Young & The Restless Update
Recap written by Christine
At Crimson Lights, Nick wanted to talk to Ashland alone, but Victoria refused to leave, and Ashland said he wanted her to stay. Victoria testily asked if Nick dug up some ancient dirt. She informed him that she knew what he was up to, thanks to Phyllis being unable to explain why Nick took a trip to the town where Ashland got his start. She said she told her fiance all about it. Nick said this was about a 40 year old car crash that killed a guy named Bobby DeFranco. Ashland tensed up at the mention of the name, and Victoria asked if he was okay. Ashland never wanted to hear that name again, especially from someone in Victoriaâs family. She asked who that was, and he revealed that he was Bobby. âYouâre⌠Bobby DeFranco?,â Victoria asked. âI was. Before I became Ashland Locke,â he replied. Victoria shrugged it off â they all knew heâd changed his name. Nick asked if the crash wasnât concerning. Victoria didnât think it was a big deal that Ashland tried to cover his tracks by pretending his original identity died in a car crash. Nick clarified that a young man really did die. Ashland admitted this was true, and it was foolish to think he could run from it forever.
Ashland told his story. He was born Robert DeFranco, son of an abusive father and an enabling mother. He had a friend who gave him the courage to change his situation, a young man his parents didnât even know â the real Ashland Locke. Bobby and Ashland were kindred spirits, so much so, that they did what a lot of dumb sixteen year olds did – they got matching tattoos. Victoria asked Ashland if it was the one on his calf, and he said yeah. Back to 40 years ago, Bobbyâs father beat him up for getting a tattoo. Ashland saw Bobby all banged up and convinced him to run away. Ashland and Bobby left together, and they did odd jobs on the Jersey coast. One day, they were at an arcade on the boardwalk in Keansburg, when they heard a commotion. It was Bobbyâs father, who was furious and looking for Bobby. Ashland hid Bobby, then he told the father that Bobby had gone to Philadelphia with a girl. After that, Bobby owed Ashland big time, and their bond deepened. They were inseparable. The real Ashland didnât have a family, and the boys became family to each other. Bobby had big plans for him and Ashland to strike it rich. âSo this is about money for you,â Nick interjected. Ashland was shocked that this was what Nick got from this story. Ashland said he and the real Ashland were just kids. They didnât think about stuff like that or know what they were going to do. The real Ashland wanted to be involved in broadcasting, and somehow he got an interview with this woman name Camilla Rhodes. The woman who became the current Ashlandâs mentor. The original Ashland was going to try and intern at one of Camillaâs stations. However, he never got a chance to go to the interview.
The real Ashland owned this beat up Camaro that he liked to drive really fast, and it scared Bobby. The night before the interview, Ashland and Bobby were in the car, and Ashland was speeding. He lost control of the car and hit a tree. Bobby was ejected and knocked unconscious. When he came to, Ashland was pinned against the steering wheel, and he didnât have a pulse. Bobby couldnât get his friend out of the car, and it caught fire. Bobby screamed for help and pulled Ashland so hard that Ashlandâs wallet flew out of the car. The car was now engulfed in flames, and the situation was disorienting for Bobby. Bobby threw his own wallet on the ground and picked up Ashlandâs, then he ran because the car was about to explode. After the explosion, and another car pulled up to see what was going on. Bobby was scared to talk to the other driver, because he thought theyâd call the police and that the police would call his dad. When Bobby saw the police coming, he ran off into the woods. At that moment, he made the decision to become Ashland Locke and let his life as Bobby DeFranco burn up in flames.
Victoria asked Ashland where he went after the crash. He went to an old abandoned beach hut, and he stayed there for awhile. He stole newspapers to keep up on the crash. The body was badly burned, and the police assumed, due to the wallet, that the dead teen was Bobby DeFranco. The father was called in to identify the body, and he made a positive I.D. based on the tattoo on the calf. DNA testing was limited in those days, so there was no need to investigate further. Ashland took this chance for a fresh start and a permanent escape from hell with his father. He went to the interview with Camilla Rhodes, who wasnât suspicious when Bobby showed up, because sheâd never met never met the real Ash. He got the job, and the rest was history. Nick thought this split second decision to switch wallets seemed awfully calculated. Ashland said heâd been surrounded by flames and smoke, and his only friend in the world was dead. He knew his father wouldâve beat him for days if heâd found him, and so his survival instincts kicked in. Nick asked why Ashland didnât ask the other driver to help him pull his buddy from the car. âI thought he was dead! And here was gonna be no miracle rescue!,â Ashland exclaimed. Ashland had been thinking about that moment day in and day out for his whole life. Ashland didnât care if Nick didnât believe him. He just hoped that Nick never found himself in a similar situation. âAshland Locke saved my life when my father was coming after me. And I wasnât able to save his,â Ashland said.
