Carlton Residence:
Brad and Ashley welcome Colleen back to baby sit Abbey and tell her about Ashley's mammogram. After Colleen goes upstairs, Dr. Nora Thompson calls and asks to see Ashley as soon as possible. A startled Ashley and Brad head to the doctor's office.
Dr. Thompson's Office:
Dr. Thompson indicates that a small mass was discovered on the mammogram. She suggests having an ultrasound to find out what they are dealing with. She cautions Ashley not to over-react until they have the results of the test, to take things one-step at a time. Brad comforts her, reminding her that the odds are on their side. Ashley worries about what Dr. Thompson's hurried demeanor over the tests might mean.
Backstage:
Mackenzie reminisces with Raul about the time that they used to spend together. Raul makes it clear that they will only be friends. He also tells her that he is spending time with Brittany, but "isn't sure what they are." An astounded Mac tells Raul that she would prefer to be alone, but that they will still be friends. Raul assures her that he will always be there for her as a friend whenever she needs him. Later on, alone on the stage, the sound of a door opening and closing is heard. Mackenzie calls out, "Who's there?" There is no answer...
Computer Lab:
Raul tells Brittany that he shouldn't have brushed off her warning about Mac's possible "rebound-feelings." He tells her that he told Mackenzie that they will only be friends, and that he wants to spend his free time with Brittany. Brittany insists that she wasn't jealous, of course. She asks Raul if he wants to see a movie, and he tells her that he thought she would never ask. After retrieving his jacket from the stage, they go off.
Coffee House:
Billy and Danielle are hanging out. After a brief palm reading, she tells Billy that he has a strong love line. She suggests that he will quickly get over Mackenzie. Billy tells her that his being with her is not about revenge, and that he wishes that she wouldn't keep bringing up Mac. They determine to hang out later that evening, Danielle telling Billy that they will "figure out something" to do.
At a nearby table, Larry has made Amanda cry. Apologizing profusely, Larry tells her that he didn't mean to come on so strong and offers to help if something is wrong. Amanda tells him that it isn't his fault, really. Amanda tells him that between the kiss and his desire to get to know Mackenzie, she has simply been thrown off balance. Amanda insists that she is just sensitive about Ralph and the lingering fear that he could show up. Larry guesses that Ralph was the reason for Mackenzie's running away. Larry tells her that if Ralph ever shows up, he will have to get through him first. An appreciative Amanda tells him that she's heard that he comes with quite a reputation where that is concerned.
The Chancellor Mansion:
Jill and Sean return from a bout of shopping, and collapse on the couch in a playful fashion. An interrupting Katherine tells them to stop whatever it was they were about to do. Sean announces that he and Jill are training to run in the Chicago marathon. An infuriated Jill yells at Sean, telling him that they had agreed to keep that a secret. Sean tells her than announcing it helps to motivate them. Sean asks Esther if she will aid them in their training diet with her wellness cooking. Jill says she needs "real" food. Esther says that she will help for Sean's sake. Katherine tells Jill that she will have to make lodging arrangements in Chicago for the race, for she wants to see this. Sean informs her that there are no hotels near the finish line. Katherine, in a fit of laughter fitting only to the Katherine-Jill feud, tells Sean that she wants a room at the quarter-mile mark since Jill won't make it any further. Jill glares menacingly at a chuckling Sean.
Court Room:
Diane's attorney moves for the dismissal of the restraining order. John Silva claims that the conception of this child was under fraudulent means, and that Diane has demonstrated repeatedly that she cannot be trusted. Diane, rising to speak in her own defense -- much to the irritation of her attorney -- tells the judge that she is puzzled about the whole reason for the proceeding, in that Jack has made no attempt to talk to her about his desires concerning Kyle. Since she has no intention of going anywhere until she finds out, she will not contest the restraining order. An impressed judge compliments her on her desire for a calm and speedy resolution. When John Silva moves for temporary visitation rights with Kyle the judge tells him that she will hear arguments on the matter in a day or so. After court dismisses, Phyllis asks Jack if she did well. Jack says he's proud of her. Phyllis expresses her surprise at the move for temporary visitation, but tells Jack that she is okay with it. She then leaves for work. John Silva tells Jack that he really thinks that Phyllis should not be there for the visitation hearing. Diane leaves the courtroom, tells her attorney that she will sleep on the decision about temporary visitation, and then returns to the courtroom. After a moment of staring and glaring between John Silva, Jack, and Diane, she leaves the room again. Waiting at the elevator, Phyllis suddenly appears and asks, "What the hell are you trying to pull?"
Court:
John advises Jack to keep Phyllis out of the hearing from now on, just in case she loses control and jeopardizes the hearing. Jack is confident she will be fine. John worries that her past will be an issue especially her losing custody of Daniel. Phyllis is a changed woman Jack insists. John pleads with Jack to prep Phyllis about what Diane can throw at her.
