Flashback - July 2002

Week of July 29, 2002

Without knowing the Bug's size, Michael Baldwin ordered a dress from Fenmore's for the creepy critter. On the day and the moment it arrived, Lauren Fenmore herself stopped by the Baldwin & Williams Law Offices to say she had a legal matter to discuss. A local restaurant wanted to open a branch inside her department store and she, being totally lame, didn't know how to make it happen. Always one to know everything there is to know about law, Christine 'Bug' Williams rattled off the requirements.

Meanwhile, detective Paul 'Clueless' Williams was learning from his wife that she had a friend in need. Dizzy Izzy Williams explained that since she and Diane Jenkins were both having trouble adjusting to life in Genoa City, it made perfect sense that they would be pals.

Clueless was outraged. Jenkins was in bed with Jack Abbott on the morning Abbott was to marry his sister, Patty. It was something Clueless said he'd never forget. "I want you to stay away from her, She can't be trusted. That's not an option," Williams seethed, noting too that Jenkins married his partner Andy Richards and then cheated on him, unlike the sanctimonious Williams who has never cheated on anyone.

As Izzy told Clueless she didn't need permission as to who she can see, Lauren blew in with a christening gown for their son followed by Mary Williams who thought her grandson should be christened in the gown her son wore when he was christened.

For someone who would later rush into a marriage, Billy Abbott warned Raul Guittierez about moving too fast with Brittany Hodges. Guittierez thought Abbott was jealous that he was getting sex and Billy wasn't.

"You're only eighteen. Too young to get this serious about anyone," Abbott snipped, as if to imply that for a nineteen-year-old who looked very much like twenty-seven, he was much better versed on the ways of the world.

Desperately in need of a hero, Abbott slapped the label on Brock Reynolds when he found out Reynolds was off in the swamplands of Louisiana building houses for the underprivileged. This hero worship gave Billy an idea. What if he and Mac Browning skipped going to college for a semester and go work with her father?

Another teen playing the role of the adult was J.T. Hellstrom who told Ms. Hodges that she was too young to get serious about any boy.

By now Ashley Carlton had taken to recording her every thought into a tape recorder. "I want to keep a record of how I feel about what's happening to me," she said, of the breast cancer which was destroying her miserable life. She was so grumpy she didn't want anyone else to be happy either and made it clear she hoped Nikki Newman would turn down Victor Newman's marriage proposal. But at that moment, Nikki was saying yes.

Nick and Victoria Newman took the news well. So well in fact that Victoria did a Cassie Newman impression when she oozed, "I've been waiting for this since I was seven. We're a family again!"

Maxwell Hollister hadn't given up on Nikki. He bumped into Jack Abbott at the RoadKill Cafe and was told in no uncertain terms to stay away from the woman.

Meanwhile, Jack was so happy with what a great step-mother his wife had become he offered to take Phyllis Abbott to France.

Ashley went to the RoadKill to pout and think about Victor. When she looked up she noticed Lorie Brooks across the room. Dragging herself over to Lorie's table Ashley had the nerve to ask, "Are you here because of Victor?"

Lorie was taken aback. Who was this wicked woman? And then she recalled. Oh, it's you. No sweetie. I'm not here because of Victor. Good-day. Max was surprised to see Lorie too and demanded she explain what she was doing in Genoa City.

"I need your signature on our divorce settlement," Lorie said, and made arrangements for Max to sign off at her hotel after he met with Nikki at Jabot. What Nikki told Max made him very angry.

Lorie went to see Victor. The great man wasn't pleased. Lorie had used him twenty years ago to get her husband's business back and he was still peeved. Even when Lorie offered Victor some free sex it didn't change his attitude.

As for Sharon Newman she was still afraid her secret would get out. Even while having sex with her husband all she could think of was having sex with Diego Guittierez.

It was also during this time that Cassie Newman began having bad dreams. Her mother told her that everything would be fine now that daddy had moved back into the home and nothing would ever change again.

Over in the tackyroom Victoria lay in bed with Diego sobbing how she'd never forget Ryan McNeil.

This week was also the one during which Colleen Carlton first fell for J.T. Noticing that the hunkmonkey had a summer reading list for college, Colleen offered to give him "plot and character" since she had read every book on the list as a Freshman.

Week of July 22, 2003

After porking Jill Abbott in her Chancellor mausoleum bedroom Larry 'Wartman' Warton felt as if she was treating him like "of those little dogs."

"Believe me, Mr. Warton. You're a very "big dog", Abbott smiled, as the Wartman did her again.