Ashland asked how much of the story Nick knew before tonight. Nick didnât have all the details, but heâd pieced most of it together. Nick had tracked down the reporter who covered the crash. According to Nick, the reporter always thought there was more to the story, but the case had never been properly investigated because of the witness â the driver of the other car. It was clear to the police that the witness was drunk, so when he told them that he saw a kid running off into the woods, they didnât think he was reliable. Ashland said that was probably a lucky break for him. âYeah, youâve had a lot of those, huh,â Nick said. Ashland admitted that he shouldâve told Victoria the whole story from the start. Heâd been ashamed of how he acted all those years ago, but he was more ashamed of hiding it from Victoria. Victoriaâs eyes were downcast as she said âHow could you do this?â Victoria looked up at the target of her question, and Nick and Ashland were both startled to realize that it was directed at Nick. âSo about hearing about this crash from your fiance, Iâm the one youâre mad at,â Nick said. Victoria got up and left. Ashland guessed Nick got what he wanted. Nick said he wanted the truth, which Ashland wouldnât give them. Ashland sarcastically said the truth solved everything and gave Victoria peace of mind. Nick argued that the bottom line was Ashland built his career and his life on the back of a tragedy. Ashland conceded the point, but he said he didnât get everything handed to him. A disapproving Nick stated that Ashland watched his best friend die, and his first instinct was to grab his wallet and run. Ashland said he had to get his hands dirty and make some hard choices in a tragic situation, which was probably something Nick would never understand.
Victoria was alone in her office staring at the portrait Ashland gave her. Ashland arrived, and he said he was sorry about not being completely honest when she first asked him about his past. She said he told her there would be no more secrets, and how was she supposed to believe that now? Heâd understand if she never trusted him again, but it would devastate him. She asked why he didnât tell her. He was ashamed, and it was too painful to talk about it. Heâd never told another living soul until this day. For 40 years, heâd held onto the image, the memory of Ash, and that horrible night haunted him ever since. He liked to think he built his life with the ethos of no regrets, but there wasnât a day that went by that he didnât wonder the same thing Nick did. What if heâd stayed? What if, by some miracle, heâd been able to rescue Ash? How would that have made his life different? She asked if heâd reached any conclusions, and he said no. Heâd been trying to convince himself that Ash wouldâve wanted to give up his identity to rescue him. He kept telling himself that he wouldâve given up his identity for Ash, if the situation was reversed, but heâd never know. He said that if his life had taken a different direction, he wouldâve never met Victoria, and there was nothing secretive or false about what he felt now. Heâd never loved anyone the way he loved Victoria, but heâd completely understand if she broke up with him. Victoria needed some time to process this. Ashland understood, and he said heâd give her all the time she needed. He left.
Nick went to Newman to see Victoria, but she said she didnât want to talk to or see him. He said he got it, but she didnât think he did. She accused him of betraying her trust. Sheâd told him how much she loved Ashland, and she begged him not to be like Billy and dig in Ashlandâs past. Nick reminded Victoria that sheâd admitted she had serious concerns about the man she was marrying. She was adamant that this didnât give him an invitation to investigate. Nick was sorry if Victoria was hurt, but he didnât regret what he did. He said it forced Ashland to come clean, and who knows what other shady things he did during that time. Victoria said Ashland had been in the business a long time, and she was sure heâd done some ruthless things, but nothing illegal. Nick wondered what Ashland was capable of if heâd leave his best friend to die. Victoria defended Ashland â the car was about to blow up, and the friend was probably already dead, so Ashland had to make one of the hardest decisions heâd ever made in his whole life. She pointed out that he wasnât even an adult yet. She asked Nick if he remembered what Noah and Summer were like at that age. She asked how Nick wouldâve dealt with that when he was young. âHow would you like the mistakes from your past, from your youth to be thrown back in your face,â she demanded. He stated that heâd never done anything like that, and she countered that heâd never been in that position. âYour father was tough, but he wasnât physically abusive,â she added. She contended that Ashlandâs father was a monster, hunting him down. Victoria snapped that Nick was born privileged and advantaged, and he could never relate to what Ashland went through. âSo donât come in here telling me that he is a terrible person until you understand the position that he was in,â she said. She asked if he could blame Ashland for what he did. âHow does something that happened 40 years ago mean that he is not worthy of love and forgiveness and happiness?,â she asked.
Nick brought up what Victoria said about Ashland being in a tough spot and having to make a different decision. Victoria stood by that. âWell I guess you and I have different opinions about whatâs right and wrong,â Nick spat. Exasperated, she told him not to get self righteous with her. She asserted that he betrayed her the minute he got on the plane to New Jersey when sheâd asked him not to look into Ashlandâs past. She noted that it was time for him to head to Summerâs wedding in Milan. She told him not to bother heading to Tuscany afterward. He asked if she was uninviting him from the wedding. She ordered him to leave. He believed that this revelation bothered her more than she was willing to admit.