Phyllis pulls Diane aside and demands to know why Diane stayed in town. Diane claims that she simply doesn't trust Phyllis but she doesn't buy it. Diane wonders how Jack will feel if he ever found out that Phyllis conspired to keep his son away from him. Jack walks by at that moment. He demands to know what is going on. Diane explains how hurt she was about his lies. He spits back that her lies started all of this. She asks what he is looking for: partial custody or all of it? He doesn't answer and walks off. Diane says to herself that she didn't drop the bomb because timing is everything. Jack is furious that Phyllis was speaking to Diane. He doesn't want Diane to goad her nor Phyllis slip any strategy plans to her. Phyllis is tired of being treated like a child. Jack decides to tell her about what might happen in court. He tells her they need to go to talk about it in private.
Doctor's:
Ashley paces waiting for the results of her biopsy. Brad comforts her. The doctor returns and says they will get the results in 24hrs. The doctor reassures her that IF they do find something they caught it early. That's a big plus. She encourages them to keep their dinner plans as it will get their minds off the test results.
Coffee Shop:
Nick meets up with the kids. He and Sharon share a nice moment. He asks her to take his shift at the coffee shop as he has a big meeting at NE. He already told the kids he'd make up the time to them. Sharon understands. He asks about her and Cassie's relationship which is good considering everything. They talk about Victoria's return from Kenya and Malcolm's death. They dance around talking about their relationship until Nick has to leave. Cassie tells Sharon that she likes it when S&N talk rather than fight. Later Cody apologizes for interrupting her and Nick earlier. She says it was fine. He asks if things are improving. She thinks they are. She fantasizes about him showing up them reuniting.
Malcolm's Studio:
Alex and Neil return from Africa. They look over the studio with great sadness. It was Malcolm's world. Neither thinks they can get much sleep. Neil realizes it's time to tell Olivia. He calls Liv and leaves a message for her to meet him there. Alex is lost in thought of a memory of Mal. Neil remembers the good times with his brother. They both pace anxiously while waiting for Olivia.
Gina's:
Nick and Victor have a successful meeting. Nick has done a great job. He and Sharon have been communicating better. Nick hopes things are improving. He sits at the bar and catches the eye of a young pretty woman.
Ashley and Brad stop in for dinner. Gina is happy to see them there... such a happy, successful couple. He knows she can't put it out of her mind but hopes they cans till enjoy each other's company. She asks that they go home and hold each other.
While Nick had a drink at the bar at Gina's, he was joined by a beautiful young paralegal named Carrie. After they made small talk, she wondered if she'd seen him somewhere before and agreed that it could have been Crimson Lights. When she asked him to join her for dinner, he showed her his wedding ring. She praised him for not pretending to be single, then Nick left and went to Crimson Lights, where Diego and Sharon were having a conversation. Diego wanted to know how she and Victoria got along and admitted that Victoria seemed to have a problem with him. When Sharon offered to speak to Victoria on his behalf, he assured her that he could handle it if Victoria got in his face. Sharon said that was the best thing to do with the Newmans. When Diego noticed that she could laugh about that, he asked if she and Nick were getting along better. Sharon said they were.
Sharon and the kids were glad to see Nick return to Crimson Lights. Nick agreed to take Noah home. When Sharon and Cassie arrived at the ranch, Noah was already upstairs. Cassie insisted on going up, too, and her face showed her pleasure that her parents were together and getting along better. At Sharon's request, Nick looked over Crimson Lights' books, but he was distracted, as he kept having flashbacks to the times in the past when they'd made love. Sharon left him for a moment and Nick ran out, unable to control his feelings. Sharon returned with two glasses of wine to find him gone. Disappointed, Sharon sat down with her wine while Nick stood outside the door with a sad expression.
At Crimson Lights, Raul told Brittany she was awesome and would blow everybody away with her role in the school play. When he offered to run lines with her, she remembered that her script was still at school. They went together to the school theater, and after Raul turned on the lights, Brittany agreed it was a better place to rehearse. As they discussed various Shakespearean characters, Brittany said the characters should just be honest with each other about their feelings. Raul reminded her that people didn't express their feelings in real life sometimes, either. He skipped ahead in the play to some lines about love. When Brittany commented on this, he pulled her into his arms and kissed her. After kissing him back, she pulled away and said she had to go home. She looked surprised when Raul put his arm around her as they were walking out together.