When John Abbott saw that his "beauty" had taken to wrapping her head in a turban he began bawling. "Don't Dad. You're my tower of power," Ashley Carlton said, handing him her baby who immediately took a dump in her diaper. Embarrassed, the old geezer handed the kid back as Ashley began to whine how cancer was taking over her life.

Later that day Ashley began to rag on her husband, Brad. They can't communicate with each other anymore and the chemotherapy treatments make her feel ugly. "I feel gross. Throwing up all the time is repugnant. I feel like crawling in a hole so I can cry my eyes out."

His son's marriage still on shaky ground, Victor Newman told his daughter-in-law that her reaction to Victoria Newman seeing Diego Guittierez was causing a rift in the family.

"You know how important family is to me," the great man snorted, as Sharon Newman went on to say that Diego is her "friend" and she didn't want him eaten alive by Victoria. Victor didn't believe the skank. "Is there something going on between you two?"

Sharon denied it but Victor knew better.

Sharon immediately called Christine 'Bug' Blair Williams who interrupted dinner with Michael Baldwin to go back to the office and listen to Sharon whine. The Bug told Sharon to stop thinking about Diego but Sharon said she couldn't.

Oddly, Dr. Olivia Winters was involved in this mess too. She learned what had gone on between Sharon and Diego from Victoria and was seemingly shocked at the thought a married woman could have cheated on her husband. And, without a single friend in his life, Nick Newman told the Wartman all about his wife being worried about his sister's relationship with Diego and Nick couldn't understand why.

On the teen scene, Raul Guittierez took Brittany Hodges to the local brothel for dinner. By this time Brittany's shoplifting had become a distant memory. And as is so often the case, Raul and Brittany heard their song playing on the jukebox. After dancing the two went upstairs to a sleazy room Brittany had rented with her parents credit card.

The other kids in town were still making plans for college.

Jack and Phyllis Abbott were still trying to live with Diane Jenkins a guest at the poolhouse. They had set rules for Diane to follow but she broke them three times in one evening. That night in the bedroom Phyllis had a fantasy that Jack's boy was "10 or 13" and in his room down the hall as they had sex. Better yet, according to Phyllis, was that Kyle was now calling her "mom."

Diane was fed up. She wanted to get even with "that bitch" and went to tell Victor that she was afraid of Phyllis. "I don't give a rat's ass about what's happened to you," Victor snorted, and then told her to go away.

The big talk around town was of the new salad bar at the RoadKill Cafe. Max Hollister watched a customers sneezed over it as Nikki Newman told him she had just returned to Genoa City an hour ago and her first stop was the RoadKill for coffee. Saying she hadn't made a decision as to whether to accept Victor's marriage proposal, Nikki left Max alone and went to tell Jack that she planned to give Victor her answer in the morning.

Meantime, Max had spotted Victor and just had to tell him again what an amazing woman Nikki is.

"Listen to me carefully. You are deluding yourself about my ex-wife. More importantly you're treading on thin ice right now," Victor growled.

"One might interrupt that as a threat," Max quipped.

"Mr. Hollister, you really don't know who you're dealing with do you?" Victor snorted, and then walked out without further word.

Week of July 15, 2002

This week Phyllis Abbott got serious about killing Diane Jenkins. "I won't be happy 'til she's six feet under," she remarked. Meantime, Jack Abbott was bummed that his wife had moved out of his father's home but she came home late one night with a smile on her face.

Surprised that Phyllis came back so soon, Diane asked if she had forgotten something. "No Peg Leg, this my house. I'm here to stay," Phyllis snarled, in reference to Diane's broken leg. Later, dizzy Izzy Brana paid a late night visit giving Diane a chance to grumble how afraid of Phyllis she was.

The teens threw a beer party. Underage Colleen Carlton was there along with J.T. Hellstrom and the girl known as Erica. Carlton snuck out of the Abbott home and took a cab to the party. She was grounded at the time for having been busted for smoking dope at Walnut Grove Academy. Raul Guittierez and Brittany Hodges were there too, and just as the fun was starting word came down that the cops were on their way.

At the ranch, Sharon Newman was having a bad reaction to the hired help rubbing suntan lotion on Victoria Newman. A pool party was in progress with the Newman kids eating ice cream. Diego Guittierez had to leave when his brother called in need of a ride home. Diego caught up with Raul in town and laid his "I'm a lousy role model for my brother" routine on him and complained about being "a big zero" and how he wished he were more like Nick Newman.

Incredibly, when Victoria told Diego she was once married to Cole Howard the cow pie picker knew right away who Howard was. "I do read a book now and then," Diego said and nobody wondered why a self-proclaimed cowboy would read romance novels the likes of which Howard had authored.

