Jill tells Cane and Billy not to dare start this in front of the baby. Billy and Cane look at each other as if they hate each other. Cane tells him he wants to make one thing perfectly clear and that is that Cordelia is his baby.

Sharon tells her mother she needs to take better care of herself saying right now she really needs her. Noah tells Sharon he wants to go back to the bookstore and get the books she bought for him and left there. He says Eden must have them because they were right there. He kisses his grandmother good bye and when he is leaving he call Eden and leaves a message asking, where are you?

Lauren and Michael get to the bookstore and they tell the guard who that caught Eden with the stolen items in her bag, He tells them the police are on their way. Lauren is shocked that Michael doesn’t believe Eden when she says she didn’t do it. Eden snaps at him telling him to just let the cops take her to jail then as she sits down on the bench outside the store.

Phyllis runs into Noah and tells him she is happy his parents agreed to let him and Eden see each other. She says she knows what it is like being crazy about someone. When Noah asks her how things are going between his Dad and her she says she can’t deny that they aren’t so great.

Jack calls Nick to come over and talk about Sharon. He tells Nick that she is in a bad place. Nick says he knows she is upset about Brad dying. Jack says he thinks it is Nick, not Brad that is the problem from when they were at the cabin together. Jack tells Nick he slept with Sharon and then just tossed her aside. He asks Nick to do everyone a favor and just stay away from Sharon like he said he would do.

Sharon gets a glass of water for her mother. She tells Doris that she has been making decisions that aren’t good for her lately and it isn’t just with Nick. She admits that she spaces out, she forgets things, she blacks out and then she jolts back for a few seconds she can’t remember what she had been doing. She says it is freaky. She says she is sure it is just stress. Doris tells her she has had these problems before reminding her of how she was when Doris had her accident. Sharon starts to get irritated and tells her mother that she doesn’t want to talk about that.

Lauren tells Eden not to worry, she isn’t going to go to jail. Eden tells Lauren the bag was for Noah. She said Sharon got it for him. She says she got a call about her mother so Sharon and Noah left quickly forgetting the bag. She went after them to give it to them when the alarm went off. She tells Lauren she did not do this. Michael and Lauren go inside to talk to the owner. Eden starts dialing on her phone when she sees the guard watching her. She snaps at him telling him it isn’t a crime to make a call. When he gets inside Michael asks to talk to the manager. He checks his phone and finds Gloria’s message about the hearing about to start. Lauren tells him to go, she will handle this at the bookstore.

Noah apologizes to Phyllis for being nosey. She says it is ok, in fact she likes it that he cares. She tells him that she and his Dad are going through some stuff but they are getting better. He tells her he wants her to be happy saying she is a great step mom. Noah gets a call from Eden telling him about the books in the bag and that they are getting ready to arrest her.

Jill makes it clear to both of her sons that they are both welcome there as long as they can act like adults. Billy says he only came by to give a gift for the baby. Cane snaps saying he will provide for the baby. Billy shakes the box saying it is a rattler saying really original huh. Cane says if Billy is as noble as he pretends to be then he would walk out and stay out of the baby’s life.

Phyllis goes with Noah to the bookstore and they stand outside to talk to Eden. Noah asks Phyllis not to call his Dad but she says she might have to. Noah tells Eden he believes her but he is wondering how the books got in the bag. Inside the store Lauren and Phyllis plea with the manager saying Eden is innocent. He tells them he doesn’t like lawyers but it is a good things Michael is one in this case. He says he is sick of kids stealing so he plans to make an example of Eden by prosecuting her to the full extent of the law.

Nick asks Jack where he gets off lecturing him about Sharon. He tells Jack at least he was always honest with Sharon. Jack brings up the kiss in Paris and now he says Nick took advantage of her yet again at the cabin. He tells Nick it just isn’t fair for him to keep messing with Sharon’s head like that or to lead on the two women like that. Nick assures him that Phyllis is handling all of this. Jack reminds him that he was once married to Phyllis. He knows her. He says she is scared to death right now that she is going to lose her marriage. He warns Nick if he isn’t careful he is going to push both women over the edge.

Doris reminds Sharon that the same thing happened after she had the accident that paralyzed her. She says Sharon felt responsible for it. Sharon tells her that Brad could have stayed that night at the cabin. But she sent him out there to die. Doris tells her that she is no more responsible for Brad’s death than she was for her own car accident. She says it was her decision that night to go looking for her. She says they make their decisions and Sharon can’t keep carrying this burden, it is too much for one person to handle.

Cane wonders why Billy has decided to accept this baby now. Billy tells him the baby is his kid. Jill tells Billy that Cane has a lot invested in this baby. Billy remarks that she he paid for a couple of doctor’s visits and bought a crib but that doesn’t make him a father. Esther stands up saying she thinks it is wonderful that they both care but asks if all the hostility is necessary. She and Cloe take the baby upstairs as Jill tells them she will take care of the guys. Cane takes off his jacket and tells Billy either he can willingly leave the baby alone or he will help him out. Billy stands there grinning.

Michael warns Gloria not to say a word at the hearing unless she is being spoken to. He reminds her that he doesn’t want a replay from her last court hearing. He instructs her to look the judge straight in the eye and to express remorse. He warns her not to blow this one. Michael smiles when Heather walks in. She tells him yes she did get the new material he sent to her.

Nick admits he has made mistakes and has admitted them to both Sharon and Phyllis but he insists that he will be there for Sharon if she ever needs him. Jack says this is not about him. He tells him to stay away from Sharon before she loses it. Phyllis calls Nick telling him about Eden about to be arrested for shoplifting.  He says he is on his way. Before he leaves he tells Jack that if he wants to blame anyone for Sharon’s problems to take a look at himself.