Diane talked to Kyle's nanny about her past with Jack. She remembered when Jack proposed to her a few years earlier. She mused that no matter how Jack tried to block out their past, she was sure he still had feelings for her. At the Abbott house, Phyllis worried to herself that Diane might have told John Silva about Phyllis's plot to get Diane and Kyle back to Milan. Her worst fears seemed about to come true when Jack joined her and said that after talking to John Silva, he and Phyllis needed to have a discussion. When he told her about John's concerns that her loss of custody of Daniel would be dredged up in Jack's court case with Diane, Phyllis got a stunned look on her face. Jack asked why, if that wasn't what had been bothering Phyllis, she was acting so jumpy and continuing to confront Diane? Phyllis dodged his questions and expressed her anguish over losing Daniel, telling him that she survived each day without her son by putting walls around her heart. When she expressed her terror of having her past dragged through court, Jack assured her that he would always support her. He then told her he wasn't sure fighting for Kyle was worth all the pain it was causing her.
Olivia, Nate, and Aunt Mamie arrived at Olivia's apartment. Disappointed at not having heard from his father, Nate checked the phone messages then decided to get ready for bed. Mamie promised him that she was going to scold Malcolm for not calling. Olivia told Mamie how angry she was that no one had called from Kenya. When she checked her cell phone messages, Neil's tone of voice alarmed her. She asked Mamie to stay with Nate while she went to see Neil. Upon arriving at Malcolm's studio, she was surprised to find Neil alone. When she demanded to know why neither he nor Malcolm had called, and told him how heartbroken Nate was, Neil broke down. Alex walked in and listened as Neil explained about the accident in Kenya and how Malcolm had disappeared and was believed dead. Olivia broke down in Neil's arms. When she caught sight of Alex, she immediately went to embrace her, and the three of them cried together. Olivia told Alex that if she wanted any help with a memorial service to call her. She then said she needed to tell Nate about his father by herself. After she was gone, Neil and Alex expressed their concern for how much Malcolm's death would hurt Nate as well as the other people whose lives had been touched by Malcolm. When Neil asked if Alex was angry that they'd called off the search, Alex told him it was the right thing to do. She apologized for having lashed out at him in Kenya. She now believed that what happened was a tragic accident and was no one's fault, making it clear that she felt Neil had nothing to feel guilty about. Meanwhile, Olivia arrived home and told Mamie about Malcolm. As the two wept together, Nate came through the room. Aunt Mamie left after Olivia explained that she didn't have the strength to tell Nate the truth yet. When Olivia saw Nate staring at a picture of Malcolm, she sank to the couch. Nate told her how much he missed his father, and she pulled him into her arms.
Neil woke up in the morning looking for coffee and found a bottle of vodka. Alex caught him holding it in his hands and questioned him. He understood her doubts and admitted that there had been times that it was so hard to resist. He vowed not to let her down or to let himself down.
Mamie arrived with coffee and rolls. They could tell that she knew and all were sad once again. They talked about the memorial service and who would do what. After Neil left, Alex rummaged through a drawer and found some pictures of Malcolm. She shared them with Mamie and decided to make a collage as a tribute to his life. Alex became more anxious and sad thinking about him. Mamie comforted her and had to go. Alex was then alone with the picture of her and Malcolm at the prom. . .
Nate wanted to play with his friend before school, but Olivia asked him to stay home. He threw a fit and tore down his poster welcoming his father home. Olivia told him about the accident and the efforts to find Malcolm. Nate called her a liar, then insisted that they should have been told so that he could help find his dad.
Sharon greeted Cassie and Diego at the door after the riding lesson. Diego had to ask -- was everything better between her and Nick? Sharon started off calmly, then lit into him about everyone's free advice and how it was worth exactly what they paid for it. Diego remained patient with her and offered his support.
Nicholas was eating breakfast when Nikki came into the house after a morning ride. They talked about Diego's work and about things between Nick and Sharon. Nikki reminded him of her offer to take the kids for spring break and Nicholas insisted that it wouldn't do any good. She told him that this was too important to guess about and offered again to talk to Sharon about it.
Nikki arrived at Sharon's door as Cassie was ready to leave for school. Sharon started right back up again with her, upset that everyone wanted to give them advice. Nikki mentioned that she had a plan and Sharon told her that she shouldn't waste her time.
In Australia, Christine received praise from an attorney where she worked. He asked her to stay and join their firm for good, but was concerned about her need for a break or her possible return to America. She told him that she would think about it and let him know within a week. Next thing she knew, Mary Williams stepped into her office. . . .
Chris asked why she was there and Mary hinted that it had to do with Paul and a woman who was putting him in danger. Mary admitted that she felt guilty about helping Isabella and now regretted believing in her. Christine became immediately furious and didn't want to hear another word. She asked Mary to leave several times. Mary remained until she told Christine the truth -- Isabella had found out how much having a baby means to Paul, so she was giving him one! Christine couldn't believe her ears. Mary repeated, "Isabella's pregnant -- she's having Paul's child!"