The baseball game over, Brad Carlton, Neil Winters and Nate Hastings stopped at the roadside diner again on their way home. Already suffering from alcohol withdrawal, Neil was a mess.

Back in town, Serena Slattern was letting herself into Neil's apartment with his key she had picked up at the Olive Pit bar. Looking through a desk drawer she found photos of Lily Winters, Nate, and other family pictures when Olivia Winters barged in.

"What are you doing here?" the butcher grunted when the real question should have been  - what was Olivia doing there?

Explaining that she was only getting clothes for Neil, Serena was interrupted when Brad called Olivia to rat Neil out. Olivia dropped what she was doing and headed for the diner leaving Serena to pick up a number from Neil's personal phone book. Dru Winters.

At the Diner, Olivia barked at Neil and told him to stay away from her son. The next day Olivia whined to Brad of having seen a woman at Neil's apartment and oh, the horror, how would she explain that to her son?

Back in the city, Leanna Love was still trying to come up with an exposé on Victor Newman. Her producer was afraid of a law suit but Leanna said to let Newman bring it on.

"I want the world to know what an egomaniac my ex-husband is," Love honked, just as a tip came in. Newman was at that moment with Hope Adams. The Newman jet had landed in Genoa City with Hope onboard. She thanked Victor for sending the jet to Kansas to fetch her and then said she had come all this way to stop "that bitch" Love from doing whatever Leanna was doing. Furthermore, Hope said she had spoken with other former Newman lovers and they agreed.

"The lies she is telling to the world could hurt Victor Jr.," Hope rambled. Then, totally unaware of what she was doing, she asked Victor how to stop Leanna. Victor was more concerned with how Hope knew about his ex-wives and former lovers.

"I know a reporter at our local paper. He told me how to contact them," Hope noted. Victor said he'd handle Love and sent Hope back to Kansas before calling Love to order her to be in his office first thing in the morning. When they next met, Victor told Leanna that the other women in his life planned to file three individual lawsuits against her as a way to get even. Leanna could avoid the mess by publicly retracting what she said about them and Victor and apologize. Leanna agreed.

Victor also summoned Max Hollister when he found out Hollister was sucking around the woman he wanted to marry again. Hollister asked Victor to tell him how to get in touch with Nikki Newman knowing she had left town to think about Victor's marriage proposal.

"You have a lot of nerve asking that question," Victor snorted, as Max whined again how Victor had "crushed me like a walnut over that acquisition a few months ago, just because you could."

Mumbling that what Max had said pretty much described how Victor operates, Max went into his, "Nikki is a beautiful, vital, intelligent, exciting woman," raving and accused Victor of being a womanizer.

"You've bored me long enough. Please leave the premises," Victor said, dismissing Max on spot.

Thinking she was rid of Ralph Hunnicutt, Mac Browning announced she was "moving on" with her life. Billy Abbott would be out of the hospital soon and Larry Warton had moved into the Chancellor mausoleum. Life was good.

Jill Abbott had plans for her son. She wanted Billy to get away from Genoa City. A college at Cambridge in England would be nice. Billy said no, he couldn't leave his friends. Besides, he and Mac had already made plans to spend the last two week of Summer together before going off to separate colleges.

Again this week Ashley Carlton was feeling sorry for herself. With her hair falling out she had taken to wearing a turban and was surprised when Olivia showed up looking for Brad. "I need to protect my son. He needs a strong role model like Brad," Olivia sniveled.

Week of July 8, 2002

As another week in Genoa City got underway Max Hollister was telling Nikki Newman again what a "beautiful independent woman" she is. Victor Newman tried telling the old cow that his flying around seeing ex-wives was no romantic adventure. He was simply trying to find out something about himself. Always the bitch, Nikki hurled that she isn't "the young gullible sweet thing" he seduced all those years ago. And when she still didn't believe him, Victor whipped out the black velvet box he had been carrying around for weeks. When Nikki's eyes focused on a big diamond ring she stopped sniping and nearly fainted when he asked her to marry him again. But because she is a witch Nikki said she'd give her answer in two weeks.

Phyllis Abbott was in a rage when she found out there would be no Glow Worms hanging out at the Abbott pool this Summer. Although he had already made the decision, old man John Abbott told his son that closing down the Glow kids would have to be run by the board of directors.

It had been hoped that there would be no Glow Worms at all this Summer but late in the game it was announced that the "live" streaming videos and whatever it is these kids do would be broadcast from the lobby of Jabot where the Glowtique was still in operation. Colleen Carlton was now part of the act and a new webmaster named Gabe had taken over from Sean Bridges.