Ashland went to Society and had a drink.
At the Chancellor house, Abby tried to get Dominic to sleep before it was time for her to go to the restaurant. She was going to be leaving him with the nanny, but she promised sheâd be back before he woke up, and sheâd take care of him, because that was what mommies did.
Tessa brought in room service â chicken piccata for Mariah. Mariah hopefully asked if Tessa got it with extra piccata, and an amused Tessa said that was not a thing. Sharon dropped by with a home cooked meal, and Tessa said she had errands. Mariah noted that it was late, but Tessa said she just had some things to do, and itâd give Mariah time with Sharon. Tessa left. Sharon knew that Mariah was thinking that sheâd asked everyone for time and space. Mariah confirmed that she was thinking that. Sharon said she gave Mariah space. Mariah stated that Sharon only lasted 24 hours. Sharon thought Mariah seemed better, but she wanted to know how Mariah was doing.
Mariah felt much better. Stronger after getting out of that house. Sharon heard some things, second hand. She asked why Mariah left the Chancellor estate. Mariah asked if people were gossiping about her. Sharon said it was just concerned people sharing their thoughts, and Mariah contended that this was the same thing as gossip. Sharon thought Mariah was avoiding the question. Mariah admitted it was harder to be around Dominic than she thought itâd be. She knew he wasnât hers, but there was still a strong bond. She noted that Sharon warned her about that bond. Sharon wasnât going to say âI told you so,â she knew it was rough. Mariah said it was rough seeing Bowie and knowing he wasnât hers to raise. Sharon asked if there was anything she could do to help Mariah. Sharon suggested Mariah move into the cottage with her, Rey and Faith for awhile. Mariah appreciated the offer, but she wanted space.
Mariah said what she and Tessa wanted to do first was find a new home. Sharon asked what Mariah was going to do about her postpartum separation anxiety. She offered to recommend some therapists. Sharon didnât want Mariah to isolate herself or rush into anything big. Suspicious, Mariah asked what Tessa and Sharon had been talking about. Sharon covered for Tessa. Sharon said she went to Tessa and grilled her and poured on all this motherly guilt, until Tessa revealed that Mariah wanted a baby. Sharon asked if Mariah really thought she was ready. Mariah said she was 100% ready, but obviously Tessa was not. Sharon saw the benefit in waiting six months, or a year. She thought Mariah and Tessa would make wonderful mothers, but she didnât think they should have a baby as a knee jerk reaction. Mariah snapped that it wasnât a knee jerk reaction â it was a natural next step.
At the penthouse, Amanda and Devon were dressed for dinner. Moses ran in and upstairs, and Faith walked in too. They were also dressed up for their date. Moses came down with his wallet. Faith still didnât know where they were going for the date. Devon knew, but Moses swore him to secrecy.
Tessa went to Society. Abby missed having Mariah and Tessa living at the house. She wanted them to come over and spend time with Dominic. Tessa said Mariah was finally starting to get back to her old self, so hopefully sheâd be up for that soon. Abby said that they had an open invitation to visit any time. Tessa got a terse text from Mariah saying they needed to talk. Devon and Amanda arrived, and Tessa left. Abby congratulated the pair on moving in together. Amanda said Moses and Faith werenât here, so this wasnât the location of the date. They brought Abby up to speed. She thought love young was cute, and she couldnât believe her niece was already dating. Devon said heâd remind Abby of this when Dominic was dating. She said he was so tiny, she couldnât even think of that. Amanda got a text from Imani. Nayaâs heart rate was spiking, so they were going to the ER. Devon was going to go with Amanda, but she said Naya wouldnât want too many people around. She left, and he told Abby it was dinner for one.
Abby asked about Amanda. Devon said she was anxious about Naya. He said she worried about her mom because it was a new relationship. He mentioned that Tessa seemed frazzled earlier. Abby said Tessa was worried about Mariah. Abby stated that Tessa was claiming to be optimistic, but to Abby, it sounded like Tessa was engaging in wishful thinking. Devon was willing to do anything to help Mariah, but he thought she needed time.
Faith and Moses went to Crimson Lights, on the patio, after their date, which was at Top of the Tower. She had so much fun. Moses had reserved a private room at the restaurant that overlooked the city. Before tonight, Faith didnât even know that her grandfatherâs restaurant had private rooms. He said he called in a favor from her grandfather. Moses beat Victor in a game of chess to get the favor, but Victor was happy to help. Devon had a new singer serenade Faith and Moses. It was magical, and sheâd never forget it. It was the most perfect night ever. Sharon was inside, and she smiled at them.
When Tessa got home, Mariah confronted her about telling Sharon that Mariah wanted a baby. Tessa asked Mariah to calm down. âNo! You went behind my back again. First Abby, now my mom. Why would you do that to me?!â
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