Back at Paul's office, Lynne was checking on something with him and he asked her if she had heard from his mother. She refused to be in the middle and denied any contact with Mary recently. This made Paul feel somewhat secure in that maybe Mary was accepting their arrangement. Isabella arrived and Lynne ran for the door. She invited Paul to childbirth class and they kissed happily. They talked about Mary and she asked if he thought that Mary would ever leave them alone. He said that the sooner his mom accepted the inevitable, the better off everyone would be. Isabella asked, "Does that mean that you think the we're inevitable?" He kissed her and said, "More and more I do."
Brittany ordered coffee at Crimson Lights and spied Raul coming in the door. At first she acted like she was leaving, but something magnetic seems to make her turn around until he noticed her. They sat down and talked about plans for dinner after play practice. She acted like he wanted to get her alone and take advantage of her. He didn't know what she was talking about. She was so nonchalant about their time together the night before and acted like she had better things to do than to spend time with him. He wouldn't let up, though. He told her that he understood that they were so different and that it made sense if she was confused and ready to say, "STOP!" But he wanted to let her know that he wanted to see where the relationship would take them -- it was like a new, exciting wave that they were riding. She asked if now he expected her to spill her guts. He wanted to know where she stood. She mumbled something then said, "I guess I feel the same way, OK?" Then she grabbed her jacket and took off. . .
Paul and Isabella attended birthing classes to start preparing for natural childbirth. Though another of the prospective fathers got woozy and fainted after watching a video on childbirth, Paul assured Isabella that he was delighted to be a part of her pregnancy and their baby's birth. After the class, the other man's wife told Isabella that she couldn't help but notice Isabella wasn't wearing a wedding band. She then told Isabella it was obvious that Paul was in love with her, and she was sure they would get married. When Paul rejoined Isabella, she told him she thought he was wonderful.
Christine expressed shock over Mary's news that Isabella was pregnant. Mary repeatedly tried to convince her that Isabella was a woman with bad character who had gotten into Paul's life by deceiving and manipulating him. Christine said it sounded as if Paul had finally found what he wanted, a woman who would give him a child. After hearing that Mary had tried to send Isabella to a home for unwed mothers, Christine pointed out that Mary had never approved of any of the women in Paul's life and said it was none of her business, then ushered Mary out of her office. After Mary was gone, Christine took Paul's photograph from her desk drawer and stared at it with sadness.
While Nikki pitched the idea to Sharon of taking the kids somewhere on spring break so Sharon and Nick could have some time alone to work out their problems, Nick was telling Victoria about Nikki's plan. He explained about meeting Carrie at the bar and how he had resisted temptation. Victoria told him people flirt even at the best of times in their relationships, but advised him to continue to wait for Sharon in spite of his unmet physical needs. Meanwhile, after learning that Nick was somewhat uncertain about Nikki's plan, Sharon declined Nikki's offer, saying it would only make things worse for them. When Nikki went home to tell a disappointed Nick that Sharon wasn't interested, Doris scolded Sharon and told her that if she wanted Nick back, she should take this opportunity to make things right with him. Sharon finally agreed with her mother and seemed ready to consider it. Meanwhile an angry Nick went for a run.
Alex was mourning Malcolm in his studio when Phyllis came in and insisted that she needed to see Malcolm immediately. When Alex said he wasn't there, Phyllis said she'd call him on his cell phone. Finally Alex blurted out the news of his death to Phyllis, who screamed "No!" repeatedly as she broke down. After she got calmer and Alex told her the details about Malcolm's death, Phyllis demanded to know why Alex or Neil hadn't told her the truth, swearing that she'd have gone to Kenya herself and joined in the search for her best friend. Phyllis began questioning her about what went on in Africa, reminding her that she knew quite a lot about the conflict between Alex, Malcolm, and Neil, including a day in Neil's office when she overheard Alex and Neil expressing their love for each other. Alex became evasive, and Phyllis demanded to know what she was hiding because she said Alex's facts didn't add up.
Neil went to Victor's office and thanked him for all that Newman Enterprises did to try to find Malcolm. He said that even though he was planning the memorial service, he needed to work to keep his mind off of everything. But he added that he would need some time off later to mourn. Victor asked if he was sure he was up to arranging the memorial service so soon after doing the same thing for Ryan. Victoria joined them and offered her support to Neil. After Neil left, Victor and Victoria worried over whether Neil was really strong enough to endure all of this grief. Victoria then went to see Neil in his office and found Neil dealing with someone from the newspaper on the phone as he attempted to get Malcolm's death notice published immediately. When Victoria expressed concern for how he was handling things, Neil got defensive and wondered if she was just checking up on him for Victor. Finally they began to speculate on what had happened in Kenya, including why Isaac said Malcolm's hands were so bruised when Victoria had seen him in the hallway not long before he left with Isaac and his hands were not bruised.