Even though she knew the Worms wouldn't be using the Abbott pool Diane Jenkins was planning to move out. That is, until she sweet-talked Jack Abbott into letting her stay while her broken leg healed. When Phyllis found out she packed up and move out.

At the God Have Mercy Medical Center, Larry Warton and Billy Abbott were recovering from their wounds. Katherine Sterling was back home and many were saying "it's amazing how family pulls together in time of trouble."

As his reward for being a hero, Warton was offered a kind of opportunity of a lifetime. "I'd feel more comfortable with a man like you around," Mrs. Sterling told him, noting there are two apartments over the mausoleum garage. One is currently occupied by her chauffeur and the other empty. In exchange for part-time mechanic work on "my sixteen cars" for room and board, the Warton could move into the empty pad. Warton snapped the offer up. Additionally, he was urged to call Sterling by her first name.

Seeing her little brother all banged up made Ashley Carlton realize "how precious life is" and for all the whining she had been doing about her breast cancer wasn't so down she couldn't have sex with her husband. Alas, after the romp she started bawling when clumps of hair fell off her head.

"I'm such a freak!," she bellowed, as Brad Carlton tried to assure her otherwise. To make her feel like a queen Brad went out late at night to fetch Ashley's favorite "comfort food" (chicken soup) at the RoadKill Cafe. "You're an amazing woman," Brad said, as he walked out the door.

When Brad arrived at the RoadKill he found the butcher was away from her cave. Olivia Winters listened as Brad told of his wife's hair falling out and then touched Brad's hand and whispered, "If you ever need someone to talk to I'm here for you."

The next morning Brad showed up at the cave to thank Olivia for offering to be a sounding post. Plus, Brad had to follow up on his promise to take the butcher's kid out for pizza and a ballgame. Although Nate Hastings was on his way to Summer Camp for the day he changed his mind. A burger at a roadside diner before the game would be nice too. As it so happened Neil Winters called at that moment so Nate invited him along too.

The night before Neil Winters was slamming back the shots at the Olive Pit Bar. Bar babe Serena Slattern was angry that Neil had poked her that one night and never spoke to her since. She asked Neil where he was staying now and learned he had moved into a hotel. A man named Juice noticed and after thinking a moment realized he knew Winters from the past. That night Neil passed out and was allowed to spend the night at the bar.

Keep in mind Neil hadn't cleaned up. As he left the bar his keys fell out of his pocket. As Juice watched, Serena picked them up and tucked them into her bra. It was then that Juice told how ten years ago Neil had put "ideas" into the head of the woman he was seeing. As a result she dumped him and Juice never forgot.

When Brad saw Neil stumble into the Diner he wasn't pleased and called the butcher only to learn that the general practitioner was "in surgery." After some begging by Nate, Brad gave in and allowed Neil to go to the game with them.

At their tiny apartment, Izzy and Paul 'Clueless' Williams' new baby was bawling. Mary Williams was already planning a church christening for the boy and Lauren Fenmore dropped by with a gift. A china cup for the kid. Izzy was so impressed she asked Lauren to be the baby's godmother. So far there was only one person on the Williams' guest list.

Week of July 1, 2002

Jill Abbott had the proof Amanda Hunnicutt stole her bracelet and Hunnicutt had been arrested and released on bond. Jill figured that because she had been vindicated Sean Bridges would stop seeing her as out to get the poor woman. But Sean wasn't mad about that. He had asked Jill twice to marry him and she refused. Thus, Sean was officially walking out of Jill's life and going back to New York.

Old man John Abbott was concerned. With the arrest of Mac Browning's mother and the teenager in line to become a Glow Worm, he was worried about the public relations fallout. Fearing reporters would be camped out in his front yard and because Jabot didn't have a webmaster the old geezer cancelled the Glow Worms Summer campaign.

Nobody has ever figured out why a rich woman would need to find a job, but Diane Jenkins was intent on finding one. Just as she was telling Jack Abbott she had found work in Denver and would be moving out of the Abbott poolhouse, her baby-sitter announced an illness in the family and would be returning to Italy.

The illness, of course, was a ploy so that Diane could stay on longer in hopes of making Jack her man again. Later, while she was picking flowers, Diane saw Phyllis Abbott backing up her car. Diane slipped behind it, stuck her leg under the car and - crack!

Hearing the commotion Jack rushed out to see what had happened. As Diane complained of a broken leg Jack ordered Phyllis to call 911. Paramedics arrived in a flash, injected the patient with morphine and hauled her away to the hospital. Moments later Diane was back at the Abbott home and elated to learn the poolhouse would be available to her all Summer.

