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Remember When - 1995

When Worlds Collide

Following Phyllis Abbott's assertion that the kid known only as "Alex" comes from a "different world" the Genoa City News couldn't help but hearken back to when the cliché was first coined.

It was June, 1995. A patient at the Kansas division of the God Have Mercy Medical Center, Hope Adams Newman had just given birth to a baby after five minutes of labor. Not just any baby - it was a Victor Newman baby.

"He has ten perfect fingers and ten perfect toes," Hope cooed as what would be named Victor Newman Jr., lay in her arms. As a farm girl, Hope - known then as "Hopeless" for obvious reasons - was totally unaware of the difference between thumbs and fingers.

Frantically in love with Hope and trying to convince her that making a life with Victor was all wrong, farmer Cliff Wilson's hovering around Hope like flies on a dead pig wasn't appreciated by Victor's personal man servant, Douglas Austin, who had flown in from Genoa City to keeps tabs on Newman's woman.

When Victor arrived Douglas didn't tell the Black Knight that Hope - like so many Genoa City-connected pregnant women do - had fallen and gone into premature labor.

"I sense you're not telling me everything," Victor snorted as he went to see Hope.

In the hall Cliff told Douglas that Hope had told him she didn't want to leave Kansas as Victor had demanded and later manipulated Hope's fears when he said, "Call me a hick, but I don't think it's normal for a kid to come home from school and have to take an elevator."

Walking into the room Victor dismissed Cliff before telling Hope that an official name would have to be assigned the baby before the hospital would allow it to leave.

Having known for months that she was pregnant, neither Hope nor Victor had - like normal parents to be would have - thought about a name for their baby.

"What did you have in mind?" Hope asked Victor who said he had no idea and didn't want to talk about it anymore; there were more important things at hand like, getting the little woman back to Genoa City. The Newman jet was fueled and ready to whisk them away within the hour.

Hope was aghast. "Now? I just gave birth! What about the baby?" she asked apparently thinking that the baby would be shipped later by UPS.

Victor thought Hope's reaction was strange so he asked her doctor, Alan Wrench, what the hell? Wrench said Hope was already suffering form postnatal depression aggravated by whimperitis. Satisfied with the medical explanation Victor told Hope it was okay if she wanted to be weird. This, of course, prompted Hope to fall on her knees before the great man.

"You are such a rare person," she actually said. And then, it came.

"I'll always love you but we come from different worlds," Hope said, breaking the news to Victor that she didn't want to leave Kansas.

"You've done so much for me but I want to raise our son in my world," she added.

So as to leave no doubt that there are indeed parallel worlds out there, Cliff - thinking Hope was leaving with Victor - later told Hope what an "incredible mom" she would make, that she is an "incredible woman" and that he was aware that she and Victor come from "two different worlds."

Victor returned alone to Genoa City. From high atop his 35th floor Newman Towers suite the phone rang as he opened the door. It was Hope calling to say that becoming a mother had been "an amazing experience" and that she had picked a name for their son. Victor Adam Newman Jr.

When word got out of another Newman heir the Newman kids were outraged. Victoria Newman squawked that her daddy should never allowed Hope to use the Newman name and Nick Newman expressed concern that his inheritance would be reduced. Victor's ex-wife, Nikki Newman was so distraught she considered going to New York with Victoria on a week long shopping spree but cancelled at the last moment.

Meantime on the farm Hope was engaged in her favorite pastime; washing eggs. Noting that she was weary Cliff asked if he could put the baby "down." Unlike animals that die when they are put down, the baby simply went to sleep as Hope whined that Victor didn't really love her.

Seemingly the next day Victor returned so that Hope could moan some more.

"I'm not from your world," she complained as Victor mumbled in agreement, "Your world is here on the farm and my world is in the city."