Doris tells Sharon she should consider talking to a therapist saying there is nothing to be ashamed of if she does. Sharon looks in her purse and finds the ceramic elephant. Doris notices that she doesn’t act like she even knows where it came from. Sharon says she doesn’t and wonders where it did come from. Nick calls to tell her about Eden and says he is on his way to the bookstore. She tells him she will be right there.

Jill tries to keep the two men from fighting. Billy takes his jacket off saying this baby is his. Cloe stands at the top of the stairs holding the baby listening. She hears Cane rant about how he lost Lily and how pathetic Billy’s life is. He tells Billy to do them all a favor and go back to Hong Kong. Billy tells him Lily dumped him because she was tired of being with a Mama’s boy. Jill yells for them to stop this just as Cane lays a punch on Billy. When Billy looks up he smiles as he wipes blood from his mouth. Cloe tries to help him but he walks out instead without saying anything. Cane asks Jill and Esther to take the baby upstairs so he can talk to Cloe.

The judge says he read Michael’s motion to drop the charges. He says the evidence is compelling. He asks Heather how she would like to proceed. Heather says they can accept the medical affidavits. The judge lectures Gloria about how irresponsible she was. Gloria stands to ask if she can say something but the judge tells her no she can not talk and orders her to sit in silence and take her medicine.

Noah has to wonder if his mother put those books in the bag by mistake maybe. Sharon denies it. Eden swears she didn’t touch it. Phyllis comes out and tells them that Lauren is talking to the manager but it doesn’t look good. Sharon blames all this on Phyllis since she is the one that talked them into letting Eden and Noah see each other, calling Eden a liar, a drinker and now a thief. Noah defends Eden saying this is a load of crap. Nick asks Sharon if he can talk to her. When they go inside Noah apologizes to Eden and he hopes his Dad can help.

Jack asks Billy what the other guy looks like when he sees his bloody nose. He hands Billy a towel to wipe his nose. Billy tells him it was Canes fist that did this when he went to see the baby. He says he thought that seeing the baby would make things clearer for him. Jack says he is impressed when he hears that Billy didn’t hit Cane back. He says that Cane signed the birth certificate but after all this, now he wants to be the father to this baby.

Lauren tells Nick that the manager is determined to press charges on Eden. Sharon asks them both how they can be so blind about Eden saying the girl is disturbed and she is going to take Noah down with her. Lauren just waves her hand up and walks off. She blames Phyllis again and says now Noah is hanging out with a thief. Nick asks if she is ok. He tells her he hasn’t abandoned her. She stops him telling him to do her a favor and just stay away from her. She tells him there is no more him and her. She tells him to get that through his head and then she shoves him away from her.

When Heather tells the judge the state has nothing else linking Mrs. Bardwell to the crime. The judge isn’t pleased about it but has no choice but to set Gloria free. Gloria is shocked saying she can’t believe he did it. She says she is so proud of him and grateful. She says now she can call Jeffery and have him pick her up. Michael can’t believe she wants to call him but she tells him she loves him and she can’t help it and besides she doesn’t want to be alone.

Cloe brings Cane an ice pack for his hand but he doesn’t want it. She tells him that Cordelia is her daughter and she loves her. He says she risked her life to go out in the storm to see her boyfriend saying that was reckless and immature. Cane tells her he has no problem with her living there but eh warns her that he will be coming around. He says if she tries to keep the baby from him, he will cut her out of Cordelia’s life.

Jack tells Billy his nose isn’t broken. He asks Billy if he only wants to make his claim as father only so he can stick it to Cane. Billy says no, he loves his kid. He claims that he and the baby do have a connection. Jack tells him he will help him anyway he can, saying he needs to protect his rights.

Cloe tells Cane he may be able to push Billy around but she is Delia’s mother. Cane threatens to prove her to be crazy and an unfit mother. She tells Cane she doubts he could do better than her or Billy when it comes to being a parent. He tells her he is calling the shots now and he is in charge, asking her if they understand each other. He marches out the door before Cloe can even answer him.

Gloria is at Crimson Lights when she calls Jeffery leaving him a message telling him he is free, cleared of all charges. She says she is willing to ignore all that he said about divorce to her saying she knows he didn’t mean it. She tells him she has been lonely without him as she hangs up with tears in her eyes.

Michael finds Lauren and Eden sitting on the bench by the bookstore. Lauren hugs him when he tells her that he got his mother out of prison. She tells him the police are coming for Eden. He sits next to Eden and tells her what she can expect when the cops get there. He assures her that he will be following them in his car and once they fingerprint her and photograph her she will be released into his custody.  He says these charges won’t stick. All Eden is worried about is Noah’s father telling him that he can’t see her anymore.

Nick tells Noah Sharon is insisting on stopping him from seeing Eden and he thinks it might be a good idea at least for a couple of months. Noah asks a couple of months? He gets mad and walks out. Phyllis asks Nick if he couldn’t get Sharon to change her mind. He says he has to agree with her though. Phyllis asks what else Sharon said to him. When he says nothing else she says it just looked like Sharon had something else on her mind.

Sharon finds the spare key to brad’s house and let’s herself in. She walks around and finds a picture of Brad with his two daughters. She looks in her purse and takes out he ceramic elephant. She says she doesn’t know how it got in her purse, thinking maybe someone put it there as a joke. Suddenly she appears to crack and she starts shivering like she is cold and she looks around in a panic. She is crying as she runs for the door only to drop the ceramic elephant breaking it in pieces all over the floor. Once she is outside she stoops over grabbing her purse and cries.

Jan Barrett