At the local Motel 6 Katherine Sterling was being held by loony Ralph Hunnicutt and Larry 'Wartman' Warton had just learned from Amanda where Ralph was. Warty rushed to the motel, had the manager open the room and rescued Katherine who then spat on Amanda.

Thinking he had killed Hunnicutt, Billy Abbott was on the lam with Mac Browning. The two were hold up at the Abbott playhouse. Fearing they would be captured, the kids ran off to Genoa City's mysterious lake. After all the trouble Billy decided to turn himself in. "If I go to jail it will change my life forever," he quipped.

Over at the Newman Jitter Joint a cop was questioning Raul Guittierez as to the whereabouts of Abbott and Browning. Without a clue that the cop was really Ralph, Raul gave the playhouse location away. By the time Ralph arrived the kids were gone but Raul had followed Ralph. Ralph told Raul to buzz off and like a good dummy Raul returned to the Jitter Joint where the Wartman asked him if he had seen the missing kids.

Raul said yeah, a cop is looking for them too. The Wartman showed Raul a photo of Ralph. Was that the cop? Well, um, yeah, a sheepish looking Raul confessed.

Back at the lake Mac was freaking out after Ralph had snuck up on them and smacked Billy in the head with a rock. "You better leave now or you'll be in trouble big time," Mac screamed at Ralph who said he planned to kidnap her and trade her for Katherine's diamond necklace. On second thought Ralph decided to scare the bejesus out of Mac. He whipped out a knife and began waving it when the Wartman arrived.

His head bleeding, Billy came around, threw a rock to distract Ralph long enough for Mac to get away. Together, the Wartman and Ralph got into a wrestling match and moved toward the edge of a cliff. In a flash they were both gone.

Two cops arrived and an ambulance was called. Billy was taken to the God Have Mercy Medical Center. Old man Yawn Abbott was there and after hearing the story from Mac said, "Let's pray he'll [Warton] be okay. Raul was there too and remembering that one of the police officers had looked over the cliff and said, "It's a long way down," repeated these words to those gathered. And then, as if he were in a world of his own said, "Let's pray he's [Warton] okay."

As it turned out there was one place in the lake deep enough for a person to dive in and survive. The Wartman had done just that and so had Ralph. Just as he was about to finish the Wartman off Ralph heard voices and took off never to be seen again. The Wartman was taken to the hospital.

In exchange for the charges against her being dropped, Amanda agreed to leave town and never contact her daughter again.

On the Newman family scene, Nick Newman was certain that his marriage was back on track and that his sister had plans to take up with Diego Guittierez. At Newman Enterprises a messenger was delivering a package to Victoria Newman containing a video tape of her little-watched cable TV show of the previous night. Victoria dumped the tape in the trash without watching it. But curiosity got the best of them. After watching the tape Victoria declared their father's latest womanizing, "digital trickery."

Out at the Newman ranch Max Hollister had arrived to tell Nikki Newman he had seen her reaction to the Love tape and thought she might want to talk about it. "You're an amazing woman" he told her for the umpteenth time. And again, Hollister told Nikki, "You're a dynamic, successful, independent woman."

At that moment Victor Newman walked through the door and ordered Max out. Nikki blasted Victor for going on a trip without consulting her. "Did you ever give a thought how humiliating this little escapade would be for me?" she oinked.

Meantime, busybody Gina Roma was accusing Leanna Love of hitting a new low when Victoria arrived at the RoadKill Cafe looking for someone to kill. When the women had been pulled apart Roma ordered Love to leave.

"The food here stinks!," Love hissed before walking out.

It was the 4th of July in Genoa City but the holiday hadn't stopped Ashley Carlton from getting the local witchdoctor on the phone to invite her and her son to the house for a BBQ. Although she was only undergoing chemotherapy for breast cancer, Brad Carlton was worried his wife was doing too much.

"I've been going to work. I drive my own car," Ashley noted, which most women with cancer are able to do without second thought.

It was the only time Marissa Barton and Lynne 'Yes-Boss' Bassett had been seen anywhere near men. The two girls had plans this day to watch the fireworks in the park with two guys named Scott and Kevin. In fact, when Christine 'Bug' Blair asked Bassett about her "date" Bassett refused comment. Bassett was however, interested in having a "girl's night out" involving the Bug.

Bassett's boss, detective Paul 'Clueless' Williams, was happy married to dizzy Izzy Williams. His mother, Mary Williams was happy to have a family again. Mary had a grandson too and life was good. "That's the grandchild you've always wanted. He's not going away anytime soon," Clueless remarked.