her orchid, and upon realizing that he already had one, would have been the one to get even with Jack.
At the coffeehouse, J.T. brings Colleen some coffee and sits down with her and Abby. Colleen has been watching over Abby to give Brad and Ashley some time alone for themselves. Colleen asks J.T. if he wants to color with Abby, and he says he's not too great around kids. Colleen says hi to Victor as he walks by. Victor asks if it's Abby sitting with them. J.T. pulls up a chair and Victor says hello to Abby. It's been so long since I've seen you, he tells her. "I'm a good friend of your mothers." He asks Abby if he can color with her, and she gives him a crayon. When J.T. leaves for class, Victor asks Cody if he can teach Abby how to make a smoothie. When Victor and Colleen are alone, he asks her how Ashley is doing. Colleen tells him that she is not doing very well. She's not talking or eating, and she's not responding to them. She says Brad has been thinking about taking her to the hospital again. Victor says that there has to be some way to get Ashley out of this.
Brad tells Wes and Olivia that Ashley will only respond to Victor's name. Although Brad isn't very happy about this, Wes asks him how Ashley feels about Victor. Wesley suggests that it might be the only way to get through to Ashley. Brad finally gives in and suggests they try it. Wesley sits down and talks to Ashley. It's been awhile since he's seen her, he says, but he's seen Abby and she is growing up so fast. Ashley gets up and starts walking around. Wes mentions that he's seen Victor's name in the papers recently. Ashley whispers Victor's name, but as Wesley asks he about Victor, she starts appearing troubled. When Wesley asks if Ashley is agitated about something concerning Victor, she leaves the room and goes upstairs, leaving everyone standing around wondering if they have made any progress.
At the athletic club, Nikki had been looking for Victor when he walked in. They sat down to eat breakfast together, and Nikki began to speculate again about where Sharon had been after the New Year's Eve party. Victor thought it was ridiculous that she seemed to be building a case against their daughter-in-law. If Nick wasn't worried about it, why was Nikki? Nikki said a bored Sharon was dangerous. Victor said the family already had enough problems without Nikki looking for more. Nikki said it was because the family was in crisis that she was trying to head off another one with Sharon. Victor brought the discussion to a screeching halt with his revelation that he'd seen little Abby with Colleen at Crimson Lights. Apparently, Ashley was not doing well at all. Nikki furiously told Victor that he needed to stay out of Ashley's life and stomped out of the restaurant.
Nick was annoyed because there had been no word from Cameron, nor did anyone know where he was. He hadn't even picked up the proposal that he'd insisted Nick do for him on the night of the party. Had he said anything to Sharon about where he was going? Sharon obviously wished that Nick would drop the topic of Cameron and claimed to know nothing. Nick speculated that Cameron had perhaps had a lot to drink and ended up extending the evening with a woman. When Nick finally left to go to work, Sharon stared blankly into space until she was interrupted by a visit from Nikki. Nikki surprised her by complimenting her on the success of the party. Just when Sharon started feeling happy to hear words of praise, Nikki moved in for the kill. She knew Sharon had not come home directly from the party, although that was the impression she wanted Nick to have. Where had she been and what had she been doing?
Olivia filled in some of the details about Ashley's past mental illnesses and involvement with Victor to Wes, who told Brad that Victor might be the key to reaching his wife. Brad was adamant about not wanting to involve Victor. Every time Ashley seemed to be doing well and moving on with her life, Victor found a way to suck her back in, and it always ended up disastrously for Ashley. When Colleen came home and told Brad about running into Victor at the coffee shop, Brad finally conceded that he knew what he had to do. He called Victor and asked him to come to the Carlton home so they could discuss Ashley.
At the Chancellor house, Jill dismissed the renovation crew after she put Katherine to bed. Bobby assured her that it wasn't her fault Katherine was drinking again, but Jill was sure she'd driven her mother to it. Bobby told her the two women needed to find a new way to communicate with each other. When Katherine came downstairs, Bobby made his exit, and Katherine apologized to Jill. Jill said she didn't have to apologize for drinking again. She had a disease. Katherine said she wasn't; she was apologizing for helping turn Jill into the woman she was today. She was sorry she abandoned her and sorry that they hadn't been able to have a relationship. But, in the words of her granddaughter Mackenzie, she was out of there. A panicked Jill tried to stop her, but Katherine said there was no longer anything there for her. Jill had destroyed her home. So she was leaving. Jill begged Katherine to reconsider. If she left, it would be like Jill had killed her. Jill pleaded with Katherine not to make her live with that.
Jack and Drucilla confronted Neil with the theft of the orchids. Neil said if Phyllis had stolen them, it had nothing to do with him. He knew nothing about it. But he couldn't blame Phyllis for doing it after the way Jack had treated her. When he questioned why Dru had broken their deal and brought their business differences into their home, Jack said that was his fault. He'd insisted on coming there to find out what Neil knew. Neil said that he didn't know anything. But was Jack willing to tell him why the orchid was so important? Jack wasn't about to divulge that information to a Newman employee.
The closing credits noted the December death of Elizabeth Harrower, the actress who played the part of Charlotte Ramsey (Jill's "fake" birth mother), and was a former writer for the Young and the Restless and Days of our Lives, as well as mother to actress Susan Seaforth Hayes.
